New-York tribune., 1890-01-19

nnonted TO investigate the Ohio ballot box
.rorv devoted six or seven hours today to that
r During the morning session, which was heh
one of the smaller rooms. everybody suffered from
n tonl and sitting atmosphere. so great the
.'nossure of the crowd of witnesses and spectators
.ns, the committee compelled TO seek moro
oomodOus quarters this afternoon. and even thea
,ne room was jammcd until standing room was at a
nremium "The Ohio circus draws well as Bar
nrm,s remarked Buckeye witness, with glow
Of conscious pride.
Ex-Governor Foraker who was on the stand during
the greater part of the day. much of the time under
,he fire of a vigorous crOss-eXamination by General
crosvenor who acts as counsel for a number of the
men whose names were forged by the procurement
q, Wood was cool. ready and straightforward. and
s,renrthened the favorable impression which he made
Yesterday.
The next witness was the notorious Wood. 1t Is
,.re indeed that bird of his plumage ever crosses
the horizon of a Congressional investigating com
nntee lie was allowed to tell his story in his own
rsv without interruption, and before he had got
sau WAY through he had so involved himself in the
neshes OF his own web that to cross examine him at
any length seemed TO be wholly unnecessary. with
an air of bravado he cOOlly admitted that he had
eaused the forgery to be committed in his own pres
snce that he had taken the forged paper to Gov
srnor Foraker and that he had done so in order to
sv,ract from the Governor letter recommending
,,r, for a small appointment under the City Govern
rent Of Cincinnati. He was as forgetful as he was
sippapt-as pert as he was impertlnent Alter ne
had finished his tale in the relation OF when he re-
reatedly referred 10 such men as senator sherman
and ConCressmen Mckinley and Butterworth as these
fellows or "them fellerS." Chairman Mason asked
MIN a few pertinent questions, when ne trled MS
,ost N evade Failing in that, he gave replies WHICH
- soyeral instances natly contradcted statements
40 c,iblv made by him only few moments before
woods testimony was valuable, however III tha' ho
described the in which the forgery was CON"
rnitted under his direction and oversight anu ''o
means by which he obtained the genuine sls"a''V'
~ congressman Mckinley, Campbell ana othe'S, H""i
which the tracings were MADE anu '''o %
signatures attached to the paper WIN" u" f
on Governor Foraker.
FxGovernor Foraker began his statement TO-DAY pS
reading letter from Mayor Moseby, dated August a.
telling the qualifications necessary Tor shohc i,iSp'''
mr. witness then said that he did not see Noou "'cI lV
ceiving the Walters letter. until october To- "heh
Wood appeared al Columbus and asked ior money To
% 10 Washington. TO look up the battery zeal
witness gave him 5000 through Prior for the purpose
Wood said the publications had gotten the ." gang
sovn on him. speaking of Murray in discreditable
uav and adding that they had been trying to get
him TO say that the paper was forgery. lie aiNo
sad that he was in fear OF personal violence Wit
ness tried to reasSure him, and had the money PAD
over TO Wood october :. on that date he got note
from Wood, saying lnal tNc ldtttI ''uu rct 'N ""NN
al $40 apiece and asking witness not to show the
note TO IaStead
Continuing, the witness read letter from the GIN
,pnati Screw and Tap Company. estimating the cost
Of the ballot boxes al 81 each. 1t closed with the
statement: This same Wood would hardly bear too
close inspection. and he is posing a smoke IN
spector OF this city The letter was signed Your
old neighbor. +. B. Leopold
Then the witness read another letter, from I. c.
Campbell to Wood. commenting upon witnes>'s Music
Hall speech as unfair abusing Mr.. Halstead. saying
that nothing better could De expected from him, and
suggesting lawsuit against Mr.. Ilalsead in connec
ton with the ballot box matter.
Resumng his narration, the Ex-Governor read note
from Mr. Halstead, received the morning after the re-
traction October IL, saving that the writer mad iound
the paper to be a forgery. and that he purpo>ed u
publish retraction. Witness answered tm' cX-
pressing fear that IIalstead had been imposed upon
Here the witness read the Letter from Mr.. kuitz
to Mr. Halstead, in Shich the former suggests That
Mr. Hasead give at To thc world the name OF
the forger gers to the end that vigorous prNe'u
ton be begun OF all engaged in the BALLOT box ALTAR
that such was the best calculated To save Ih7
pOd name. In answer, Mr.. Hal,tead wrote that he
lad agreed with Harman that nothing further should
be published at that time Harman wanted t. protect
he young man who had had something to do with
the forgery. Witness said ne did not know exactly
what 10 He sOmev nat confused, "a, any BODY
would been. lie Lad not caused the paper to be
published, and Mr.. llal,ead had taken the re'ponsl
tlty; and witness thought he had better leave tIic
natter where il until the time should come wien
everybody could speak ID freedom. Wood was III
Washington lookin. after the battery dcal' and the
pension records Of Mr. Campbell IN Congress.
Witness thought wood mi ght be making statements
Or falling into the hands OF somebody who might Use
him; he thought it would be well to have somebody
to keep track of Wood; therefore he telcgraphed
II. c. MeHew, Of Washington, TO come to columbus.
Megrew came, and, after witness had explained lho
details 10 him, returned 10 Washington on OCTOBER H.
with Instructions to watch Wood. Mcercw kept tfdch
Of Wood until the latter left Washington for ONO TO
vote the day before election. While ia Washington
Wood wrote witness and KurtZ several letters, but
te moment witness learned he was a iorser, nc
stopped having any communication with Wood, and
Eurtz wrote Wood that they would have nothing 10
DO with him and would not answer his letters.
On October Is witness became i'll and had 20 retire
from the campaign for ten days or two weeks. He
vent 10 hi, home aud had correspondence with
anybody On the day after election he ,aw MccreW,
and asked after Wood. Mcgrew replied that WOOD
seemed greatly distressed about limitations in the
newspaper that Foraker at faIH III what
had been done in the matter, and wanted u write.
but had been forbidden u do So lie wanted 10 SET
witness right in the world Witne,s told McSncw tina;
certificate Of character at Woods hands would not
amount TO mach; but that wood might write # le
wanted TO DO 50. witness got the letter Monday,
November IL, and threw it table. His wife
found it, and put il away in a bureau where IT lay
until witness the published story That Sir. Butter
worth had said that witness had procured II for
money consideration from Wood. Witness then looked
for and found IT,
witne,, afterward met Wood as the witne,, wa,
coming out Of The Commercial Office. Wood wanted
10 talk 10 hlm there. but witness told him 10 come t0
the Gibson House, which he did. Almost the first
ngndA IN .ftfr
specTOrship. Witness told Wood he could do noturrp
more about it thai Wood had forfeited all the onpt
oence he mad in him. Wood wanted 10 know what h..
meant and witness told him of the aiIday, shovn Lv
Harmon to Halstead. Wood wanted TO know whcthcr
witness CHARGED him with forgery. Witnc., rculled
that be did not make that charge, but that Wood Was
rcs spOnslblc. Wood wanted to make a statement for
him, but he told Wood he wanted statement or
ANYTHING more TO do with him. and ordered him out
a OF cd lint.