Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1890-03-18
EXHAUSTED
THE TESTIMONY IN THE OHIO BALLOT BOX
FORGERY CASE
What Kurt and Grosyenor Know About the Circum-
stances Of the Afair-A Long Drawn out
Investigation The Committee Now
in Secret Session.

WASHINGTON, March l1.-Nhcn the
special House committee appointed to
investigate the Ohio ballot-box forgery
met this morning. Mr. Kurtz, late pri-
vate secretary to Gov. Foraker, was
present The croSS-examination of A.
+ c. Sands was continued.
In answer TO Mr.. Kurtz. witness de-
MED that ne had met Representative
GrOyenOr at Logan, September -, or
that ne had Il conversation of any length
with Mr.. Kurtz before he went into the
Governors Office September 30. Witness
had not stated that Mr.. kurtz request
ed him TO destroy his letter respecting
the CommerciGl-Gdzette publication, but
wished to know what had become of it.
Did not remember telling him that Wood
could give him information about the
ballot box matter.
Mr.. Kurtz then took the stand and
explained that he had come TO answer
any question that the committee might
care To ask. Last Saturday morning he
had tclcgraphed Chairman Mason to
hold Mr. Sands until he could produce an
important letter. That evening he had
concluded 10 come on here. Mr.. Sands
statement that he called at the Gibson
House i'm answer 10 his (Kurtz'S) letter
did not agree with the witness belief.
as six weeks had interyencd. The wit
ness
THEN READ \ STATEMENT
me- had prepared in explanation of his
reasons for stating TO Mr.. Sands that ne
was not responsible for the publication.
At that time hc did not recOllect that
he had told Of Mr.. Sands communica-
tion respecting the ballot box matter To
Mr.. Flynn. newspaper reporter, who
had i'm turn told Mr.. HalStcad. The
witness then repeated and insisted on
the correctness of his testimony which
apparently had been contradicted by
Mr.. Sands respecting their converse
tion in the Governors Office. He fatty
denied that Sands had told him 10 caU-
tion the Governor against Wood. What
me had said was that Wood could not
tell about the contract. but that he was
a bad character. and he (kurtz) would
have 20 De careful about him. Mr.
Sands stated al this point that he was
sincerely sorry 10 be compelled To differ
with his old friends, Governor Foraker
and Mr.. kurtZ. and it was not To be cN-
pected that recollectiOnS would agree
entirely as To a conversation i'm which
one party was deeply and personally IN
tcrcSted and the other Interested only
as friend
George Wcbbcr. of Cincinnati. tcSti-
fed that ne had known Wood for - or
Is years. and told how he had sought TO
interest witness in his ballot box COM
panv I'm the summer of lSss. saying
that Representative Campbell was 10
introduce a bin 20 secure the use of the
box by the government. and ReprcScn-
tative GroSvenor was to take care of the
Republican side Of the House. Wood
showed him Contract 900 and invi-
ted him To 90 i'm ON the ground floor. but
witness told him TO get out, that he
wanted nothing 10 do with il. Witness
did not read the paper. but Wood told
him il was contract 1000. Mr.. GroSve-
nor said that contract was
NEVER DRAWN Up
until the fall of 1859, and wanted 10
know how the witness could Identify as
that contract "a paper shown him a year
before IL was made.
The witness said that he could not
identify il: ne had stated that Wood
had called il contract 1000.
Representative GroSvenor then took
the stand, and testified that he was at
Columbus September %, but
THEY DIDN'T SEE
Mr.. Sands. The Trust Me CAarlie
telegram which had been referred to IN
|this investigation was am answer from
Representative Buttcrworth to witness,
am appeal to help him at the Marietta
meeting and had nothing To do with tins
ease. Apparently the taking OF teSll-
monv closed with this statement. and