The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1886-11-04
BULLDOZED FRANCIS,
HIS ExtOrted Testimony and Confidential
Letters Don't Agree.


Letters Don't Agree.
COLUMBUS, o., Oct. 27.-The Foraker
skin gang have driven the convict pris.
oner back into the traces, and when he
Testified In the tally sheet forgery case,
ne recited the old story as told to do by
the Governors clerk; he pleaded guilty
TO forging the tally sheets, but his reef
tai OF the attending circumstances is 80
hlmsy and contradictory that his testi-
mony Is OF little value. 1t Is evident
tnat the Foraker gang has pressed
francis to stick to his forgery story un-
der the promise Of an early parole as
soon as election is over. This, Of course,
Is an inducement to Francis, as he is
serving twelve years sentence for
manslaughter. Following is the main
part Of Francis examinations:
~ ""It you were instructed to raise to
oUO, why did you 90 to Campbell and
ask now to change to AZ"
A. u did not do that. did not ask
now to do that"
Then admitted he did, and was told to
erase the 2 and Insert the 4.
Witness then denied he was told to
erase the 2 and insert the 4; said he was
told to insert the other figures.
Q did you not say this morning
you tried a 4 and made a bad jObP"
A. "NO, sir; did not; might have
done something about A."
Z. " Is that the way you commit a
crime, by. inviting as many spectators
as pOssibleP"
A. II don't know. There. were four
persons IN the room who were not lock.
ed up
Q. II ask you If this whole story is
not made up and if you did not tell some
one that 1t was?"
A. No, sir. do remember, however,
OF telling Dan Cregan that knew moth
ing about IL. Don't think l told Cregsn
that they were going to kill me unless
swore to this story. believe did tell
him something like that; he was a ben
efact0r of mine and liked him. | may
have told him that they were persecut-
ing me to tell a lie about this forgery.
| might have told the story to several.
Never wrote 1t to anybody to my knOwl-
edge. My attorneys, N5Vins s. Pringle,
told me would never get out unless
diVulged the story of the tally sheet FOR.
gerry, and told them knew nothing
about It, They said that was what was
against me. They visited me three
times, and while said would like to
have my liberty told them knew moth
ing about the forgery. | might have
written some letters saying knew moth
ing about the forgery"
The letter which Francis had written
to Mr.. Ryan, a former guard, but now
holding an official position in Washing
ton, was then read and contained the
Following: 1.-The warden, deputy war
den and several other officials connected
with the prison are labOrlng under the
n0nsensical impression that | either
forged the Columbus tally sheets of the
| election or else know who did so, but |
know nothing about the matter at all,
though cannot convince the Republi-
cans Of the fact, as they persist in ciaim-
ing that do know all about them. Bob
NeVins and AL Kumler cRme to see me
last Friday and had several letters
which they claimed were duplicates of
letters had written, but which were
base fOrgeries, and they all emansted
from the malicious malice of Cranky
Campbell, an insane patient In the asy-
lum here In the penitentiary. NeVins
said be was here to get me out if l could
enlighten him as to who gave me, the
tally sheets, etc. Since did not even
see it could not crafty his wish, and
he took his departure, no wiser than
when he came" The letters were &C.
cepted as evidence.
At 5:30 the court adjourned with
gentleman" convict Francis still on
the stand, and his croGs-examination
will be resumed tomorrow.