Los Angeles daily herald., 1890-02-07
HALSTEAD ON THE RACK
More Light on the Ballot.
Box Forgery.
EDITOR HALSTEAD'S TESTIMONY.
The Conspiracy That Failed to Down
Campbell-SenatOr Sherman
Also Examined.
! Associated Press Dispatches to the HERALD.

Associated Press Dispatches to the HERALD.
WASHINGTON, February 6.-The House
committee on the ballot-box forgery this
morning called Senator John Sherman
as the first witness. He was shown Ex-
hibit A, and declared that he never
signed it. He saw it first when it WAS
sent him in November by Mr.. Halstead.
The signature was copy of his rubber
franking stamp. and not an imitation of
his signature. Witness had never heard
or known of the ballot-box contract, and
never heard of the Campbell bill before
Governor Foraksr's mueic hall speech.
Murat Halstead, editor of the Cincin.
natl Commercial Gazette, testified that
when he published Governor Campbell's 3
signature, he cut off from the photo
graphic copy of the paper the signatures
below Campbell's. Witness told how he
got hold of the paper, of his talks with
Governor Foraker and others about it,,
and how it was thought advisable to use
it in the campaign against Campbell.
al DallOC D0X
Witness did not see any room for
questioning the genuineness of the paper
He told Foraker that it was necessary to
use the paper or part of it, and that he
felt 80 exasperated at the idea of Sher-
man, Butterworth and Mckinley going
in with John Mel aan in such matter
that he felt tempted to explode it under
them. 1t was something more than
81, ,1,x HI l,,{x, D,.k
bell was the only one before the public
as candidate for public Office, and there
fore 1t might be proper to use only his
name. Another reason for cutting off all
the names but Campbell's was that Sun.
set Cox, whose lame was among the
forgeries, had just died, and witness felt
convinced of the genuineness of the sig.
natures.
Halstead's theory of the forgery was
that it was never intended or expected 70
harm anybody. The motive originally
was Woods extreme anxiety to get the
Smoke Inspectorship. 1t was preposter-
Gus to suppose Governor Foraker thought
there was anything fraudulent about it.
There was a cloud of witnesses, and the
lawyer who drew up the contract. Wit
ness wondered now that they did not
come down and deny it the day after TIE
publication. Undoubtedly Wood put
Senator Sherman's. name on it to
make it impossible for Foraker to
Use the paper. After the publication
witness was staggered to see Senator
Sherman's declaration that the paper
was q lie, but he assumed that Sherman
was extremely unlikely to have signed
the paper, knowing what it was. Thirty
years ago Sherman lost the Speakership
by signing in that way 'The Compen-
dunn of the Helper Book"
Mr.. Hslstesd placed at the disposal of
the committee his private letters to
Governor Foraker, and said come of
them were conclusive evidence that both
himself and Foraker were convinced of
the soundness of the paper.
Cogswell asked why witness did not
verify the character of the paper by Sher-
man and Butterworth.
He replied that Butterworth was not
in the country, or had just returned.
Sherman was in Washington. He re-
called saying that you could get a mem
Der of Congress to sign petition to get
himself hanged. 1t was not pleasant to
put finger on q sore spot like that. 1t
was not his particular part to 60 scratch
ing at it Just then. The publication WAS
forced by circumstances beyond his con-
troll, 80 he did not consult the signers.
He admitted that they could not draw
Campbell out as they tried to do. "The
fact is," said he, che turned out more
difficult person than we thought"
Turner-Then if the Governor had
succeeded in getting Campbell into
corner, you would stand at the head of
the cannon and touch it off?
Halstead-No, sir; did not intend to
stand at the head of the cannon, but
got there. [Great laughter.1
Continuing, Halstead eaid there was
supposed to be some feeling between
Senator Sherman and Governor Foraker,
growing out of the events at the Chicago
Convention. Ohio contained mora
than her share of distinguished
men, and there was necessarily
some friction where they are 30 crowded.
The delicate relations existing between
Sherman and Foraker made it highly in
.expedient to allow q paper to get out
through Foraker's agency that reflected
on Senator Sherman; it twouid have been
fatal to the party. Witness had not re-
lied on Woods word regarding the paper,
but was guided by the internal evidence
of the paper.
1t was a document far beyond Woods
ability to produce. He believed from
the beginning Foraker had been fooled
as he had himself. Witness never con-
templated rivalry for the Senatorship
between himself, Mckinley and Butter
worth. He had known of great calami
ties Detailing public men, and believed
if these men had signed that paper they
ehould ha atruck