Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-02-04
TAKING A FRESH HOLD.

|
Resumption of the Ohio Ballot Box FOrEer,
InvestIgatIou-GOvern Campbell on tn
Stnnd-He is Shown the Forged Pape
for the First Time Some Importan
Testimony.
WASHINGTON, February a-After a recess
of two weeks the special House commit
tee investigating the Ohio ballot box forgery
assembled again this morning, to continue it
inquiry Representative Grosvenor opened, with
statement that since adjournment the com
mittee and himself had been unpleasantly criti
cised by the Cincinnati Commercial Gazette
because of the conduct of the investigation
and because certain witnesses had not been
| cross-examined. Governor Foraker had beer
deprived of cross-examination.
Governor Foraker interrupted to deny that
he had anything to do with the criticism.
~ should hope not" said Mr.. Grosvenor.
you are lawyer" Continuing, he asked the
committee to insist upon regular order of ex-
animation and cross-examination, so that the
| public would understand that he was not to be
| expected to cross-examine his own witnesses.
| The chairman said that he did not care what
criticisms were passed upon the committee,
| and he did not propose to allow newspaper edi.
| torials to influence his Judgment.
Governor Foraker said that he had produced
| no witnesses here. There was an effort on the
| part of the committee to get at the truth, and
| he aided the committee at its request IN get
| ting witnesses. If this was to be an adversary
| proceeding, he wished to know it at once. He
had seen an editorial in which Mr.. Halstead
criticised him for not cross-examin1ng Wood.
| But Wood had so utterly destroyed the value
| of his own testimony that there was no neces-
sity, TO his mind, for cross-examination.
| Mr.. GRosvENoR said he represented no ad-
versary proceedings, and did not propose
| by newspaper sneers to be driven into the atti-
tude of a prosecuting attorney. His clients
| suffered from public belief that there was
another ballot-box contract, and he was called
upon to bring out the facts and not to be criti-
cised on his treating witnesses so gingerly.
Mr.. Turner. member of the committee, said
that the committee had called Wood, and it had
cross-eXamined him. he (Mr, Turner), had
taken part in it.
MIR. Cogswell said the committee should ig-
more newspaper gossip, and carry out the orders
of the House-nothing more or lesS-and the
committee assented to this view.
Representative Butterworth, who was await
ing an examination, said that there was not a
scntilla Of truth in the statements that the per-
sons mentioned in the forgery were afraid to 60
to the bottom of this case. The committee
would realize the effect of having it said daily
that they were pulling the coat-tails of the
members of the committee. saying, "Be care
full"
Mr.. Wilson, member OF, the committee, re-
piled that it would appear from the record that
the committee had fully cros5-eXamined Nc
Kinley and Wood.
Representative ]. R. Whiting, of Michigan,
was put on the stand, and denied the genuine
ness Of his signature to the ballot-box contract.
He said he had been told that Walters, who
had assisted him, had had something to do
with the ballot box matter. He spoke to Wal
ters about it, and Walters replied that he
knew something of the matter; that he had in
tended to tell witness all about it, and had pre-
served the papers to show him. He said that
Wood came to him with letter of introduc-
tion from Governor Foraker to President Har-
Nrifn a. hn or
passing between himself and Wood. Witness
produced these letters and read them to the
committee. In one dated Cincinnati, Septem-
Der 6, Wood wrote Walters that they should
want his services hunting up official documents.
In another, of the same date, Wood says that
His Royal Highness" is in a hurry, and in
another. dated Lansing, Mich, September g. he
asks for information about the gun-carriage
contracts-asks for patents, wants to know
whether 'T. F. C." Is on the list, and cautions
him to say othing about Ohio to anyone; to
keep his mouth sealed.
The witness at this point diverged to remark
that Wood got his (witness) signature in
Michigan, and not from Walters.
TN letter dated Cincinnati, October 2 Wood
says he is to see His Royal Highness this
week. Everything received was very useful.
From Columbus, October g. Wood says he is
coming to Washington to push the gun deal.
On November a. Wood writes from Cincinnati
that he is having a red-hot time starting two
libel suits to refute charges against his char
acteT; nothing to DO with the ballot box; Hal
stead has cut loose again, but it is o. K" On
December 8 Wood says he is all right, but has
had time since he got back. The box is o.
K. He wants to know how his pension claim
gets along.
Governor Foraker asked for witness esti-
mate of Walters character. He replied that
Walters had served him faithfully, and he had
witness to know nothing of the case, and he
could see why this should be so, as Walters was
Democrat, and yet was in a position of help
ing Governor Foraker. To Mr.. Grosvenor,
witness said that he knew of no other ballot
box contract than the forged paper.
Powell Crossey was the next witness. He
said he had been associated with Mr.. Butter
worth in the practice of law from 1885 until
about year ago, when he went upon the
bench. Witness was Republican. He never
had in his possession any papers relating to
ballot boxes. Mr.. ButterwOrth showed him the
forgery after the election last fall. Wood, in
1888. had told witness. among other things
about his box; that bill had BEEN or would
be- introduced in Congress-; that John r. Nc
Lean had Campbell in 1t, and were going to
have Democratic Congressman introduce the
bill, as the House was then Democratic. No
one made application to witness for informa-
tiOn last fall respecting ballot boxes, and he
ker. Had had no intimation that Mr.. Butter
worth had anything to do with the ballot boxes |
after the publication.
with his partner, Mr.. Outcalt and when |
that gentleman was not present, Wood often |
spoke to witness. He (witness) wanted to see |
that letter which had been put in evidence, |
wherein witness was represented as indorsine |
Wood for Office. Wood had asked for letter |
Of recommendation at time when witness sup
posed he had been appointed, saying that
light was being made on him. Wood pretended |
10 be working on an invention, and. as witness
lad known him for two years, he gave him
etter of Recommendation. Wood never spoke
If MIR. ButterwOrth in connection with ballot
Oox.
To oex-Governor Foraker witness said he knew
10 reason then why he should not have indorsed
Wood; he knew nothing derogatory to his char
Lcter. Wood first talked to witness about the
,allot.box matter in the winter of 1SSSS9.
Governor James e. Campbell, of Ohio, was
he next witness The Chair handed him the
orged paper, and he declared that he had
leVer seen the paper until that minute; that he
lad never signed it, and never signed his name
IS it appeared on the paper. He always wrote
lis name In full-"James E. Campbell" When
lie sent short note he occasionally signed ~.
2. g." The newspaper accounts of how Wood
,ot the signatures did not account for his sig
ature, but after he heard Woods statement
hat he had gotten hold of a letter signed ~.
9. c." he made up his mind that Wood used
he initials and filed in the name in making the
oTrgery.
aid that he had never seen it before, but had
cen it published several hundred thousand
lines in the newspapers He never was inter-
sted in the ballot box, or in any contract bear
ne upon it. He had introduced the ballot-box
ill at the request of T. e. Campbell and be-
eVed that that gentleman spoke to Repre-
entative Grosvenor about it: He remembered
othing now about the bill. 7. q. Campbell
rought one of the ballot boxes to Washing
on before July 1885, and brought 1t to wit
ess' house; it might be in the basement of
he house yet. MIR. Campbell said that the
Elections Committee was going to deal with
he subject of ballot boxes, and he wanted to |
ct his box before them. He had spoken, he |
aid, TO Representative Grosvenor, and now
anne to him, as a Democratic Introduction
Yould give the bill better standing.
4 FTER the adjournment witness asked Camp