The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1890-01-20
WOOD TELLS HIS STORY.
A Big Crowd Hears His Version Of
the Ballot Box Case.

WASHINGTON, January 1S.-Gov. Foraker
finished his testimony before the COM
mittee on the ballot box forgery today. He
related the facts of Mr.. Halstead's discovery
that the paper was forgery and OF his own
subsequent relations with Wood, who made
several offers to write letters generating the
witness. Coy. Foraker thought that letters
coming from such source would be worse
than useless and Wood was SO informed.
Richard G. Wood was called and said he
was mechanical expert, and lived in Gin
cinnati. He had known ex-Gov. Foraker for
15 years, and also knew Gov. Campbell. He
identified the forged paper. and said he had
first seen it before the election. He got the
paper at a printing office. The names were
written in Cincinnati by Mr.. Milward. A
young man named Davis helped. This was
done in the office of Mr. Murry, solicitor of
the Hall & Wood Ballot Box Company. The
names were written at Woods instance.
Wood said he told Mr.. Milward that he
wanted to trade the paper for what is called
''the George Top" letter, which might injure
the Republican cause. He intended the
names to appear as fac-similes of the auto
the Governor as having valuable names ON
it was simply blank subscription form with
the name John r. Mclean and the Hall g.
Wood Ballot Box Company on it. Wood
told of meeting with Jim Foraker, the ex-
governors brother, who suggested that he
to Gov. Foraker, who sent him a telegram
stating that he would help him and that
Wood could help the Governor. This and
other kilograms he did not now have.
election, and he had given them to T. c.
Campbell and DR.. W. A. Tenuey of Cincin-
natl. The particular telegram referred to
was given to the latter. Wood then told of
conversation he had with Gov. Foraker
about the smoke inspectorship. and this led
a little ''hustling' for him. Wood wanted to
know what he could do, and the Governor
replied that Wood could get him a little doc
ument that had been drawn up in Butter
worth's office. The witness wanted to know
Governor told him that Major Butterworth
was against him, and was endeavoring to
prove that be was disreputable. The Gov
ern0r thought he could prove that Butter
worth was disreputable: Wood said he
seemed to please the Governor very much
Wood told this part of the story with many
humorous remarks. and caused much laugh
ter:
wanted by Gov. Foraker. He was unsuc-
cessful and finally got up the forged paper.
He gave the paper to the Governor, telling
him it was the best he could do, and not to
ask any questions. The Governor compared
the signatures with those in the book, and
said that be did not see how he could use the
paper. Wood was anxious to know how the
Governor was going to dispose of it, and
the Governor assured him that his name
would not be mentioned in connection with
it. Wood wanted the Governor to get him
the SmOka inSnacfOrShin now that fha no.
per had been secured, but the Governor
talked about charges made against Wood,
and thought he should give up trying for it
and become a candidate for superintendent
Of the Ohio penitentiary., Wood insisted
penetentiaries. One night, Wood went on
to say, he met Gov. Foraker coming out of
the office of the Cincinnati Commercial Ga
zette very much out of breath. The Cover
nor told Wood that Halstead wanted to rip
fspd h0's to f9Ss Sose in Rhose R paper names ms
document. Wood insisted that he aid
not get the paper up for such purpose, and
begged the Governor not to let Mr.. Halstead
have it. The Governor said that # the pa
llcation, the latter would attack the ballot
box scheme; but still Wood insisted that
the paper must not be given up for publica-
tion.
1uo Witness Sketcneu tne incidents tnat
followed the publication of the paper by the
Commercial Gazette. He had called on Gov.
Foraker, and the latter had said: ''Old man,
we've got ourselves in pretty tight hole"
wood wanted to know why the paper was
published, when it had been agreed that it
was not to be, but the Governor would not
let him talk about it.
After some further testimony, Chairman
Mason asked the witness a Question that
caused the room to become still as death.
DID any other person except yourself and
the young man who assisted Won have anv
knowledge that the signatures on This snb.
scriptiOn list were not genuine"
Wood hesitated. He asked again exactlv
what the chairman meant, and the reniy
came, "Mr. Foraker"
"Do you mean ex-Gov. Foraker?"
"Yes, sir"
Wood then wanted to be more explicit in
his answer. He asked Chairman Mason il
he meant had Gov. Foraker entered into
conspiracy with him to procure the paper,
and on receiving a negative answer said that
he told the Governor that the signatures
would not stand. Gov Foraker did not
know that theswitness had secured autograph
slips; the Governor had not asked
whether the paper was forgery he did not