The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1864-11-04
The Grand Democratic Fraud.


The Government has for some time had q
suspicion that Seymour Of New York intend
ed to use the soldiers vote to fraudcntly car
~ the State for Mcclellan and him'elf and
have kept detectives on his track. and those
of his agents. It was first aroused by tho
bill which passed the Legislature OF that
State last winter. allowing the soldiers to
vote. They did not have sufficient MAORI.
ty to pass an enabling law over the Govern.
ment's veto. and consequently our folks were
obliged to adopt Scymour's suggestions, else
he would veto their own. This copperhead
STATESMAN" insisted that the bill should al
low tho soldiers the right of voting by PROXY
and by otherwise making the bill conplicat-
ed great door was open for extensive frauds
For some weeks past the copperhead journ'
als oil over the country, lead of by the
World and other New York papers, have
been trying to prepare tho public mind Tor
an astounding result of the soldiers vote, by
saying that the New York soldiers were sure
to vote their ticket almost 10 a man, and
this change has been rung everywhere Tor no
other purpose than to cover up their frau
IDENTIFY transactions. 1t has also been their
policy to fcrestall alleged rascality OF them
selves to draw away public attention from
their own actions, BY telling the people that
Lincoln was going to secure his election by
cheating the soldiers who purposed to vote
for Mcclellan.
On Mond ", the Oath ult., the Provost
Marshal Of Baltimore arrested L Donahue
and NJ. j. Ferry. State Agents Of New York
and commissioned by Seymour to obtain the
soldiers vote. Ferry ut once confessed his
guilt which we give below (Wood, tho per
son referred to, is the detective the Govern
mcnt employed, at whose instance the rus.
Gals were arrested.)
I do not recollec, the time when the FIRST pa.
pers were forged. but II was in the presence OF
u. N. "
my Office, No. IS Fayette st.. Baltimore am,
and have been for the past two years. the Agent
for the State of New York, appointed by Gov:
Seymour. to look after the sick and wounded
soldiers of NV York; | hrst saw Wood on
| Wednesday Of last week, at my office; he came
aud represented himself as an agent Ot the CEN
trail committee of his county to look after ITS
! local ticket; he talked about the way in which
votes could he taken; II was agreed that We
i . n l;asu a,,l .,Hia
and then send them home TO have the local tick
e,s fllei in; made out small papers; sigrcd
the names OF soldiers on quite number of
them; | cannot tell what names we signed; the
| papers are now in the bundle on the table;
! did not sign names Of officers, but Donahue
signed any quantity Of them; there was large
package Of these papers et with me which
destroy ed; that package contained over 2ou !;
! Donaiuc signed them NIL; the idea OF forging
these papers WAS hrst sugsss.eu py ,'an
named Stephen Maxon; no is from the western
part OF the State OF New York; do not know
from what county; he is not in the service; he
is State agent.
cannot say ut what time II was first pro-
posed to forge these papers IL was almost two
weeks ago do not think there was anybody
present bu, Donahue and myself when Maxon
first proposed to forge the papers there was
man named Bundy in my Office; he IL now
in New York (; also man NAMED H. Newc0mb;
I never saw him until he camc there; he is a
LAWYER in Albany part of the forged papers
we're made in my office, and part were brought
there they were usually brought in bundle
| tied up do not know who brought them
had no letters from Peter Cagger, except what
were found in my desk never knew OF any
correspondence on the subject with Gen. Far
| rell, the Commissary OF Subsistence, except the
package which you have the package contained
| ~ r.,fa NIT
with letter from Gen. Farrell, marked "conh
dential," which contained a list of the names
| of the residents of Columbia County did
no, let any one know I destroyed the forged
papers LETT with the. but told my associates that
had sent them to different parties in the STATE
TO be mailed young man came from Wash
ington on Friday or Saturday last, saying u
had any spare blanks to send them ON To Wash
ing,on atm not certain that he did or did not
say ANYTHING about there being twenty men
over there who conld attend to these matters
do not know howsmany forged papers were
sent off but heard them say they sent them
from Washington BY the dry goods boxfull
do not recollect hearing them talk dsparaging-
~ but they talked quite jubilantly and conf.
IDENTIFY I sent n package Of forged papers to
General Farrell with the following letter;
"BALriNoRE, Saturday, Oct. %, 1854.
IL YOU arc energetic sou will be able to get
| the within votes Ill Mrangeu IOr tue otu VI
November. l should have done more to them,
but have not time, they are all on the square
the same as the Blacks got theirs. Neither
would bear close scrutiny. Ed. DOnohue said
send this to you. and have done II. ii. .-.
Yours truly, DEMOCRAT. :.
P. S.-.Thcy are all soldiers company and
regiment. All o. X. The rest have nothing
to say. II you have no use for them send them
back. L NJ. J.. FERRY,
No. IS West Fsyette.st, Baltimore"
Donahue. at the trial on Friday, plead a
general denial, and the government then
put In testimony and documentary evidence,
which the accused finally and fully admitted,
and appealed to the mercy OF the Court, say.
ing il was his first offence. &c.
II appears that thus FAR about 10000 votes
have been forged. and the evidence duplicates
large number Of New York Democrats at
Albany rs acces~ories to the crimc. Tho tri-
al Of Donahue Is concluded, but the decision
and sentence will not be made Known until
the President has reviewed the case.
p. ). since writing tho above tho sentence
has been pronounced and approved by the