The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-01-17
FORGERIES.
THE COMMITTEE OF INvEsTIGA-
TON BEGINS ITS WORK.


A Number of Witnesses Examined
Governor Foraker Details his Con-
nection With the Matter-Wlling to
Recommend Wood for once, but
Must Have the Paper.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 16-A special House
committee appointed to investigate the Ohio
ballot-box forgery began its work this
morning, with all the members present
except Mr.. Struble, who is suffering from
la grippe. Chairman Mason laid before the
committee a communication signed by
Senators Sherman, Stockbridge, and
Mcpherson, and Representatives Butter
worth, Breckenridge of Kentucky. and
Justin R. Whiting, recitinG that, as it is
desirable to have a full and impartial in
vestigation, they request that Representa-
tive Grosvenor be allowed to appear before
the committee to aid in examining wit
neSses and render other assistance.
THE FORGERY ADMITTED.
This request was granted, and Represent
ative Grosvenor said that while it was ad-
mitted that the paper which was to form
the basis of the investigation was forged,
all the gentlemea concerned desired to ap-
pear and testify to that fact, as well as to
any other facts that they might know,
bearing on the subject.
Representative Mckinley was the first
witness to appear He testified that he had
not signed the paper in question, and saw
copy of it for the first time just before con-
gress met, when Mr.. Butterworth exhibited
it to him. He saw the fac sinliJe in the
Cincinnati Commercial Gazette signed by
Mr.. Campbell alone He had no interest
direct or indirect in the paper, aud never
A.,l aJ.%s l.
recall that he had ever heard OF him or the
ballot-box matter until he saw this publica-
ton.
PROOF OF THE FORGERY.
Judson Harmon, a lawyer of Cincinnati,
who was Gov CampbelPs counsel, was the
next witness, and said that he never saw
the forged paper until this morning. Some
time in October last George j. Murray told
him that this paper was a forgery, and had
been gotten up in his Office The witness
started TO get proof, spending the next day
in getting three afiidavits by Murray, +. L.
Millward, and Frank Davis. These
attidavits were put in evIdence). Next
day, in company with J. N. Jordan,
he called on Murat Halstead of the Com
nleTciGL Gazette aud demanded to SEQ the
paper. Mr.. Halstead said that the paper
was locked up in the safe deposit. but showed
a Photographic copy. Witness told him
stead asked twenty-four hours for investiga-
tion, and truce was declared neither side
to print anything, and Mr.. Halstead with
drawing the Columbiad editorial about to be
published. Next day, witness saw the
retraction, and got a note from Mr..
Halstead stating that he was convinced
that the paper was forgery. The persons
making the affidavits were told that they
were wanted only to secure a retraction.
The 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.
Millward was patent draughtsman. Davis
was young lad employed to help him.
The Photographic copy of the paper
exhibited by MIR. Halstead had all of the
signatures attached.
HALsTEAD BELIEVED IT GENUINE.
Mr.. Halstead had cross-examined tho wit
ness to discover whether he knew Of the
other names. AS the other names besides
Gov. Campbell's had not been publicly
mentioned, witness thouzht that it was the
part of decency and wisdom to say nothing
about them in the retraction. Mr.. Halstead
believed that the paper was genuine, but
acknowledged that something had nap
pened that afternoon to cause him to In
vestigate its authenticity. Mr.. Halstead
did not say where he got the papers
Witness had his suspicious but Halstead de-
MED their correctness. 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 Tapp letter. This last was PROPOSE
tion by Geo. L. Tapp to contract to sell
gravit to the city and divide the profits.
Gov. Campbell was understood to be about
to spring this letter upon the republicans.
Witness thought Woods story was lshy.
TAPP WAS CRAZY.
Representative Grosvenor asked IL Tapp
had not afterward been found to be insane,
and had not died in an insane asylum, to
which question the witness replied In the
affirmative.
Amor Smith, Jr, surveyor of custom ms of
Cincinnati, took the stand and was shown
the forged paper, which, he said, he had
first seen at the republican headquarters
Oct. 8, last 1t had already
been published, with Gov Campbelrs
signature. The witness said when it was
shown to him that he believed it was q
forgery, but consented TO deliver it to Mr..
Halstead, which he did, with the statement
that he did not believe it to be genuine,
pointing out popularity of the ink In sup
port of his statement. The witness learned
that Mr.. Halstead had seen the paper be-
fore.
BOhAkEH ON THE STAND.
Ex-Gov. Foraker took the stand and was
shown Exhibit A" tthe forged paper), and
asked to tell all he knew about it, He said
he had no personal knowledge of who exc
cuted the paper. 1t was first mentioned to
him by l.. N. Hadden, assistant city solic-
itor, after his nomination Hadden
spoke of Wood as the party In
terested who could furnish the paper.
The governor then told of Wood
seeking an appointment as smoke inspector
at Cincinnati ~When Wood came to see
him, witness said he was willing to recon-
mend him. As he was willing to do Wood
that favor, he told Wood that he should be
willing to do a favor for him, and told him
he wanted that paper ('Exhibit An
Wood seemed little confused, but
admitted that there was such a
paper, and made a clean breast of it, telling
of the ballot-box bill aud the contract, and
Of the chain Of circumstances, and saving
that the paper was in the custody of Powell
Crosley, counsel for his company. Wood
told Of the failure of the bill with the last
contract, but said that new contract had
been drawn up, and efforts were being
made to get Gov. Alger's signature.
THE STEEL GUN CONTRACT