Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-01-20
WOOD SAYS 1T WAS FORGERY.
How q Paper Was Manufactured to
Compromise Ohio Congressman.

| Wood told long, rambling and sensational
story rejecting on ex-Gov. Foraker before the
ballot box investigating committee Of the
! House Saturday He said that in return fol
Gov. Foraker's Endorsement of him for smoke
| inspector the governor asked him to procure
papers which he understood would compromise
Representatives Butterworth and Mckinley
| and drive them out Of the Ohio campaign. He
| could not find not find any such paper, he
| said, and, As Mr.. Foraker insisted upon having
it, he had the paper made, the signatures being
forged, and gave it to Mr.. Foraker, telling him
it was not the original, but tina. 1t was
THE BEST I COULD DO"
He described how he had hunted for the al
legged paper and failed to find any trace Of it,
and how he had then gone about it to have the
paper made. He said he had the body Of the
contract written in this city and got the auto
graphs of the members whose signatures he
wanted and had the forgeries done at the office
Of one Murray at Cincinnati. He gave what he
alleged to be accounts of interviews between
himself and Mr.. Foraker. indicating that the
use the latter wanted to make of the paper was
to "bluff' Mckinley and Butterworth. The
witness represented Mr.. Foraker as accusing
these two Representatives and Representative
Grosvenor of trying to knife" him.
NOT TO BE PUBLISHED.
Witness said that the understanding was that
the papers were not to be published, ''for they
were not got up for that purpose" When he
handed them to the governor the latter, he
said, remarked that two Of the signatures
man who did the forgery. Witness said he re-
piled: "Wby, Of course they do"
Witness said that when the publication was
made Murray, the man in whose Office the forg-
cry was done, threatened to make an exposure
of the whole thing if there was not a retraction
made at once. Murray had said he would
make an affidavit that 1t was forgery if he
did not get the paper back. He had gone to the
governor and told him that Murray was going
to make an affidavit and that they would all
catch it for all they were worth.
GIN A TIGHT HOLE"
The governor had told him that he had not
intended that it should be published, as a man
had come and got it from his secretary when he
was away. The witness had asked who the man
was, but the governor had not replied. The
governor had said: "Old man, we have got our
selves in a tight hole. do not know whether
am to be elected or not"
The governor had said: 1--WE will retract
that"
II do not know" he said, "what to do at
present but rest assured it will be retracted" "
/ said: You had better be lively about it,
because Murray told me if did not get the
paper back he wouldmake an affidavit"
Witness asked again for the return of his
papers, and Mr.. Foraker told him to go to Mr..
Halstead for them. Witness insisted that they
should not be published any more and Foraker
promised that they would not be. Within
forty-eight hours hours that whole ''caboodle''
was published again, and witness was arrested
for criminal libel and was obliged to give up
his papers.
HE SAYS THE GOVERNOR KNEW IT.
The chairman asked if anybody except wit
ness knew that he had drawn up the paper
He replied that Gov. Foraker certainly knew
from what he (witness) had told him that the
papers were not genuine. He did not charge
him (Forsker) with knowing that the paper
was forgery-he couldn't do that
To the chairman-You want to know whether
he entered into conspiracy with me to get up
Q forgery?
The chairman-Yes
Witness-That is the way to ask II. I can't
say he entered into conspiracy.
Continuing, witness said he had told Mr..
Foraker the signature would not stand.
The chairman-Did he ask you to commit q
forgery?
Witness-I did not ask him whether 1
should commit forgery.
Continuing, he said that Foraker wanted to
get hold OF paper to get square with Butter
worth and witness agreed to get it for him. It
was not to be published, but shown around
political headquarters, &c. When he gave
Foraker the paper he Foraker) remarked that
II was all written in one ink and looked like a
forgery. Witness did not reply and believed
that the paper would be returned to him, but
IL was not