Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1864-10-29
THE GREAT ELECTION FRAUD.
(From the Baltimors American, Oct. 29J

| he CASE OF E. DOnohue, OF Albany. was imme-
dlately taken up. 1t will be remembered that
as postponed in order TO enable the accused
| 10 procure counsel He had telegraphei on
the previous evening to Peter Cagger, OF Alba
| ny, and Sanford h. Church, OF New York. ex.
| pialping his situation and req uesting their rs
slstance, and had received answer telling
MN mat 1t WAS fmpossl to come on here,
| ana mat he must procure counsel himself He
thtI-iore undertook mis- owu defense.
| Ihe Judge Adyo:ate SAID The prisoner
nTst WISHES to object to the jurisdiction OF the
| court, Oh the ground that the offense charged
Is one that should be tried not by military,
onl oy civil court In the second piace,
pleading TO the merits. he pleads utiry of hav-
ing signed certain blanks mentioned in the act
| referred o, the name OF q. II. Arthur, Captain
and Assistant Adjutant General, bat that he ,s
not nifty OF having signed any other Off GER 8
or private's name. He claims that this sign
| ing not having specified the regiment OF the
officer, and 1t not appearing that there was aay
offiter OF that name in the volunteer SER vice OF
| the State OF New York, did not constitute q
| CRIME; that such votes were on their face lille.
| gal and conld not be received
| 1t is but fair 10 state that the Government
| claims hat the accused has forged the names
| OF soldiers and OF other officers. specifying the
| regiments. 1t will b., therefore, necessary tor
| the Government to go INTO proof on that
point
The Court decided that it had jurisdiction in
| the case.
Mr.. Orville X. Wood, of West Chazy, CIn.
ton county. N. Y, was then sworn on the part
of the Government, and testified iu substance
| as fellows:
Resides at West Chazy, Clinton county, v
Y; IL a merchant; came to Batimor. as the
agent OF the Uncn committee of his county to
ASSIST in p, occurring the soldiers vote in this
| city; visited Fort McHenIy, and there met
Cspt. nj McDermott. of the 9ist New York resi-
mtnr, and several soldiers from Clinton coun-
t.; stopped there two or three days; in Il con.
versation with capt. McDrrmot in relation to
the voting OF the soldiers, he remarked that
there had been some '.checker playing" and
his suspicious were arous ed; also visited New
ton University Hospital, .ud from what he
heard there suspected thai something was
wrong; went 10 The Cffice of the State agency,
S. West Fayette street, and there met Mr.. Fer
ry: asked him how things were getting along,
giving him TO underst tdnd that he Nv ood) be-
longed 10 the McCl. liam party; Ferrv desired
to know II he had acommIssion from Gov. Sey-
mour; he told him that he had not, but he re-
presented his county committee; Ferry desired
10 SEE his commission; said be had none, but
had Irst OF soldiers OF dis county. which ap-
peared To satisfy Ferry told Ferry that ne
came 10 Baltimore to get the vote of tn list
New York; was informed that it had been
tGken-McClellan received 400 votes and Lin
coin II; he expressed surprise At the smali
mum ber OF votes pclied for Lincoln, when Fer
ry said that " hen Union votes came into that
Office they were all right W hen they went out,
and that they were dong more here tnan he
thought of.
The prisoner objected TO the evidence, as he
was not present at this interview between Fir,
Wood and Mr. Ferry.
The Judge Advocate said it was necessary,
as it would be shown Donohue had been q party
10 the frauds alluded to ny Ferry
The Court was cleared, and, on its reopening,
the President decided tnat the evidence should
be received.
