The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1890-02-08
OHIO'S POLITICAL MIDDLE
Buckeye Democrats Tell What They
Know About the Ballot Box Contract.
Testimony Of Chairman Neal, John r NJ Lean,
T. C. Campbell and Others-Ex-Governor
Foraker Threatens to Make Trouble.

WASHINGTON, Feb. THE House COM
mittee on the ballot-box forgery resumed
its investigation this morning by calling to
the stand James T. Neal, who was chair
man of the. State Democratic executive
committee in the campaign of 1889. He
said that after Governor Forakers Music
Hall speech, and the publication of the
forged paper, he had called upon Mr.. Camp
bell, and they had resolved not to make a
specific denial until they had received alb
solute proof as TO the falsity of the paper.
They called upon L. G. Campbell, who
denied any knowledge of an original con-
tract. and advised that q reward be offered
for Wood. On Oct. 10. witness received a
telegram at Columbus from Messrs. Har-
mon and Jordan, at Cincinnati, and going
TO see them was told how the forgery had
been made. Harmon procured the afidavits
of Murray and the young craftsmen, Mill
ward and Davis. Harmon had given his
word to theyoung men thatif Mr.. Halstead.
after seeing the afidavits, would print q
retraction, they were to be returned to
them.
Mr.. Wilson repeated Mr.. Halstead's
query as to why he (Halstead) had not been
arrested instead of being treated so tend
erly.
Witness replied that il would have been
q violation of the young mems confidence
to arrest Mr.. Halstead: then. too, it was
believed that a retraction, coming from the
original publisher of the forgery, would
have a stronger effect than If made by
some other editor. Witness went on to tell
how the search for Wood had been prose-
cuted. and how ir had been abandoned
when it was evident that his arrest would
be too late to help the case. He corr0borat-
ed Governor Campbelps story of Woods
visit to Hamilton, and the conversation be-
tween them. He never knew why Wood
came, nor what his conversation was about.
Wood said that he was q very poor, strug-
Cling man, SO poor that be was wearing his
brother-in-law's clothes. He added that be
oIed for six months. He could take his
= imprisonment, and a friend would pay his
sne. OF course. his poverty appealed to
tne sympathy of Governor Campbell and
did not take the form of financial assist
ance, nor did he understand Wood to APP
peal for such a thing.
Mr.. John R. Mclean was next called.
He said he was the owner of the Cincin-
natl Enquirer; never knew Wood or spoke
to him In Washington; never had any po-
liticai, social or financial relations with
John Sherman or the other persons named
III tuc IOTRc0 papers, never, DeIOT6 tO-udy,
saw the forged papers; never employed
Walter Wellman, and never, while at Sara
toga. received a telegram from Wellman.
asking for o paper in his safe; was never
interested In a ballot-box bill; had seen the
Luce letter, but had nothing to do with il.
T. c. Campbell being called to the stand,
testified that he was an attorney at law,
and first made Woods acquaintance about
fifteen years ago, when Wood was foreman
of the Singer maehine-works in Cincinnati,
when he was called to defend Wood from n
charge in the police court. The witness
told of the introduction of Woods ballot
box in Cincinnati, the organization of the
company In May. 1887, and the passage of
the New Jersey ballot-box bill. The
New Jersey boxes cost S15 apiece.
Wood had called attention to ballot
box bills introduced in Congress at the in
stance of the Boston Ballot-box Company.
These bills had been introduced by Senator
Hoar, by request, In 1856 and 1855. So he
drew Ep q bill after the same pattern. Wit
ness told how he had applied TO his old
friend. Representative Grosvenor. and he
had made the point that a Democrat should
be selected To introduce the bill in a Demo-
cratic House, and asked if witness knew
Representative Campbell. He did, and APP
piled to that gentleman, who introduced
the bill. Wood had told witness, what he
did not believe, that Governor Foraker was
interested in the box. This was before the
formation of the Ohio syndicate. He had
also said that } James Foraker was interested,
nlC tnCIO Gill u 10 SOLtC W
believe. Wood also said, boastfully. that
Hadden and Ourcalt were Interested, and
that Butterworth would come in but for
witness. as there was a bad feeling between
them. MADDEN spoke to witness after For
aker's nomination, saying that you fellows
are going to have q nice time with your box
in Warrington Witness had replied that
the bill had been dropped, and was dead.
He had no conversation with Hadden or
any one else as described by MADDEN; never
Ia q list of signatures of members of Con-
gress. made by himself or any one else, and
never showed such a paper to MADDEN. If
the paper was honorably drawn, as Hadden
had admitted. he would not have been
ashamed to show it and be compelled to
thrust it back in his pocket after waving
it in the air.
After the retraction, when there was need
for support of Governor Forakers state
ment. MADDEN could have cleared up the
matter by coming forward and telling his
story, but he did not. His story. if true,
would have been of infinite value to Gov.
Foraker. and his refusal to tell it would
have been q piece of arrant treachery to
the Republican party.
Governor Foraker asked if witness
doubted his statement that Hadden had
told him the story of the existence of an
Witness replied that the Governors state
ment was sufficient for him. Witness. con-
t~inuing. told how he had furnished infor-
nation to Governor Campbell, after the
puoAicotiou Vi tuc IoIScfJ.s ~ tOiu u lis
visit to Mrs. Wood and nov she
had told him that Governor Foraker
was q great and good man, Al opinion
in which he conceded, but had finally
rufused TO give him any information. Wit
ness said be had been confronted with two
letters from Wood. one dated at Washing
ton and one at Saginaw, Mich. but both
bearing the same date. He was batfied;
sought in Michigan for Wood in vain. and
gave 1t up. Witness then explained the
Dear Colonel letter, saying that Cover
nor Campbell, while q Representative, had.
at his request, had the records of the ord
nance department searched to look up the
claim of a confederate soldiers widow,
Mrs. Mason) and the letter had been writ
ten to him twitnessi in explanation of the
result. That was all there was of the cele-
brated "gun deal.n Wood had found that
letter in witnesses pigeon-holes, and had i'm
vented the entire story from his vivid i'm
agination. Wood did not lie like other
people. He was given TO exaggeration. He
could not be held responsible. He could
not tell the truth consecutively, or, if he
did, it would be by accident. He thought
Governor Foraker knew of this
popularity, but was now will
ing to say that the Governors op-
portunities were not as good as his twit-
ness's) for correctly estimating Woods
character. Witnessremembered that in 1885
Governor Foraker had made disparaging
remarks about Hall and Wood in connec-
ton with the sale OF the Hall ~ Wood
Carriage Company to Gainsford, who was
Foraker's client.
...1 A. r.