The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1892-02-06
Sellers Ritter and Morris Before the
Senate Committee on Judiciary.
Judge Woods Commended BY Each Of the Wit
nesses as an Able. Impartial Jurist and q
Man of High snd Pure Character.
Colonel Dudley's Arrest Discouraged
by Attorney.General Garland,
Who Said the Process Issued by Mr.. Morris
Was Worthless. and That Judge Woodss De-
cision Was Good Law-Census Attacked.
FAVORABLE TO WOODS.


FAVORABLE TO WOODS.
Sellers, Ritter and Morris Testify Before the
Senate Judiciary Committee.
Special TO the Indianapolis Journal
WASHINGTON. 1 sb. Sit is probable that
reports will be made to the Senate on next
Monday upon all of the seven nominations
for circuit judges. which have been be-
fore the judiciary committee several weeks,
and which have been held up pending an
investigation into the charges preferred
against Judge Woods. of Indianapolis. ALI
of the witnesses subpenaed in the investi-
CATION were formally discharged to-day,
after ex-United States District attorney
Sellers, Capt. Eli Ritter and United States
Commissioner Nathan Morris. of Indian
apolls, had testified. In all ten witnesses
have appeared before the committee. all of
whom were summoned at the instance of
Senator Voorhees,. in opposition to the
nominee. Judge Woods and his friends
have not considered the opposition of suf-
fcientIy formida able character to demand q
defense from witnesses, and have depended
on the full and satisfactory answers to the
charges which have been submitted by the
nominee himself.
The testim ony of all of the witnesses to-
day favored Judge Woods Each stated
that Judge Woods was an able, impartial.
non-partisan and fair jurist, and that his
course in the Coy-Dudley cases was such
as to impress upon those who had to do
with the proceedings q high type of pure
character. 1t will be recalled that Capt
Ritter represented the committee of ono
hundred of Indianapolis In these cases;
commissioner before whom an information
was filed against Colonel Dudley. after the
grand jury had refused to return an IN
dictment. and upon which information q
cused; and that Mr.. Sellers was the dis
trict attorney for the United States during
the entire Coy proceedings and the early
stages of the Dudley case.
NOT APPROVED BY GARLAND.
After Commissioner Morris had issued
process upon which Colonel Dudley was to
be arrested 1t was brought by Mr.. Sellers
to this city to be served. 1t was the pro-
gramme to arrest the Colonel and take him
to Indiana in the custody of Sellers. amid .
great glow of red lights. Upon his arrival
here District Attorney Sellers went to At
ton process and asked him to examine it
for criticism before service was had. Aft
or Mr.. Garland had looked closely into tho
papers he informed Mr.. Sellers that the pro-
ceeding would not hold water; that an in
dictment upon that presentation would
not stand, as the law laid down by Judge
Woods In his charge to the grand jury was
| good law. Mr. Sellers returned to Indiana
without his prisoner aud resigned his OF.
| fee. 1t may be that ex-Attorney- general
Garland will be called upon to testify to
this incident. If he is not it will be be-
cause defense is not necessary. IT Chair
man Hoar is able to attend the meeting OF
| the committee on next Monday reports will
| be made uDon all the judicial nominations
| and final action recommended without de-
lay s.u p,..
for Indianapolis. Mr.. Morris returns to
| New York, where he has been for some
time on professional business, and whence
he goes to Indianapolis in few days.
An Associated Press dispatch says: ut
is learned that the general tenor of the
statements made by the witnesses before
| the committee to-day were not calculated
| to give much comfort to the opponents OF
Judge Woods's confirmation. Mr.. Sellers,
| although politically opposed to Judge
Woods, did not attempt to censure him,
| and. in fact, his statement rather tended
| to acquit the Judge Of any impropriety in
| connection with the Coy-Dudley cases.
with Attorney general Garland with re-
| spect to the process issued by him against
Mr.. Dudley, and had been informed by Mr.
Garland that the process was worthless and
| would not hold good against any person.
| Thereupon further proceedings under the
| process were abandoned. and 1t did not ap-
| pear from the witness's statement that
| Judge Woods had been instrumental in Sc
| curing this abandonment"
VOORHEES, Is SORRY NOW.
| The following appears in Thursdays
Philadelphia Press from it's correspondent
sober reflection to-day reached the conclu-
| sion that his incorporate language In the
Senate Chamber yesterday was unwar-
ranted. At least. he told several persons
| that he was sorry that he had g0ne so far
| ment." But as Senator Voorhees, had been
| threatening for three days to make the dis
| graceful exhibition that he gave of himself
| yesterday, his partial regret did not take
| well with those to whom he expressed it.
But what brought the Indiana Senator to
his sober senses moro than anything else
was the general denunciatlon on the part
| of both his friends and opponents of his
brutal attack yesterday on Judge Woods.
| 1t was altogether unparliamentary. as
| well as unfair and ungentlemanly. Judge
| WOods's name is now before the Senate ju-
| dietary committee on the nomination of the
| President for circuit court Judge. All of
the charges that have been preferred to that
| committee have come from his bitter polit-
zeal opponents, the Indiana Senators, and
particularly from Mr.. Voorhees,. Before-the
| committee has concluded its investigation.
and before any report has been made to the
| Senate, Mr.. Voorhees, got up in that body
and publicly denounced the nomination as
scandalous and unfit. and used almost the
same blackguard language in referring to
| Judge Woods that he did in referring 20 the
| Press correspondent. 1t was an unurece-
dented and disreputable proceeding on the
part of the Indiana Senator, as Judge
| Woods is not member of that body and
had no opportunity to reply to this mali
| cious attack of Mr.. Voorhees,.
| Some of the Senators to-day informed
| Mr.. Voorhees, that he had not only made q
| mistake in applying billinesgate language
| to the Press correspondent, but that he had
| made a still worse mistake in the scandal
Gus attack on Judge Woods. The rules of
the Senate provide that nominations shall
| be considered in executive session. and
forbid any reference to any pending NOM
ination ct any other time; and another rule
| provides that no member shall make refer
| ence OF discuss any business pending be-
fore any committee. In his shameless
attack on Judge Woods. yesterday. Mr..
Voorhees, violated both of these rules, and
when his attention was called 70 the fact
to-day by other Senators he excused him.
| self by saying that he was laboring under
temporary excitement"
CENSUS ATTACKED.