Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1864-11-09
NEW YORK SOLDIERS FRAUD.

NEW YORK SOLDIERS FRAUD.
Among the persons arrested for being
implicated in the fraud upon the New York
soldiers. were II. J. Ferry and Edward
Donohue, the latter 4 young man connected
with the New ! ork Central Rail Road
/ These men were found guilty by the Militia
~ Commission, and sentenced 10 imprison-
ment for life Afterwards Ferry made the
| following confession
do not recollect the time when the first
| papers were forged, but it was IN the pres
ence OF q. X " cod, OF Clinton county New
! \ ork 4; 1t was done in my office No 81 Fay
/ ette street, Baltimore / am. and have been
/ for the last two years the agent of the State
Of New ork, appointed by GOV. Seymour.
| to look after the sick and wounded soldiers
| oi New I Ofk; | first saw Wood on " edncs-
/ day OF last week at ny u1iice. lie cauIe and
/ represented himself as au agent OF the cent
| rai committee OF hls county 10 look after It's
! local ticket. He talked about the way in
which the votes could be taken; II was
agreed that We should sign the names Of
soldiers and officers and send them home to
have the local tickets filed in | made ont
small paper. | signed the names OF soldiers
on quite number OF them: | cannot tell
what names we ,Ignei; the papers are In
the bundle now on the table | did not sign
the names Of officers, but bOnUhue signed
any quantity OF them there was large
| package OF these papers left with me, which
| destroyed; that package contained over
| TWO hundred; DOnohue signed them all.
! The idea OF forg, ing these papers was first
suggested by man named - ephen Maxou ::
| he Is from the western part vi the State OF
/ New Ork do not know from what cOun-
! ~ he l. not IN the service; he Is u State
| agent | cannot say at what tiiue II was first
| proposed 10 forge these papers, but it was.
aJ most, TWO weeks ago: / do not think
| there was anybody present but Donohue
aud myself when MaXOn first proposed to
| forge the papers; there was a man named
| :. VI. Brundy IN my Office he Is now in
| New ork also, a man named ii. New
comb | never saw him until he came there :
| he is lawyer in Albany part Of the forged
/ paper> were made IN my office. and part
! brought there; they were usually brought
| in :. bundle, tied up | do not know who
| brought them | had no letters from Peter
| Cagcer except what were found ID my desk {:
| [ never knew Of any correspondence on this
su iect with General Farrell, the commisSa-
| ry OF subsistence, except the package viii h
YOU have: the packages contained d lot Of
aank envelopes and powers OF attorney
with letter from General Farrell marked
confidential, which contained list of
residents Of Coiumbia county; l did not
let any one know that | .lest' owed the forged
papers left with me, but | told my associate
| thar [ sent them to different parts of the
! State TO be marked Il young man came from
| Washington on Friday or Saturday last, say
| ing, il | had any spare blanks to send them
/ on TO Washington | am not certain that he
did or did not say anything about there be
| ing twenty men over there who would attend
/ to these matters; | do not know how many
! forged papers were sent off, but | heard
| them say that they sent them from Wash
ingt0n by the dry-g0OdS bOXtuii: l do not
recolect hearing them talk despairingly, but
! they talked quite jubiiantly and confidently:
! sent package Of forged papers TO Gen.
Farrell, with letters.
The following is letter from Gen Far
rell, found in the Office Of the State Agent:
NEw-YoRK. OCT 10Th, 1864.
EDW. DONoHUE JB., ESQ. BGtttm0re:
DEAR SIR Inclosed in this package you
will find tickets, also a list OF names OF the actu
al residents Of Colunbia County, now mem
bers of the 18th Regiment. With the best
wishes tor your success, / remain, &c,
JAMES Il. FARRELL, COmmisSary-
The books. &c. Of Ferry and Donohue
we're exhibited to the Court, including a
number Of letters, among which was the fol-
lowing found in a package Of 80 votes, ad-
dressed to Gen J. a FARRELL, Hudson,
! \. Y, with the words New \ ork State
Agency, 50 w Fayette-st., Baltimore, Nd
! printed ON one corner, and the letter was
marked Personal" It will be perceived
that il i IL answer to the letter above
\. YORK STATE AGENCY, BALTIMORE,
So W tayette-st>, Oct. 30. 1864,
Gen. j. \. FARRELL-.Ny DeGr Sir:
send with this note number Of ballots for
your county. have made out "a number
from the list you sent me.
also send package put up by Mr.. FER
Ry, State Agent. and you viii find a note
explaining things ] guess you have
nough. Fearing that you might not, | en-
close envelopes and powers OF attorney sworn
to; you canfiIl them up for Coklmbia or any
other County.
You can fill them up as well In your coun-
~ as we can here. If you want names of
enlisted persons. ascertain them from the
Supervisor list of any county.
La haste, your friend, E D., JR,
You can procure large envelopes for At
torney's names at Albany. Put in some
good names or attorneys.
No one can read the evidence in the case,
and resist the conviction that Gov. Sey-
mour, his Commissary- General, the Sheriff
of Albany, with other prominent Copper
head leaders, were fully conversant with the
! preparation and perpesration Of this un-
heard of yillianv