Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1864-10-31
THE new YORK ELECTION
FRAUDS.
THE PROUEEDINGE. OF THE
TRIAL AT BALTIMORE.
Frauds Deliberate land I'm
bIuShing.
EVIDENCE CONCLUSIVE.
HOW SEYMOUR AND MCCLELLAN
VOTES ARE MADE.

York papers contain details.
On Friday Last H. Newcomb, commits
stoned by Governor Seymour to come on
and take the Mcclellan vote, turned State
evidence. he says he announced to the
soldiers he visited, in every instance, that
he took no other kind Mr. Newcomb is
q lawyer of Albany, and had perception
enough to discriminate the difference be
tween his position before Military Court
and an ordinary civil tribunal, and seemed
determined to make the best of his Grimm
conviction. His evidence was full, clear
md conclusive, and a request was forward
cd to the Secretary of War for
permission to release him.
DOnohue, who has been convicted, the
sentence awaiting the Presidents decision
was tried on Friday. He objected at first
to the jurisdiction of Military Court.
The Judge Advocate then decided that
the Court had jurisdiction.
The testimony elected was chiefly from
Mr.. Orvill R. Wood, of West Chazy Clin-
ton County, New York. He thus explains,
how the frauds were discovered.
Resides at West Chazy, Clinton County
n. Y; is a merchant; came to Baltimore
as the agent of the Union Committee of
his county, TO assist in procuring soldiers
votes in this city; visited Fort McHenry,
and there met Capt. McDermott, of the
9Ist New York, and several soldiers from
Clinton county; stopped there two or thr,
days in conversation with Capt. McDer-
mott in relation to the voting of soldiers,
he remarked that there had been some
Checker playing and his suspicious were
aroused; visited Newton University Hos
pital, and fromwhat he heard there sus-
pected that something was wrong; went to
the office of the State Agency, S5 Lafayette
street, and there met Mr.. Ferry; asked him
how things were getting along, giving him
to understand that he (Wood) belonged to
the Mcclellan party; Ferry desired to
know if he had commission from Cover
nor Seymour; he told him that he had not,
but he had list of the soldiers from his
comfy, which appeared to satisf. Mr.. Fer
ry. He told Mr.. Ferry that he came to
Baltimore to get the vote of the 9lst New
York. He WIS informed that it had been
taken. Mcclellan received 400 votes, and
Lincoln IL. He expressed surprise at the
small number of votes polled for Lincoln,
when Mr.. Ferry said that when Union
votes came into that Office they were all
right when they went out, and that they
were doing more here than he thought of
Witness continued: Mr. Ferry re-
marked, There is a great deal more be-
ing done than you think of" he then said
to witness, You have your county lists p
answered that had portion of them;
said he That is all we want" said 1,
" How ?" he replied, 1 have gotta nigger
here who signs these papers, and you need
not 90 further;n l said that was q good
point gained, and would save a great deal
of trouble. Witness then left the off G,
agreeing to call again in the afternoon
accordingly called at that time there was
clerk sitting in the Office behind the reg
ister book; witness remarked that he did
not want his handwriting to appear in any
of his county votes; Ferry said, You can
take the clerks place and copy there, and
1 will put him on your list p witness &C
eordingly went to work. Witness here
pointed out the book and the place
took his list and witness went to
work with the 10Th New York Cavalry;
the lists that witness copied we're signed
@. G. Arthur; Ferry added the words
"Lieutenat Commanding" witness thinks
and some of them "Captain and A. A.
G;" witness desired to send a few of these
papers to New York, but Ferry objected, |
as it was necessary to wait for Donohue,
who was in Washington, and said he
would telegraph him; ne (Ferry) then
telegraphed Donohue at Washington to
come on at once, and he said that when
Donohue came he would have these fixed
for the witness, and could then send them
on.
TIt should be explained here that the
soldiers power of attorney contains blanks
for the insertion of four names that of
the voter himself, the person authorized to
receive the ballot, the witness to the sfi- |
davit and the officer before whom it was
made. 1t appears toh have been so arrang
ed that different person filed each blank. |
Continuing his evidence, Mr.. Wood said |
that on Saturday afternoon last, he met |
Donohue and Edward Newcomb, also of |
Albany, at Ferry,s Office. Considerable |
ensued about the letters and |
to Washington for Donohue |
to come to Baltimore. Donohue said that |
he was on the eve ofstarting to City Point,
as he had received pass &c, from the
War Debartment; the party then separa-
ted for the night, all having agreed to
meet next morning and fix up papers en-
ough to keep Ferry at work. In con-
versation before separating, one of them
said that things were going on all right,
and that there were twenty men in Wash
lngtOn operating on the work; Donohue
said that they were sending them of in
dry goods-boxes full. Witness met them
again on Sunday morning; all were pres
ent; Newcomb sat at one end of the table fl
ling out the descriptive portion Of the
power of attorney; DOnOhue was
writing the names of the officers who
purported to take the afidsvits; Newcomb
wrote one name in the blanks and Don
ohue another, generally the last.
On Monday Wood went to the Provost
Marshal, Col. Wooley, and informed him
If what was being done; the Office at SO
West Fsyette street was then visited, and
Donahue and Ferry, with the books, pa
1ers, etc, arrested.
These books, papers, letters, &c, we're
before the Court on Saturday.
A roll purporting to be a list of sick and
wounded soldiers under treatment at Jarvis
Hospital in Baltimore was shown. 1t con-
aimed about 400 names.
Mr. Wood testified that Ferry remarked
n answer to question, that "dead or alive !
hey had ali cast good vote" Il
The Judge Advocate then proceeded to
ddress the Court, and thus summed up I
he case:
It appears in his case that the defen-
ant, Donahue, Jr, a young man con-
ected with the New York Cenatrl Rail-