Daily national Republican. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1862-1866, 1864-10-29
The Soldiers Ballot Frsuds-Th. Case a,
Edward Donohus. Jr RinIsh.d


Edward Donohue, Jr., Finishsd
Ihe military commission reassembled yes
terday morning at II O'Clock, at their rooms
at the Eutaw House. After the commission
was called to order by General Doubleday, the
trial OF Edward Donohue, Jr., was resumed, ,
his co-defendant, Ferry, having pleaded guilty
the previous day. The accused denied the
jurisdiction of the court, claiming that If there
was any offence committed, 1t was one cognI-
'aole by the State OF New York, and not by
military commission. He admitted that he had
signed to some of the blank forms the name Of
T. g. Arthur, Captain and Assistant Adjutant
General, but pleaded not guilty to the charge
of signing the names Of other officers and sol.
dIers. The Judge Advocate argued in support
oil the jurisdiction OF the commission that the
offence could not be punished by the State OF
New York, as the offence was not committed
there's that it could not be punished by the
state OF Maryland, as twas not a crime sgaiust
any statute OF the State or against the common
law and that military court could not TAX G
ecgniLsnce Of it, 1t should have 70 10 unpun
Mhst. He claimed that the case came within
the provisiOI Oi Genera Order, No. 2o5, direct
ing uiioert - sSEt measures 70 secure tn,
trUedvu ant fairness q .i,srsag., With due re
Es-t Il EVVt u-nT az 1..!tAry 9lscipllae.
III, rl'u- va 'Isasst Tor 1silberatIon, ant
- - tlsEr1 sslnZ rsGpsnsf IL wa announced
thss TIE pea sgsirst the Jurisdiction was over
ruled. The case SH Iaen proceeded with
The fret uItnsss VA Or,ilIe X. Wood, q Re
publican county agent from Clinton county
New York, who, under the pretencc of being ,
Mcclellan agent, obtained the nhdence o
the New York State agent, Mr.. Ferry, In who's,
office the frauds were committed, OF the mod,
OF doing which he gave detailed account
The next witness examined was Edward New
comb, an attorney residing at Albany, New
York, and who had been sent on, with com
mission from the Governor, TO assist Donohue
He made clean breast OF 1t. At the close o
his testimony q. o'clock the court took a re
cess till Ave O'Clock. THE accused (Mr. Don
ohue) acts as his own counsel.
The court resssembled at five O'Clock, and
after session OF several hours, concluded the
testimony In the case.
The Judge Advocate then addressed the court
as follows:
IL appears IN tnlb case tndt inc defendant,
Edward Donohue, jr., young man connected
with the New York Central ROAD road, to
those who live in the city Of New York, almost
synonymous with treason-hAs, for the past
two or three weeks, been engaged In one Of the
most gigantic frauds ever attempted to DO per-
Petrsted on this nationi fraud which, II 1t
shall be successful, will, in my opinion. have
produced a disruption Of our entire country,
and our war for the preservation OF the Union
will be practically at an end, and futile. II
appears from the evidence OF the two Witnesses
produced before you, that on one occasion,
when Republican, who happened TO hear
something that was said by one of the State
agents Of the State OF New York, that frauds
were being perpetrated, went to the office of
the State agent in this city, and found him
willing and ready TO make false votes, and
prudently representing himself as one OF the
party they were working for, ingratiated him
self into their confidence, and was allowed TO
see the workings OF their party.
II appears that the regular blanks for SOL
diers are forged, the names Of the officers who
are purporting TO swear the soldier are written
out by one party, the name OF the soldiers who
casts ms vote oy another, aud still q third one
who nils up the blanks. These are then left
either sealed or unSealed with the electoral
ticket Of the party which they represent; and,
as the iirst witness testified to you several dry.
goods boxes full of votes have already left The
city Of Washington. At that time. IL will he
Whe WVIhe III Ihind that EDWARD Donohue was In
Washington. He comes 10 this city How ia
this statement as compared with his accom-.
Pllee, Edward NeWcomb, and with the first wit
ness, Mr.. Wood Was 1t they who induced
MN 70 commit this fraud, or did he them
Does NeWcomb say that Wood asked him, or
was Donohne who asked him to write these
letters lie hnds Donohue In full blast. writ
ing as fast as he could, sometimes the name Of
a soldier and sometimes of an officer, giving
one rank and sometimes another. the othsp
one filling up their names, and still third one
the full blank. Thus the persons around this
table, In the course OF Sunday afternoon aIIed
up 10 the number Of nearly a hundred and If
three persons could, in one afternoon, manu-.
fActure some ono or two hundred OF Snrh
fraudulent votes, what could not twenty, siIni.
larly employed for two weeks, effect The
Pnormity OF the fraud was appalling