The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1892-03-23

compelled 20 admit under n vigorous examina.
ton conducted by Senator Turple. that Judge
Woods had handed him draft OF an indiot-
ment and he had had IL oopiod on a typewriter.
Q.--llow full draft was thls which you have
described as skeloton-how many pages did
it covert
Al DO not remember could only tell by
seeing the original.
Q.-Moro than one pager
Al think 40.
Q.-ltwus a pretty full drat9
A.-hes there we're a good many blanks,
nud think that perhaps there were some
formal allegations that were not In IL at al.
Q.-But IL was otherwise iull3
A.-Nos air. Ia reoited the chronological
facts and was thought. good indictment.
In this way the judiciary committee learned
that Judge Woods had drawn the substance OF
the indictment and turned a over 70 the dis
trlot attorney In executive session democratic
senators pointed out that a man who would do
this, who would publicly sit ns judge
and aa prosecutor. consulting with and
advising the district attorney, as
the evidence showed Judge Woods
had done, was not ~ TO sit on the humblest
bench Ia the land let alone being promoted 20
one OF the higheot seats in the federal judiciary.
Their ecathing Characterization OF Judge
Woods conduct nearly coat him confirmation,
but President Harrison had cracked his whip
and sufficient number OF republican senators
were found Go carry him through by n narrow
majority. Senators who voted for Woods have
since stated that they did 10 against thoir bet
ter judgment and against their conscience.
What Claypool Knew.
When Judge Claypool was before the Judi.
olary committee no testified that after Dudley
had been allowed 20 escape by virtue Of Woods
rulings no (the witness) had heated oonvor.
aation with Judge Woods in the lattsr's room.
Claypool, on this occasion, said 10 Woods:
I'll you had shown tho same zeal In proseout-
ing Dudley thatyou showed In prosecuting Coy
and tho others Dudley would have been in.
diotod and convicted"
10 this Woodsrepled: Slam no prosecutor
1 am judge"
Claypool then rotorted;
"ludge, you know what know and know
what yon know having reference to Woods
conduct la tho Coy case.
Tho evidence given before the judiciary
committee was very full az TO Woods action in
the Dudley matter-how he stultihed himself
In order to shield Dudley.
Woods lettera 10 Justice Harlan were also
before the committee.
In order TO get Dudley OF, Woods wanted to
rule that bribery was not an odenae against
the laws. In order 20 have moral support FOR
this position Woods tried 10 yet lawyers OF
reputation 10 agree with him. The two jurists
whom he consulted were the late ex-senator
Mcdonald and Justice Harlan OF the supreme
court. Two days before the first Of the grand
jury charges Mr.. Mcdonald wrote him in reply
20 his Queation' that the advice 10 bribe was an
oGense. Judge Woods thereupon tried TO
convince Mr.. Mcdonald that he WIS wrong
but the latter adhered 10 his original opinion
and the Judge followed his construction In his
original charge TO tho jury.
Letters 40 Justice HsrlAr.
Then the Judge wrote to Justice Harlan ask.
ing him for his opinion, but at the same time
arguing strongly in behalf OF the view he had
determined 70 take, and in holding which he
had unsuoeessfully tried to get the support Of
Mr.. Mcdonald. Justice Harlan deliberated
five days and on Nov. 20 re-.
piled that he did not agree with
Judge Woods and did not agree with Mr. Mo.
Donald. Determined at all hazards to get the
support of Justice Harlan before the grand
jury met again, Judge Woods wrote the justice
three times IN close succession, on Jan. 2 Sand
6, 1889, vo.uminously arguing In support to the
construction he had determined on, and at last
he carried his point; Justice Harlan acknowl-
edged that he had at last been brought around
to the judges view. The correspondence indi-
Gates clearly enough that, instead OF being un-
certain and seeking information from
Mr.. Mcdonald and Justice Harlan, Woods
was fully determined in his own
mind what he would do, but shrank
from doing il till he had secured the moral
support of some eminent lawyer of the opposite
political party, If possible, so as 10 free him
from apparent partisanship. but, failing in that,
some eminent lawyer of his own party, and he
hao very great difficulty in accomplishing that
The sum of il all is that Dudley got Indiana
for Harrison by his "blocks- -of-fve" method
that Woods saved Dudley from exposure and
punishment, that Harrison promotes Woods
from the district to the circuit bench, and he is
reluctantly confirmed by e slender majority in
q partisan senate.