St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-01-17
BASE MEMS METHODS
Investigation Of Ohio Ballot
Box Fopgeries Exposes Re-
publican Schemeps.
Shining Lights in the G. O. P.
Anxious to Clear Their
Skirts.
They Tell All They Know of
the Plan to Kill Camp
bell.
Foraker Admits Having Con-
niVed With Wood to Feath-
er His Own Nest.

WASHINGTON. Jan. 16.-The select
committee of the house to Investigate
the alleged bailot-bOx contract and the
Cincinnati forgeries during the recent
gubernatorial campaign in Ohio, began
Its sessions this morning, with Mr..
Mason, of Illinois, in the chair. Repre-
sentative Struble. who is suffering from
the grip, was the only member of the
committee absent. Representative Nc
kinney was the first witness. The
chairman presented O paper dated
Nv ashington, July ., 1888" (the forged
ballot box subscription list, and asked
If the witness had ever seen the paper,
and if the name William Mckinley
Jr." signed to it was his own signature.
Mr.. Mckinley said he saw a
paper similar in appearance for
the first time about month ago. Rep
resettative Butterworth showed it to
hin. The signature was not his own, He
knew nothing about the matter except
what had been in the newspapers, and
never heard Of the bailot-boX bill until
the last campaign. Judge Justin Hair
man, of Cincinnati, who was counsel
for Gov. Campbell on the bailot-beX
forgery case, was next called. He was
shown the paper dated Washington.
July ,. 1885," and asked to tell what he
knew about it. The witness
HAD NEVER SEEN THE PAPER
before. He said that James E. Murray
had called on him after the forged
paper appeared in a Cincinnati news
paper,and said the paper was forgery,
and had been got up in his office. He
secured three affidavitS that day. The
next day he called Oh Murat Halstead
at the office of the Commercials Gazette,
and demanded to see the paper. Mr..
Halstead said the paper was in the Safe
Deposit company's vault, but he pro-
duced a photographic reproduction of
it. The witness told Mr.. Halstead the
paper was forgery, and the matter
was allowed to rest for twenty-fonr
hours. The next morning Mr. HalStead
published his retraction IN the CON-
mercial-GaZette. On the same morn
ing he received note from
Mr.. Haistead stating that he had become
convinced that the paper was forgery.
and he hoped that every effort would
be made to probe the affair. In answer
to question from Gen. Grosvenor,
Judge Hartman said that. as the names
OF those who were implicated in the
ballot box affair had never been brought
forward. he did not care to drag them
out. At the time the forgery was dis
covered he purpoSely omitted the names
of all except Gov. Campbell from the
affidavit which he showed to Mr.. Hal
stead. In the interview with him Mr..
Halstead said he had become suspicious
regarding the paper on the afternoon of
the day the forged paper appeared in
his journal. He never ascertained
where Mr.. HalStead secured the forged
paper. The forger. Wood. had claimed
that the paper was got up
MERELY AS A SCHEME
by which what is known as the ''Topp
letter." document that might do dam
age to the Republican cause, could be
traded for it. Amos Smith, Jr., collector
OF customs at Cincinnati, said he first
saw the paper at Republican state head
quarters at Columbus. He expressed
bis opinion at the time that the paper
was not genuine. At the request of
some of his friends he took the letter to
Mr.. Halstead, who seemed to think the
paper genuine. He afterwards ascer-
tanned that Mr.. Halstead had seen the
paper previously. Ex-Gov. Foraker
was the next witness. He had come in
after the investigation had begun, and
was warmly greeted by several
of those in the room. The forged
III.
He said he had no personal knowl-
edge of who executed it. H asked to
be allowed to tell his story from the be-
ginning. On the morning after he was
renomInated for governor of Ohio, Louis
M. Haddon, assistant city solicitor, called
on him. There was some conversation
about Mr.. Campbell. Mr.. Haddon said
that if Mr.. Campbell was nominated he
would have the support of some of the
leading Republicans of the state. The
witness asked him who they were, and
Maj. Butterworth's name was men,
toned Among others. The witness ex-
pressed some surprise. and Mr.. had
don, in explanation, said that Mr..
Campbell was the author of bill (the
ballot box bilD in which Maj. Butter
worth and Maj. Mckinley
WE'RE FINANCIALLY INTERESTED.
There were number OF people in the
room and the conversation was hurried.
Mr.. Haddon promised to furnish him
evidence proving Maj. Butterworth's
connection with the matter. The wit
ness produced letter written to Mr..
HaddOn telling him not to forget about
the evidence. but no answer was re-
ceived. He thought it his duty to the
interests he represented to secure the
evidence and make whatever use of it
he saw fit. Gov. Foraker produced tele-
grams from Wood, asking to be Endorsed
for smoke inspector at Cincinnati.
These were his first communications
with Wood. Wood called ou him on his
return to Columbus from New York.
He had seen Wood but twice before that
time. He knew nothing at the time
derogatory to Woods character.
Wood asked to be indorsed for
the position of smoke inspector.
Gov. Foraker told him that he thought
he was fitted for the place. Then the
witness asked Wood about the alleged
ballot box contract. Wood manifested
some confusion and said that there was
a contract, but that Powell Crossley had
the papers in his possession. Wood said
there was another and far more serious
contract in which the same parties were
implicated. This was the ''steel gun
contract" as it had come to be known.
Wood
PROMISED TO GET THE PAPERS
from Mr.. Crossley. Representative
Outhwaite, of Ohio, appeared before the
committee at this stage of the proceed
ings and said that Gov. Campbell had
requested that his examination take
place Jan. 81. This was agreed to, and
as tn hour of noon had arrived and the
members of the committee were desir-
GUS OF being in the house an adjourn
ment was taken until tomorrow morn
ing at $3.50 O'Clock when ex-Gov. For
aker's testimony will be continued.