Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-01-18
FORAKER AND WOOD.
The Ex-Governor OF Ohio Continues
His Story Before the House Committee.

His Story Before the House Committee.
HE GAVE wooD $500 TO COME TO WASHINGTON
BUT AFrERwARD SENT A MAN HERE TO WATCH
HIM-wooD's CONDUCT AFTER THE ELECTION
HIS CERTIFICATE OF CHARACTER"
Ex-Gov. Foraker resumed his statement be.
fore the House committee on the Ohio ballot
box forgery today and said he did not see Wood
after receiving the Walters letter until Octo-
Der 6, when he appeared at Columbus and asked
for money to go to Washington to look up the
'battery deal"
Witness gave him 1900 through Prior for the
purpose. Wood said the publication had got
the gang" down on him. speaking Of MUIR
ray in discreditable way, and saying that they
had been trying to get him to say that the paper
was forgery. He also said that he was in
fear of personal violence. Witness tried to re-
assure him. and had the money paid over to
Wood October 8. On that date he got note
from Wood, saying that he could get the boxes
at S10apiece and
NOT TO SHOW THE NOTE TO MR.. HALsTEAp.
The witness read letter from the Cincin-
natl screw and tap company estimating the
cost OF the ballot boxes at "a each. 1t closed
with the statement: This same Wood would
hardly bear too close inspection and he is now
posing as smoke inspector Of this city" 1t
was signed Your old neighbor, F. b. Leo
pold."
Then the witness read another letter from T.
c. Campbell to Wood commen tIng upon wit
ness music hall speech as unfair, abusing Mr..
Halstead, saying that nothing better could be
expected from him, and suggesting a law suit
against him in connection with the ballot box
matter.
NOTE FROM HALsrEAD
Resuming his narrative witness read q note
from Mr.. Halstead, received the morning after
the retraction October ID saying that he had
found the paper to be forgery and proposed
to publish retraction. Witness answered
expressing fear that he (Halstead) had been
imposed upon. He (witness) was considering
what should be done about the matter. His
first impulse was to abandon it and publish
everything then and there. He told kurtZ he
wanted everything published. kurtz said he
was OF the same impression at the beginning
and had written to MIR. Halstead to that effect.
Here the witness read the letter from Mr..
kurtz to Mr.. Halstead in which he suggests
that he give at once to the world the name ri
the forger or forgers, to the end that vigoI on
prosecution be begun of all engaged in I. Q
ballot box affair; that such was the course best
calculated to save his good name.
In answer Mr.. Halstead wrote that he had
agreed with Hartman that nothing further
wanted to protect the young men who had had
something to do with the forgery.
THE GOVERNOR EMBARRASSED.
Witness said he did not know exactly what
to do. He was somewhat confused; anybody
would have been. He had not caused the pa
per to be published, and Mr.. Halstcad 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 i'll freedom. Wood was in Wash
ington looking after the battery DEAL and the
pension record of Mr.. Campbell in Congress.
KEEPING TRACK OF WOOD.
Witness thought Wood might be making
statements or falling into the hands of some
body who might use him, SO he Thought it
would be well to have somebody keep track of
him. Therefore he telegraphed MIR. H. C. Me-
grew Of Washington to come to Columbus.
Megrew came, and after witness had ex-
planned the details to him returned to Wash
ington on October IA. with instructions to watch
Wood Megrew kept track Of Wood until he left
Washington for Ohio to vote the day before cleo
ton. While III Washington Wood wrote witness
and kurtZ several letters, but the very mo-
ment witness learned he was a forger he
stopped having any communication with him.
and Kurtz wrote Wood that they would have
nothing to do with him and would not answer
his letters. On October Is witness became ill
days or two weeks.
He wen. to his home and had no CORE
spOndencc with anybody. On the day after
election he saw Megrew and asked after Wood
Megrew replied that he Wood seemed
greatly distressed about intimations in
the newspapers that he (Foraker) was at fault
in what mad been done in the matter and
wanted TO write, but had been forbidden to do
so. He wanted to set witness right in the
world. Witness told Megrew that
CERTIFICATE OF CHARACTER AT wooD's HANDS
would not amout to much, but no might write
if he wanted to do so. Witness got the letter
Monday, November IL, and threw it on
table. His wife found it and put
1t away in bureau, where it
lay until witness the published story that
Mr.. Butterworth had said that he (witness) had
procured it for money consideration from
Wood, when he looked for and found
it. 1t was dated Washington. November
Z, and in it Wood said he was
sorry witness was defeated. and saw
that some papers said it was the ballot-box
matter and him Wood. He Wood did not
believe it, for witness had nothing to do with it,
and if he wanted he wood would give a state
ment that would clear him of having any i'm
proper connection with him Wood or the
so-called forgery matter or the ballot-box bust
ness.
WOOD SAID HE DIDN'T Do IT.
WOOD auded mat ne DID not DO the sO-called
forgery and did not want HIM to think be did.
Witness afterward met Wood as he (witness)
was coming out of the Commercial Office.
Wood wanted to talk to him there,
but witness told him to come to
the Gibson house. which he did. Almost the
first thing Wood did WAS to inquire about his
smoke inspectorship Witness told him he
could do nothing more about it; that he had
forfeited all the conf lence he had in HIM.
Wood wanted to know what he meant and
witness told him of the affidavits of Harmon
and Halstead. Wood rather spanked up and
wanted to know whether witness charged him
with forgery. Witness replied that he did not
make that charge. but that he Wood was re-
sponsible for it. Wood wanted to make a state
ment for him. but he told him (Wood) that he
wanted no statement Or anything more to do
with him.
ORDERED HIM OUT OF THE ROOM.
Wood seemed disgruntled, but got up and
left and witness bad never seen him from that
day until moment ago, when he
came into the committee room. There
never was one cent of money paid
to him on that or any other acc cunt,
except for the expenses incurred by him
at Washington IN getting information.
Witness had instructed Megrew to pay
Woods expenses and his fare to Gin
cinnati. Wood wanted to get from WASH
lngton to New York, but witness wanted him
at Cincinnati where he could look after him.
since the election witness had been trying to
investigate this matter to the bottom, and it
had been the most important business he had
In hand. He thought he had told everything
he could recall about the matter.