Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-01-16
OHIO BALLOT BOX FORGERY.
Testimony Before the Special House In
vestigating Committee Today.

vestSating Committee Today.
REPRESENTATIVE M'KrNLEY THE FIRST WITNESS
HE TEsrIFIEs THAT HIS SIGNATURE WAS FORGED
GOV. FORAKER wIrNEss-oTHER TEsrr-
MoNY.
The special House committee appointed to
investigate the Ohio ballot-box forgery began
its work this morning with all the members
present except Representative Struble. who is
suffering from the grip.
Chairman Mason laid before the committee q
communication, signed by Senators Sherman,
Stockbridge and Mcpherson and Representa-
tives Butterworth, Breckenridge (Ky.), McKin-
ley and Justin r. Whiting, reciting that
as it is desirable to have full
and impartial investigation they request
that Representative Grosvenor be allowed to
appear before the committee to aid in exam
lining witnesses and render other assistance.
This request was granted. and Representative
Grosvenor said that while it was admitted that
the paper which was to form the basis Of the
concerned desired to appear and testify to that
TACT as well as to any other facts that they
might know bearing on the subject.
REPRESENTATIVE MKINLEY THE FIRST WITNESS.
Representative Mckinley was the first wit
ness to appear. The chairman presented a
paper dated July 2, 1888, and asked if the wit
ness had ever seen the paper and whether the
name VIM. Mckinley, IT," signed thereto was
signed by him. He said he saw paper like it
shown to him by Representative Butterworth.
The name was not his signature. He knew
nothing about the matter, except what he
had seen in the newspapers and never heard
OF the ballot-box bill until it was brought to
light In the last campaign. He knew nothing
mOtlya that mi 1ad ha II Ia
saw fac smile of the paper published in the
Cincinnati Commercial Gazette signed by j.
Z. Campbell alone. 1t was afterward pub
!lshed in other and local republican papers
de had no interest, direct or indirect, in the
paper and
NEVER HAD ANY RELATIONS WITH Mr.. WOOD
and did not recall that he had ever heard Of
him or the ballot-box matter until he saw this
publication. In his speech at the Cincinnati
music hall Gov. Foraker produced a copy of
the ballot-box bill and that, with the newspa-
per publication, was the first he heard of the
subject. Gov. Foraker at that time made no
reference to contract, but subse-
was published in the Commercial
Gazette The signature civilian Nc
hinley, jr.," was not very like his own sigma
ture, but it may have been hurriedly traced
from franz. His first intimation that his
name was signed to the paper was received
w.
he did not remember whether that was before
or after the retraction. When the whole paper
was published. after the election, by the Com
nercldl- Gazette, his name appeared attached
to it.
Gov CAMPBELL's COUNSEL EXAMINED.
Judson Harmon, lawyer of Cincinnati, who
was Gov. Campbell's counsel, was the next wit
ness and said that he never saw the forged
paper until this morning. Some time in Octo-
har lost I - L. Al
paper was forgery and had been gotten up in
his office. Witness started to get proof, spend
Ing the next day in getting three affidavits by
G. j. Murray, T. l.. Millward and Frank Davis.
CIhese aitidavits were put in evidence.) The
next day,in company with J. N. Jordan,he
CALLED on MIR. MURAr HALsTEAD
of the Commercial Gazette and demanded to see
the paper. Mr.. Halstead said that the paper
was locked up in the safe deposit, but showed
Photographic copy. Witness told him the paper
was forgery. Mr.. Halstead asked twenty four
hours Tor investigation, and truce was de-
clared-neither side to print anything, and Mr.
Halstead withdrawing a Columbiad editorial
about to be published. Next day witness saw
the retraction and got a note from MIR. Halstead
stating that he was convinced that the paper was
forgery. The persons making the afidavts
were told that they were wanted only to secure
retraction. Witness did not remember ever
to have seen r. q. Wood but was told that he
would recognize him if he met him. He had
tried hard to find him without success. Will
Ward was patent craftsman. Davis was
Young lad employed to help him.
The Photographic copy of the paper
exhibited by Mr.. Hastead had all of the sigma
lures attached. Mr. Halstead had cross-exam-
med the witness to discover whether he knew
of the other names. AS the other names be-
sides Mr.. Campbelrs had not been publicly
mentioned, witness thought that it was the part
OF decency and wisdom to say nothing about
them i'll the retraction.
MIR. HALsrEAD BELIEVED
that the paper was genuine; but acknowledged
| that something had happened that afternoon
to cause him to investigate its authenticity
Mr.. Halstead did not say where he got the
paper. Witness had his suspicious; but Mr.
Halstead denied their truth Wood had told
Murray when the latter upbraided him for
misusing his Office and his young men, that the
whole matter was a mistake; that it was not
intended for publication, but to force the
| wicked democrats to give up the Topp letter.
This last was proposition by George L.
Topp to a contractor to sell gravel to the city
and divide profits.
Mr.. Campbell was understood to be about to
| spring this letter upon the republicans.
Witness thought Woods story was fshy,
Representative Grosvenor asked if Topp had
not afterward been found to be insane and
had not died in the insane asylum. to which
| question the witness replied in the affirmative
| TOLD MR.. HALsrEAD HE DIDNT THINK 1T GENUINE
Amor Smith, jr., surveyor of customs of Gin
| cinnati, took the stand and was shown the
| forged paper which he said he had first seen at
republican headquarters October last 1t had
| already been published with Mr.. Campbell's
| signature. Witness said when it was first shown
| to him by Mr.. c. l.. Kurtz that he believed it
was a forgery, but consented to deliver it to
| Mr.. Halstead, which he did, with the state
| ment that he did not believe it to be genuine,
pointing out peculiar y of the ink in support
| of his statement.
| Mr.. Halstead smiled and said they seemed to
| have used indelible ink; but he appeared to be-
| lieve it to be genuine. After the expose wit
ness learned that Mr.. Halstead had seen the
| paper before. His (witnessO reasons for sup
| posing the paper to be fraudulent were based
| upon its appearance, the ink, and the remarka-
bic similarity of the three Campbell signatures.
| Ex-GOv. FORAKER TOOK THE STAND
and was shown exhibit A" (the forged paper)
and asked to tell all he knew about it. He said
he had no personal knowledge of who executed
| the paper. After his nomination, June ~, l..
| n MADDEN, assistant city solicitor, came to see
| him and talked about the political situation.
| 1t seemed probable that Mr. Campbell would be
nominated by the democrats. MADDEN thought
that Campbell would be very strong candi-
| date, saying in explanation that he would
| have the support of some leading republicans
mentioning Major Butterworth. Hadden said
his reason for supposing SO was that in the