Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-02-11
WAS IT ALL A TRAP?
FOrger Wood Told a Witness That
the BallOt-BOX Contract Was
A SCHEME TO CATCH FORAKER.
Some Lively Testimony Before the lnvesti-
eating Committee.
CHAIRMAN HADDEN AGAIN On THE RACK
The President Appoints Charles Emory Smith Min
lister 10 Russia.

Before the Ohio Ballot-Box Investigating
Committee Yesterday a witness testified that
Wood had told him that the forged contract
was part of a plan to annihilate Foraker.
Lewis Hadden was recalled and said that
the Ex-Governor knew that he paid money
to Mrs. Wood. Senators Mcpherson and
StockbrIdge denied ever signing any such
document.
WASHINGTON, February 10.-Another
evidence of FOrger Woods capacity for pre-
varicatiOn was produced to-day. According
to one witness he stated that the contract
was trap for Governor Foraker. John L.
Pfau, OF Cincinnati, told Of a conversation
he had with Wood after his release from
prison. Wood had remarked that nobody
whose name was on the paper had had him
arrested, and that he had to stand the brunt
of the whole business. In answer to wit
ness Wood had said that Governor Foraker
and Mr.. Halstead believed the paper to be
genuine. Witness told this to Mr.. Hal
stead, who said of course he believed so.
Wood had further said to witness that
they were contented with Governor Foraker
and never expected to trap him any more, and
that they never expected to trap Halstead.
Wood said that he had been made the inno-
cent tool to trap Foraker. He did not say
who had used him as a tool, but when wit
ness suggested John R. Mclean and 7. C.
Campbell he acknowledged that he was not
far wrong.
TO CATCH FORAKER
To Mr.. Turner witness said he believed
that Woods exact words were: f'To catch
Foraker" Wood had outlined the plan to
be to have Foraker publish the paper, then
come out and prove it to be forgery and
crush Foraker. Wood said he didn't see
that until the thing was over, and he was
the innocent tool. for he had no intention of
helping to annihilate Foraker.
In answer to further questioning on the
point by Mr.. Turner and Mr.. Wilson wit
ness said his understanding of the matter
was that Wood had failed to get an origi-
nal paper from Mr.. Mclean, and then
drawn up a forged copy from memory,
which he had supplied to Governor Fora
ker. Mr.. Mclean knew this $50 witness
gathered from what Wood said) and vas
Just waiting for Governor Foraker to use il
to expose the forgery.
Lewis NJ. Hadden was recalled for cross
examination. To Mr.. Grosvenor he said
that on June % he had told Governor
Foraker that he believsd this was written
evidence that Campbell, Butterworth and
Mckinley were financially interested IN the
ballot-box bill; had not testified before as to
his visitto Mrs. Wood because he had not
been asked to.
RATHER AN INsNUATIoN.
There were gentlemen at the table who
knew he had paid Mrs. Wood money, and
he expected to be examined about it. 1t
had slipped his memory at the time, but the
evening of the day he testified before the
committee he recalled it, and told Mr..
Kurtz that he was surprised that be had not
been questioned on that point Governor |
Foraker knew of it. He had expected the |
examination to be continued the next day, /
but the committee had adjourned for two |
weeks.
The witness was about to explain that he |
had no motive to conceal payments of money |
to Mrs. Wood, but Mr.. Grosvenor cut him |
of on the ground that his statement was not |
responsive to the question. This led to a !!
little spat between Mr.. Grosvenor and the |
Chairman, who insisted that the witness had |
q right to make his statement The COM |
mittee was appealed to and finally Mr.. Gros- |
venor was allowed to proceed with the cross
examination. He asked if the statement by /
o responsible man, while the Republican /
party was demoralized by the publication of |
the retraction, that be had seen an original |
paper a year before would not have stopped |
the stampede.
The witness replied that in his judgment
it would not, for after Mr.. Halstead had
manfully admitted that the paper was a
forgery, no matter how many genuine ar
ticles he published, he could not make peo-
pie believe them.
SOMEWHAT CONTRADICTORY.
Mr.. Grosvenor referred to Mr.. Halstead's
statement that Hadden had told him he
knew nothing about the paper. Witness
told his version of the interview. Mr.. Hal
stead had expressed his conviction that the
paper was forgery, and asked witness to
tell him where the paper came from. Wit
ness repeated what Wood had told him.
which Mr.. Halstead said agreed with what
he had learned. Mr.. Halstead had not
asked about any other paper, and witness
did not volunteer a statement for the reason
that be wanted to be governed by the views
OF Governor Foraker and the other men he
had spoken with. His acquaintance with
Mr.. Halstead had been very slight. That
was one Of the reasons why be did not feel
like opening up to Mr.. HalStead, who had
always been hostile TO him.
1t might have been wise to. have told
Mr.. Halstead that he had an important fact
bearing on the paper about which he wished
to consult Gov. Foraker. But he was dunn
founded and upset through being pulled out
OF bed at late hour and being told that
the paper was forgery. Witness had be-
lieVed it TO sbe genuine to that time, T. C.
CampbelPs paper being the strongest cor
roborative evidence. Mr.. Grosvenor wished
to know, why witness remained silent for
four weeks and let the crash come. He re-
piled that Gov. Foraker and other people
knew Of it.
SOME SENSATIONAL TESTIMONY,
Among the witnesses to-day was Senator
Stockbridge, of Michigan. He was shown
the forged paper and denied having signed
il or knowing ANYTHING about a ballot-box
bill or contract. He added that the forged
signature of his name was not q good imita-
tion OF his true signature. Senator McPher-
son, Of New Jersey, the next witness, said he
had number of occupations, but had no
ballot-box industry among them. He also
knew nothing of the forged paper and de-
clared his signature a bold forgery and a
base one at that.
The witness, having referred to the ballot
box matter as conspiracy, Mr.. Turner
asked If he knew anything of a conspiracy
in that connection. He replied that when a
gentleman had abundant opportunity to as
certain the falsity Of such a charge, but has
tened instead to give it to the world, It
might be regarded as a conspiracy. Gov
ernor Foraker inquired if it would not de-
pend on the circumstances under which the
paper had been procured and the apparent
DrOof m eunnorf its character