, 1890-01-19
IT LOOKS UGLY.
The Ohio Ballot Box Forgery
Laid Wide Open.
Governor Foraker's Disrepu,
table Part in ths Scheme.
he Wanted to Get Even With
Ben B~utterWorth.

WASHINGTON, Jan. l8.-Governor
Foraker was before the special committee
to day which is investigating the ballot
box forgery scandal of the late Ohio
gubernatorial campaign. Governor Fora
ker was examined at great length and de-
MED positively that he considered the
paper received from Wood a forgery.
William f. Walters of Utica, Mich,
was sworn and said he met Wood in
Washington in September. and at his re-
quest had procured for him acopy of the
ballot box bill intro luced in the house by
Campbell of Ohio. Wood was very anx-
ious to find a page who had an autograph
album to sell. but could not find one. The
witness finally managed to secure tor
Wood the autographs of several congress
men and senators, including those Of But
terworth, Mckinley and John Sherman.
Chairman handed witness exhibit "A"
and asked him if be had ever seen it be-
fore. The witness recognized the docu
ment. He had first seen it Just before
the election, he thought in October. He
had got the heading drawn in General
Birney's office in this city; the names
were written on the paper in Cincinnati
by a MIR. Mitward and a young man
named Davis wrote the lines opposite the
signatures. This work was done in the
office of Murray, who is a patent solicitor
for the ballot box company.
Chairman-"Are these names written
here intended to be facsimiles of the
g%entlemen's autographs"
Witness-"They were written accord
ing to pieces Of paper | had secured"
Witness then gave a long description of
his attempts to see the governor in rela-
ti0n IN his lnnnintnnapt n SpnnGa inspoa-
tor, and created a burst of laughter by a
chance illusion to President Harrison as,
"Oh, what's his name" Wood admitted
getting up the paper, and said Governor
Foraker didn't ask any questions. The
witness had said it was the best he could
do, and it would do to bluff those fellows.
The governor promised not to have the
paper published.
After the publication of the paper
Murray told the witness he would make
an affidavit i; was a forgery if the witness
did not get it back. Wood told the gov
ernor this, and the governor replied he
had not intended it should be published,
but that a man got it from his secretary.
when he (the governor) was away. The
governor had added: ''Old man, we have
got ourselves in a bad hole. | don't
know whether | am to be elected or not.
We will retraet that. [ do not know
what to do at present, but rest assured it
will be retracted. The witness said:
You better be lively, or Murray will
make the affidavit"
When Wood asked him to return the
papers Foraker told him to go to Hal
stead for them. The witness insisted that
they should not be published any more
and Foraker promised they would not be.
Within forty eight hours the whole thing
was published again. The witness was
arrested for criminal libel and was Obliged
to give up his papers.
TIE chairman asked if ANYBODY except
the witness knew he had drawn up the
papers. He replied that Gov. Foraker
certainly knew from what he (witness)
told him that the papers were not genuine.
He did not charge Foraker with know
ing the paper was a forgery. He could
not do that. He could not say that For
aker. entered into a conspiracy.
Chairman-"Did he ask you so commit
forgerY2"
Witness-"I did not ask him whether
| should commit forgery"
He added that Foraker wanted to get
hold of a paper to get square with Butter
worth and the witness agreed to get it for
him. 1t was not to be published, but to
be shown around political headquarters,
etc.
The chairman asked if witness had pro-
cured the forgery. Wood replied he had
gotten up a paper for Foraker. and If he
could make ANYBODY believe it was gen
uine all right. He believed he was being
played and hoped the politicians
would get along without his help here
after.
This closed the examination. Ex-
Governor Foraker said he desired to ask
no questions and Grosvenor asked witness
to be present Monday.