The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1892-04-01

lsut nc - FTGtty uo8es
The Judiciary committee has removed
the seal OF secresy from the evidenc'
which Il took 10 the Woods' case. and
examination OF that evidence shows iha
ell the charges made sgainst Wood
have been proved. and the wonder how
be Wss ever confirmed, even In . parti
san Republic senate.
Noble e. Butler. clerk OF the United
States court q indianapolis. testified
that sner there he'd been one mistrisl IN
the case against Coy. Bernhamsr. and
others. . second Indictment wss pre-.
sented, and Judge Woods told Butler
that ne (Woods) had drawn u With bis
own hand. 10 court motion Vas made
bv the attorneys Of defendants 10 quash
the indictment, and Judge Woods who
wss sitting In the case overruIed the
motion. Having drawn the indictment
himself nothing else could have been
though the fact that Woods
Wss acting - both Judge and prosecutor
vas not known 81 the time. When But
Ter vas asked how Judge Woods came
10 make this admission 70 him the wit
ness replied:
.He said to me one day in his room :
4 suppose you have some idea about
who drew that indictment?' The ques-
ton seemed to invite but one snswer,
and said supposed he had something
TO do with II. and he ssid be had.'
AcKNowLEDGED DRAWING THE IxDIcr-
NExT-
Butler testified that the Indictment in
- e. T. a. -<ss
sf the district attorney, while that in the
second case was typewritten. Judge
Woods admitted 10 having drawn this
second indictment and given II to the
d.strict attorney to be copied. Other
witnesses testified that they had seen
the typewritten indictment but did not
know BY whom IL was written. though
the fsct wss brought out that District
Attorney Sellers himself could not work
. typewriter. Finally the district At
torney vas brought before the commit
tee. and be was compelled TO admit. IN
der vigorous examination conducted
BY SenstOr Turpie. that Judge Woods
bad handed him : draft OF sn Indictment
and be bad II copied on typewriter.
O How full . draft was this which
yO0 00t0 0GHIIiO00 - - 9A0lGtOU-uOW
many pages did it cover?
Al do not remember could only
tell BY seeing the original.
Q-More than ose page?
Al think 90.
Q 1t wss pretty fuIl draft?
Ayes, there we're . good many
blanks. and | think that perhaps there
we're come formal allegations that Wers
NOT in u q al.
O But Il was otherwise f0II?
Ayes. cir. It recieed the chrouo-
logical facts, and wss, l thought . good
Indictment
In this way the judiciary COMMITTEES
learned that Judge Woods hsd drawn
the substance Of the indictment, and
turned IL over to the district attorney. In
executive session Democratic Senators
pointed out that . man Who would do
this. would publicly sit . judge and q
prosecutor. consulting With and sdvis-
ing the disirict attorney. - the evidence
showed Judge Woods had done, wss
not fit 10 sit on the humblest bench Ia
The land. let alone being promoted to
one Of the highest seats 10 the federal
Judiciary. Their scsthing chsractcriza-
tiOn OF Judge Woods' conduct nearly
cost him his confirmation. but President
Harrison had cracked his whip aud .
sufIicient number Of Republican senators
were found 10 carry him through By .
narrow majority. Senators who voted
for Woods have sincs stated that they
did % sgainss their better judgment,
and against their condolences.
WHAT cLAYPooL KNEW.
When Judge Clsypo Was before the
judiciary committee be testified that
alter Dude, had been allowed TO escape
by virtue OF Woods' rulings be (ihs wit
lness) bad . heated conversation With
Judge Woods in the latters room
Clay pool On this occasion said q
Woods:
III you had show, the same real ia
prosecuting Dudley that you showed IN
prosecuting Coy. and the others Dudley
would have been indicted and con
vicfedr
To this Woods replied: Il am nc
prosecutor nv I am . Judge"
Cisypool then retorted:
"Judge. you know what ] know end
know y hat you know having refer
ence 10 Woods conduct 10 the Coy case
The evidence given before the judi
ciary com rliitee Vas very full q 10
Wood action IN the Dudley mat
ser-how ne stultified bimself 10 order
to shieId Dudley.
Woods letters 10 Justice Harlan were
also before the committee.
In order 10 get Dudley on. Woods
wanted 10 rule that bribery was not 81
offence against the Isws In order 70
have : moral support for this position
Woods tried TO get lswysrs Of reputation
10 agree with him. The two jurisis
whom he consulted were the late ex-
Senator Mcdonald and Justice Harlan
OF the Supreme Court. Two days before
the fissl OF the TOO grand jury charges
Mr.. Mcdonald wrote him In reply 10 BIZ
Quession that the advice 20 bribe vas IN
offense. Judge Woods ihereupon tried
10 conyince Mr. Mcdonald that no ~
wrong. but The latter adhered 70 bic orig
inal opinion, and he judge followed bI'
construction il bic original charge 20 th'
jury.