Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-11-19
A Ray OF LIGHT
Thrown ON the Ballot Box Forgery BusI-
ness that Fooled Editor HaIstead-
Woods Called Several Pet
Names by His Former
,spEc1AL rELEeRAM TO THE prsp AR

Names by His Former
Cincinnati Attorney.
lsPEcIAL TELEGRAM TO THE DISPATCH,
CINCINNATI, November 1S.-G. j. Muir
ray, attorney of r. G. Woods prior to the
exposure of the ballot box forgery, makes a
public statement this evening, in which be
saws that Woods should be sent to the peni-
tentiary, and relates bis connection with
the case. Murray says:
One day during the latter part;of the sum-
mer Woods came to my office in great hurry.
and asked me TO prepare certain papers in con-
neetion with the BaIlotbox Manufacturing
Company. Woods said he must have them
that afternoon, as ne was to go to Columbus. to
see Governor Foraker, who was interested in
the new company, and he even showed dis
patch from the Governor which said he wanted
him (Woods) to come up in regard to the mat
ter they had been talking about. There was
nothing to do but sit down and go at it. Woods
wrote me a hasty draft of what he wanted and
which is now known as contract l000," and
indicted it to my typewriter in legal phrase
ology, and got him OF on his train for Colum-
bus. He told me that he must get to Columbus
that day, with his papers, for he was to get the
Smoke Inspectorship for his work. l told him
the Governor didn't have the Smoke Inspector
to appoint. Well, that was all right, he said;
influential men were to intercede, or had inter-
ceded for him.
L know Woods to be an enthusiastic but
clumsy liar, and 80 gave little heed to his
Claims but when In day or two the CONNER
ctGt Gazette, which had been calling Woods
rascal and worthless fellow, all at once changed
lis tune and said he was man of good habits a
q. A. r. man, etc., concluded had been
mistaken, and became convinced of it when
saw the announcement of his appointment as
Smoke Inspector. In the meantime Woods had
returned from Columbus, and appeared con-
siderably disturbed. He told me he had been
ordered to Washington to get the original pa
~pers, but he knew he could not get them. It
was at that time undoubtedly that he conceived
the forgery scheme. He had CampbelPs sigma
ture. He got the office boy TO rule the lines on
the paper. He went to tracing the names on
tracing paper against the window. Mr.
M1llWard came in about that time
and saw him bungling away and told him how
ne could do his tracing with stylus. Well
WOODS did so, but being clumsy with the pen,
asked Millward to fill in those names for him
Millward did it. not knowing what they were
Tor, and then Woods skipped to Columbus.
Some OF those names were written in without
having anything to go by, simply rank forgeries.
Butterworth's and Sherman's names were l
know, rank forgeries, written by the aid Of
memory alone.
One OF the singular things is that Halstead
would not believe the paper forgery until he
was given practical proof that those names OF
any name could be SO forged, and Mr.. Hal
stead's own signature was so handled right be-
lore his eyes. 1t was then that he gave in
Woods refuses to see me, but the above are
the facts Woods motive don't know. That
Is the only unknown chapter in the affair.