Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1864-11-04

V0fes---ArreSf and Confession
Offlae New York state Agent
at baltimore.
Extensive frauds have been discovered in Balt
more and Washington on the part Of some of the
Commissioners of New York state to receive and
forward the votes Of soldiers. Two State Agents
~ j. Ferry Of Canton. St. Lawrence county, and
Edward Donohue Of Albany, have been arrested
and brought for trial before s.he Military Commits
sion, Of which Major-General Abnef Doubleday IS
President, and Colonel John Al Foster, Of the
One Hundred and Ninety-ffth New York, Judge
Advocate
Donohue teIegraphed to Peter Cagger and
Sandlord E. Church, notifying them Of their ar
rest, and desiring them to obtain counsel for them
immediately
Tt is stated that seven dry goods boxes Of votes
for the Democratic National and State nominees
have been forwarded from Washington by express
Several packages Of the alleged forged tickets are
in the hands Of the Commission, with letters, &c,
involving persons IN New York.
After the adjournment of the Military Commits
sion in Baltimore M J, Ferry, one of the
two prisoners put on to trial, stated to the
Judge-Advocate that he desired to make confes
sion of all he knew in connection with the fraud
ulent papers. His request was complied with,
and his confession was written out in the usual
form of questions and answers When he had
concluded the court reassembled and Judge-Ad-
yocate Foster made to the court a statement EN-
bodying the facts confessed-the material part Of
which is as follows
| CONFESSION OF N. J. FERRY, THE STATE AGENT
OF GOVERNOR SEYMOUR.
I DO not recoleet the time when the first pa
pers were forged, but it was In the presence of
Oryille K. Wood, Of Clinton county New York.
1t was done in my office, No. S5 Fayette street,
Baltimore. am, and have been for the past
two years the agent of the state Of New YoTR,
appointed by Governor Seymour, to look after
the sick and wounded soldiers Of New York -
| first saw Wood on Wednesday of last week at
my Office. He came and represented himself as
an agent Of the Central Committee of his county
| to look after the local ticket We talked about
the way IN which votes could be taken. 1t was
agreed that we should sign the names of officers
and soldiers, and then send them home to have
the local tickets filed in ! made out such pa
pers. | signed the names Of soldiers on quite a
number of them. l cannot tell what names we
signed. The papers are IN the bundle now on
| the table. did not sign the names Of officers,
j
was large package Of these paicss left with me,
which | destroyed That package contained over
two hundred that Donahue had signed The
idea of forging these papers was first suggested
by man named Stephen Maxson He 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 a state agent | cannot say at what
time it was first proposed to forge the papers,
but it was about two weeks ago / do not think
there was anybody present but Donahue and my
self when Maxson first proposed to forge papers.
There was man named q. VI. Bundy III my
Office He is now in New York Also, man
named I'll. Newcomb. never saw him until he
came there. He is a lawyer In Albany Part
OF the forged papers were made In my office and
part brought there. They were usually brought
In d bundle tied up. / do not know who brought
them. | had no letters from Peter Cagger ex-
eept what were found in my desk / never
knew of any correspondence on the subject with
General Earrel, the Commissary of Subsistence,
except the package which you have. The pack
age contained lot of blank envelopes aud powers
Of attorney, with a letter from General Farrell,
marked confidential, which contained list
! Of names of residents of Columbia county de-
stDyed the forged papers left with me, but told
MI associates that | sent them to different parts
ofthe state to be mailed A young man came
/ from Washington on Friday or Saturday last say
4 Ing if / had any spare blanks to send them
over to Washington. | am not certain whether
/ nedlQ OF OiQ not say allStnlDg ABOUT thele
/ beng some men over there who could attend to
these matters. I do not know how many forged
/ papers were sent off, but l heard them say they
! sent them from Washington by the dry goods box
/ full. l do not recolleet hearing them talk des-
| paringly but they talked quite jubilantly. /
sent the forged papers to General Farrell, with
4 the following letter:
BALTIMORE, October %, 1864
! "My Dear Sir: If you are energetic, you will
be able to get the within votes arranged for the
Sth Of November | should have done more to
them, bat have not time. They are all on the
square-the same as the blacks get theirs. Nei-
ther would bear close scrutiny. Ed. Donahue
said send this on to you and have done it.
Truly yours, DEMOCRAT
E "P, S.-They are all soldiers-companies and
regiments all 0. K OF the rest / have nothing
to say. fyou have no use for them send, them
back NJ. J. FERRY,
No. S5 West Fayette street, Baltimore.
Henry Newcomb, implicated by Ferry, has also
made complete and full confession. The Judge
Advocate was understood to present plea Of
guilty on behalf of Mr.. Ferry, and to ask on his
behalf the clemency of the court.