Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1890-01-23
LOOKS BAD FOR FORAKER.
He Again Appears in the Ballot Box
Forgeries Examination.
Wood Placed Under Oath and Gives
Some Racy Testimony.

fore him, continued his testimony.
Ex-Gov Foraker read a letter dated
August 18th, from Mayor Mosby, telling
the technical qualifications necessary for
smoke inspector Witness then said he
| did not see Wood after receiving the Wal
ton letter until October 9th, when he ap-
peared at Colubus, and asked for money to
go to Washington to look up the battery
deal" Witness gave him 5000, through
Prior for the purpose. Wood saw the publ
cations had gotten the gang down ON
| him. Witness read notes from HalStead,
received the morning after the retraction
! October 11th) saying he had
found the paper to be for
gerry and proposed to publish a retraction
! Witness answered expressing the fear that
he (Halstead) had been imposed upon.
| The witness was somewhat confused. He
| had not caused the paper to be published
and Halstead had taken the responsibility
and witness thought he had better leave
the matter where it was until the time
should come when everybody could speak
in freedom. While in Washington Wood
wrote witness and Kurtz several letters,
| but the very moment witness learned that
he was forger he stopped having any
communication with him, and would not
answer his letters Ins letter dated at
Washington, November Z, Wood said he
was sorry witness was defeated and said
some of the papers said it was the
ballot box matter and him Wood
| did not believe it, for witness
had nothing to do with it. If he wanted,
he Wood would give statement that
would clear him of having had any i'm
| proper connection with him (Woodl in the
so-called forgery matter, or ballot box
business. Wood added that he did not
do the so-called forgery, and did not want
him to think he did. The only money
paid Wood was for the expense incurred
by him In Washington In getting infor-
nation.
On cross examination witness said he
had been on friendly relations with Sem
Sherman last summer, and III fact had
never been on any other terms with
him that he knew of. He did
not know Senator Sherman was in
this county when he got the forged paper
He had not mentioned the paper to Nc
Kinley or Butterworth. His relations
have always been pleasant with the for
mer, and with the latter up to the the time
of his (wltness) nomination, The wit
ness had had no suspicion as to Wood s
integrity, and Woods statement has been
apparently confirmed by an absolutely re-
liable man - Hadden Grosvenor asked if
the witness did not think it was strange
that after Wood had said that he had the
paper August Is, he should have baffied
the witness so and delayed its production.
So long as the witness did not think he
was baffied and attributed Woods delay to
the reluctance to give up the paper, the
witness somehow got the impression that
it was in McLean's custody.
Mr.. Grosvenor asked if he supposed that
Mclean would willingly give up a paper that
would injure Campbell in the campaign
The witness replied that that was
Ward s business. He had not at the time
the slightest doubt of the commences of
McKinley's, or, indeed, of any of the
signatures.
Mr.. Grosvenor asked if Gov Campbell,
before the campaign, had not borne good
reputation.
The witness replied that he did not know
him until he was nominated. From that
moment he had heard no end of stories
| about him, and ended by getting bad
opinion of him.
Mr.. Grosvenor asked if he was not sur
prised to see that Senator Sherman had
signed such a paper
Witness replied that his mind had been
so prepared after believing Mckinley and
Butterworth had signed it, that he might
as well believe Thurman mad signed it for
he had as good opinion of them as of any
body.
Grosvenor asked why witness had not
communicated with some of the persons
whose names were on the paper before tax
ing further steps He replied that when
he got the paper Sherman and Butterworth
were beyond the ocean and he had not had
time to communicate with them. He was
in the midst of the campaign making
speeches. As for Mckinley, he
did not know what he might
have done if he had retained
possession of the paper to make any use of
it, but his signature seemed so conclusive
that he had no doubt about it. 1t would
seem rather indicate to go to man you
believe guilty and talk about the matter
He could be expected to deny his guilt,
of course, and then, too, before he got
through with it, he found that the man
| (Halstead) who knew just what to do with
the paper. Witness had told Wood he
did not know what to do with the paper.
Witness said that Campbell had charged
that he (witness) was interested In the
| ballot box matter, and referring to wit
ness statement about million dollars
| trust money In the bill for somebody, said
nobody but an Infamous scoundrel would
make such statement Witness read that
| speech on his way to the hotel at Marinette
where he was to speak that night and
felt it due to himself 10 make an answer.
Thereupon for the first and only time In
the campaign he referred to the paper.
He said inasmuch as the matter had been
made public he had seen those papers and
in his Judgment Campbell never would
deny that signature. He was satisfied of
that not only because of the faith he had,
but because of Campbell's speech, which
read like the very confession of guilt.
He Mr.. CampbelD did not deny his sig
nature, saying that he could not do so I'M
til he got some other documents.
Grosvener asked if before that time wit
ness had seen Senator Sherman's publish
! ed denial, and witness said he had prob
ably not seen it.
VIM L. Walters. of Utica, Mich, was
sworn. He first met Wood September 4,
at the east front door of the house wing OF
the capitol They talked politics,
and then at Woods request he had
secured for him a copy of the ballot-box
bill, introduced in the house by Campbell.
of Ohio. He saw Wood the next day, and
Wood asked him if he he could find page
boy who had an autograph album for sale.
The witness replied that he did not know
of any, but would inquire. The following
day he met Wood. who had bundle
which he saw contained the photographs
of senators and representatives.
| Wood mentioned the names of
! several members. and was Disappointed