The Alaska citizen., 1916-12-18
SUBSCRIPTION PRICE.
Phone 2O2 Phone
HALF COOKED" !"

II SGtLlIS lo I4t lIal lIlt IlSil shals up there went off hall cooked
 The foregoing was the remark made from the bench by Judge Mor row, Of the United States circuit court of appeals at San Francisco. in regard To the Woodbridge case He was referring specifically to thH part of the ca Q relating to the time that the girl in the case enticed W. II. Woodbridge, the defendant, to ga 10 Roses bicycle shop on Lacy street. as stated in the testimony of various deputies according to two letters re. eeiyed here regarding the progress of the otse in he circuit court
 Judge Morrow could not haze known that he was expres ins tine sentiment of the majority of the people oI Fairbanks He could not have known that there were mans discussions here regarding the file sality of the attempt to fix a crime against Woodbridge which many DO pie here claimed was fixed" by the local federal officials against the de fendant in the proceedings, only fol the purpose of getting even" with him for his activities again them For but very little of the general expression Of sentiment here was d lowed to get into the evidence as it was seen and heard by the circuit court of appeals.
 The news that W. II. Woodbridge had been y.ndicated of an attemp 10 commit rape on the person ot Laura Herrington. a female child under the age of sixteen years, was received here last night in tele gram to hi family from former District Attorney James J, CrossleE who handled the case before the circuit court of appeals. And that he has been completely vindicated and cleared is not to be doubted, as the telegram explicitly says that the case is not even remanded for a new trial, for the reason that the evidence is absolutely insufficient to convict.
 With this precedent before them, it is doubtful if there will ever be another attempt on the part of the present or future officials to fix" q case on a defendant just because he happens to be inimical to their interests. For the information re- ceiyed here last night establishes their methods as crude in the eX treme even to an appeal judge who does not know the local sentiment and facts connected with the case at hand, beyond the occasional word or two which managed to creep into the transcript.
 The Woodbridge case and it's com panion cases were probably the most sensational in the annals of the local criminal court. And they also had the effect of branding Interior Al aska as yeritable nest of crime and criminals. Out of the seven cases there were three convictions by trial. Three of the defendants were acquitted, and one, whom com mon report at the time credited with being the most guilty of all, was sentenced to but one year in the penitentiary after pleading gull the sentences ranged from seven years for the attempted crime in Wooldridge's case. to twelve years for its psrpstraion in Callahan'S case.
 All of the three men convicted were known enemies of the present federal ofIicialS-W H. Woodbridge, Dan Callahan and J. P. Rose the latter having been witness for the defendant in the Woodbridge case. It was not until after he had given testimony in the Woodbridge case that Rose was arrested on the rape charge. He was also convict ed of perjury in that connection.
 Because he was convicted only of the lesser offense and could be ad mitted to bail, for he was tried both for the perpetration of the crime and for attempting to perpetrate it. Woodbridge was allowed to remain here under bonds during the time his case was being appealed. Gala | han and Rooe. however. having been | convicted of the greater offense, | could not be admitted to bail. and | ., . consequence are serving tsrms ]