The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-02-07

The house committee on the ballot box
forgery this morning called Senator John
Sherman IA the first witness. lie was shown
exhibit "A' aud declared that be- never
signed il. and that he saw IL first when it
WIS sent 10 him in November by Hasicad.
The signature WIS "a copy OF his rubber
frnnkiug stamp and not nm imitation OF hls
signature The witness never heard OF
knew of the ballot hox contract md had
never heard Of the Cainpbell bill before
Gov. Foraker's mnsic ball speech.
Mr.. Halsicad placed at the dis
posal of the committee his private
letters 10 Coy. Foraker. aud snid
some of them were conclusive evidence
that both himself and Foraker were con.
vinced of the soundness of the pnpers.
'ugswell asked why the witness did not
verify the character Ol the piper by SheT-
man aud Ruuerworth? lie replied that
Butterwuuh WIS not IN the country, or had
Just returned: Sherman wHs in Washington.
lac recalled saying that one could yet
member Of congress to sigu n petition 10
get himself hinged; IL was not pleasant To
put n finger on sore spot like
that: II WIS not his particular part 10
20 scratching nj il Just then. The
publication was forced bv the circumstances
beyond his control, and hc did not consult
the signers. lie admitted they could not
draw Campbell out. ns they tried to do.
The fact is said he. "he Turned out n
more difficult person than We thought"
1uner-Then IL the governor had sue
eeeded IN getting Campbell into II corner.
Nou would sinnd ai the head of the cannon
and touch II of.
llnlstead-No, sir; ! did not intend to
stand nj the head of cannon. but got there.
Great laughter
Continuing. Halsted said there was sup
posed to be "A feeling between Senator Shur
nlnn and Gov. Foraker growing out uf
events M the Chicago convention. Ohio
contained more thnn her share of distn-
guished men, and there was necessarily
friction where they were 80 crowded.
The delicate relations existing between
Sherman aud Foraker made n highly mex
ped1enl 10 allow n paper to get put through
FornkerH agency that reflected on the sen
ator; il would have BEEN fatal 10 the party.
Witness had not relied on Woods word rr-
Parding the paper, bnt WIS guided by the
internal evidence Of the pnpcT n document
far beyond Woods ability Ia produce. lie
believed from the beginning that Foraker
had been fooled, AZ he had himself. Wit
ness never contemplated a rivalry for the
senat0rship between himself, Mckinley and
liutterworh; he had known If great cnlam-
tiles Detailing pupllc men, and believed If
these mcn had signed TINT paper, they
should be struck.
The witness did not see any room for
questioning the genuineneEs of the paper;
be told Foraker II WAS necessary tp nsc the
pAper or purt Of II. aud that lac felt W cA-
asperated at the idea Of sherman, Butter
worth aud Mckinley going IN with John
Mclean m such mnttcr, that he felt
tempted 10 explode it under them; il WIS
something more than policy. almost
public dnty: bnt Campbell
WAS the only on" sbelUre the people IN u
candidate for public office. aud therefore
il might bc proper 10 use only his name.
Another reason for cutting of all the NAMES
but TINT of Campbell was that Sunset Cox.
whose name WINS among the iorReres, had
Just died and witness felt convinced Of the
pcnuinencss Of tho signatures. Halstend's
theory Of The forgery WIS that II never was
intended or expected 10 harm anybody;
the motive originally wns Woods extreme
anxiety "a get The smoke inspectorship. II
Wag prcpustefOus 90 suppose Coy. Foraker
thought there was anything fraudulent
about u. There was n cloud of witnesses
and the lawyer who drew MP the contract
Witness wondered now that they
did not come down and deny
il the day after publication. Undoubtedly
Wood put Senator Sheman's name on u to
make Il impossible for Foraker to use the
paper. After the publication witness was
staggered ~ scc Senator Sberman's drcl0ra-
ton that the pHper WINS lie; but he rs
sumod Sherman WAS extremely unlikely 10
have signed the paper, knowing what II was.