Mr.. Wood, continuing: stated there
was no necessity for my going any further, as
the Clinton county lists OF voters could be
signed in his Office without any trouble, sa W a
CLERK engaged IN copying names from large
blank ooks
Ferry said he WOODY could take the clerks
place, IN order thai the lists he should prepare
would not be sent TO hls own county; the clerk
the D took the list in the possession of Wood aud
proceed TO fill mp blanks purporting to be the
voies of mem bers of the 9Th New York cavalry;
" ood commenced filling the blanks for dates
etc, in the power of attorney, which were
signed at the hottom with the name of 40. G.
arthur" Ferry added 10 the signature the
words Captain and Assistant AdjutiDt Cen
eral;'' Wood de iTed TO send the votes TO New
York, but Ferry objected, as it was necessary
to wait for Donohue, who WAS in Washington,
and he would telegraph for him
lit should be explained here that the soldiers
power of attorney contains blanks for the in-
sertlon of four names-tnat of the voter him.
self, the person authorized TO receive the blllot
the witness to the affidavit, and the officer be-
lore whom IL is made. Such was the complete
ness OF the plot that different person filled
each blank
Continuing his evidence. Mr.. Wood said
that ON Saturday afternoon last he met Dono-
hue and Edward Ntwcomb, also OF Albany,
at Ferrys office; considerable conversation en-
sued about the latter's telegraphing 70 Wash
ohue sand he was on the eve OF starting to City
Point, as he had received pass, etc, from the
War Departments the party then separated for
the night with the understanding that they
were TO meet at o'clock on Sunday morning,
in order that a sufficient mum Der OF blanks be
fixed mp to give employment to Ferry, who
had used nearly all of his supply; met on Sun
day according 10 appointment NeWcomb said
he understood that there We're abOu. twenty
men ia Washington busiy engaged in sensing
ballols TO New York in dry goods boxes: Fer
ry, UonChue, NeWcomb and Wood seated
themselves at a table and began filling up
blanks, both the powers of Attorney and the
envelopes in W Which they are In closed; NeWcomb
wrote one name in the blanks and Donohue an
other, generally the last.
The prisoner here interrupted the witness
with the remark, .Do you swear wrote SOL
diers Dame!"
MIR. WOod-I do.
ISeveral blanks were produced, all bearing
The signature OF &C. e. Arthur, Captain and
Assistant Adjutant General" as the officer in
whose presence the affidavit W as IN ade and the
signature OF the witnesses attirmed-fuli sets OF
powers Of attorney, the blanks all filled, and
ready to be deposited in the ballot box as soon
as a ticFet would be inserted. One package OF
thirty, in which the names had all been forged,
was Identified by Mr. Wood as the work OF
Donohue. Among the names fraudulently In
serted were those OF LieuteE ant Colonel Mur-
ply, OF the 7th New York artillery, and Captain
Smith, Of the SD New York
The witness, continuing, said thirty or the
proxies were for Clinton county; package of
relI, CommIssary General of Subsistence of the
State of New York; Ferry remarked while
writing that DCnohue had a letter from General
Farrell inc closing list Of soldiers who resided
in kis county, and that he had fixed fifty Fl ve
proxies which were ready to be forwarded to
Farrell; Donohue said he would make out Far
Iell's list, and seld it together via what Ferry
had prepared
The fol ewing is the let er from General Far
reii found III the Office Or the State agent:
NIW YORK. Oct. -, isbl-ELwdrd Do.otue,
Jr, Esq. Baltimore Dear Sir: Enclosed In
tins package Won Will find tickstS--also list OF
IauIes VI actual residents of Columbia county,
now members of the i2Stn regiment. With my
best wishes for your success, remain, &c,
JAMES A. FARRELL, COmmissary General.
The examination was resumed, aud Mr
Wood said two soldiers came into Ferry's Of
fee and signed powers Of attorney; each placed
a Union electoral and Democratic State ticket
la their envelopes, but Ferry abstracted the
Union ballots and put i'll those containing the
names of the Mcclellan electors; on Monday
Wood went to Col. Woolley's office; iufor med
him of what was being done; the Office at s.
West Fay ette street was then visited, Donohue
and Ferry, with the books, papers, &c, cap