Iditarod pioneer., 1917-01-20
WOODBRIDGE IS RELEASED
 BY COURT OF APPEALS
Fairbanks Citizen, Dec. 1S)


 Have secured clear-cut reversal of judgment in your case on grounds of ln- sufficient evidence. Case not remanded for new trial Congratulations. Mandate wilt issue to lower court on January l. Certl- fled copy of opinion mailed today.
 The foregoing were few of the words contained in a fifty-word night letter re ceived at the Woodbridge home last night from James J. Crossley, formerly district attorney for this division, but now of Port and, Ore. They mean that w II. Wool dridge, convicted of an attempt to commit rape on the person of Laura Harrington, n child under the age of l6 years in local courts last spring, hss been completely ex- onerated of the crime charged For the telegram explicitly says that the case IS not remanded to the local courts for new trial. as is usually the case when an ap- pellate court reverses decision
 The case of the United States vs. Wool dridge, together with it's six companion eases, made that part of the last term of court held here last spring the most sen sational ever known in Interior Alaska. The nature of the crimes charged, connected with the fact that some oE the defendants, particularly Woodbridge and Callahan, were men more or less prominent Tn pubic lie, ave the cases even more prominence than hey otherwise would have attained. For ooth Woodbridge and Callahan had been very active in bringing cOmplants ot varl- ous kinds against local federal officials, and for this reason current opinion was that the prosecutions were fixed
 Woodbridge was indicted by the grand jury on two counts; the perpetratlon ol the crime and the attempted perpetratlon. Wooldridgc was convicted on the second count in the ndictmnet, the attempt to per getrate the crime. The evidence introduced oy the prosecution tended to show that he was trying to renew former intimacy with the girl in the case, while Wooldrldge's own testimony showed that he WAS merely trying help her family by taking potatoes to their home when they were practically with out food
 The evidence of the prosecution showed that Wooldridge visited the Hernngton home one evening but that, upon hndlng that he was discovered he made date with he girl to meet her at Roses bicycle shop The officials, according to their own story as told on the witness stand, were apprlsed of this fact by the girl, and they made ar rancements to catch Woodbridge on the night that the date was kept.
 Woodbridge denied all of the allegations 1f the witnesses for the government ln thls .egard. He said that he was visiting the bicycle shop on the night in question when the girl came running in and said that oncbody was following her. He went out to see who it was he said, and it was then hat he was taken into custody, although he was not raced in restraint until after the indictment against him had been returned by the grand jUry some time later.
 Two other appeals in eases Of Ike nature, except that the defendants were convicted ri pcrDetration of the crime, are now pend ng. They are those of Dan Callahan and ]. p. Rose both of wAcm are now serving sentences in the penitcnti2ry.
 4 vel known Fairbanks attorney stated hat, in his opinion, there was mistake in the telegram received from MT. Crosby. He cxrressed no doubt that WoolAidge had been completely vindica;ed of the crime, but aid that the rpQ2on2 for his vinGicaton, aS given in the telegram, were not logical.
 Appellate courts, he said, gre prone to up hold the decisions of lower courts. For tIa reason, had the evidence been insufficient, as WAS stated in the telegram of h-. Cross lev, the case would have been reman5ec 5ack here fer a new trial l. Is therefore his attorney $ opinion that the appellate -yrt, ill rendering its decision, found that ha original indictment Gi4 not state that
 bEc oi!ense had been committed, snd was therefore valucless