Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-02-07

Halstead, appeared before the ballot oo1
investigating committee to-day. Their
testimony, while not of a sensational order,
developed many interesting features. Mr..
Sherman said he did not receive any inquiry
before September 28 from Governor For
aker or Mr.. Halstead, as to whether be had
been a party to ballot box contract. On
October 8, got from the EUening Post, of
Cincinnati, telegram saying he (Witness)
and Butterworth had been connected by
gossip with the ballot box contract Wit
ness replied that the statement was lie and
any subscription was forgery.
Witness was shown Exhibit A, and de-
clared that he had never signed it. Saw 1t
first when it was sent to him in November
by Mr.. Hslstead. The signature was copy
of his rubber frank stamp, and not an lml-
tation of his signature. Did not think the
Mckinley signature looked like genuine
signature, but did not profess to be an ex-
pert on signatures, and might take the But
terworth signature as genuine il there was
nothing to call it in question. His own
signature on the paper would natnraIIy
raise question and excite wonder why he
had contracted to pay money to John Nc
Lean.
A fO4N1ED CAAAG4AHN@ IL
Then the paper showed that the signers
had committed crime. In addition they
would seem to be fools, for the United States
had never bought a ballot box. (He was
one of those who thought that the United
States should, however, regulate the cleo
ton of Represeu tatives.) All of these things
should raise question as to the authenticity
of the paper.
Witness never heard or knew of bal
lot box contract and never heard OF the
Campbell bill before Governor Foraker's
Music Hall speech.
Mr. Halstead called upon witness after
the recantatlou, and witness asked whether
his name was on the paper. Mr.. Hal
stead hesitatingly replied that he
had agreed with Mr.. Campbell not
to say anything about the paper.
After the election, witness called upon
Mr. Halstead 10 make a fair statement OF
the whole matter. Mr.. Halstead, in reply
on November IA, said he had anticipated
his advice, and sent the original for his
amusement. He wrote that it occurred to
him that he had been under the impression
that witness had signed the letter. He
hoped he had heard the last of it, but feared
he would not for some time. In conclusion
he wrote: ''I thought you might have the
curiosity to see the - paper. Laughter,
in which Mr.. Halstead joined. Witness
never mentioned the paper in the campaign,
but it became an issue between Governor
Foraker and Mr. Campbell.
In answer to Mr.. Turner, witness said if
the signatures on each were attached to a
recommendation, they would not excite sus-
piciou in the ordinary mind, but if they con.
cerned q draft for 5000 or 1000 they
would; it depended on the character of the
paper.
MURAT HALsTEAD's STORY.
After identifying the ballot-box paper,
Mr.. Halstead said he had first seen it on
September IA, on the cars at Springfield, o.
He met Governor Foraker on the train, and
the Governor showed him the paper which
he had obtained from Wood. The witness
asked Governor Foraker how he obtained
the paper, and the latter replied that r. G.
Wood had given it to him. They had some
conversation previous to this about Wood,
and the latter's offer to get the paper. To
Mr., Halstead's question as to where Wood
got the paper, Governor Foraker replied:
fsIt came right out of John McLean's safe. ="
"How was that?" asked the witness, and
he was told that Wood was party to the
ballot box transaction and had right to the
paper. The Governor told the witness that
the paper shocked him, and that it was
much more than he wanted. While Cover
nor Foraker went forward in the train, the
witness sIuOl6O nc 6uOuSHb budt
there were reasons why person should at
tach some credit to the paper.
Witness said he told Governor Foraker
that in his iudgmen: il certainly connected
Campbell with a Questionable transaction,
and should not be concealed, He also said
that be was exasperated at the idea that Nc
Kinlev, Butterworth and the Others were
connected With the matter; that he thought
he would explode it under them, and that
4 al 9TH fohf hox M
signed this paper, Mr.. Campbell certainly
knew all about it, for he had introduced the
bill.
THE ORIGIN OF THE FORGERY.
Mr.. Halstead explained to the committee
his theory of the forgery and Woods mo.
tive in getting up the paper. The motive,
he believed, was Woods extreme anxiety
to get hold of the Smoke Inspectorship.
He was certain that the paper was never in
tended to hurt anyone. 1t was utterly pre-
posterous to think that Governor Foraker
had any knowledge that there was any
forgery. He was certain that Wood had put
Senator Sherman's name to the paper to
keep Governor Foraker from using it during
the campaign.
The witness published an editorial card
warning Mr.. Campbell that he was con-
cerned in a questionable transaction, "and
then" said Mr.. Halstead, 81 wasn't able to
hold it back, and the paper got out earlier
than intended" The witness said he was
rather staggered at Senator Sherman's de-
nial of anv knowledge of the paper.
Governor Foraker had cautioned him to
be careful OF the paper, as it would throw
the party into confusion il all of it got out
EThe way the rumor got out that there were
other names than Csmpbell's on the paper
was that Jordan intimated as much in some
very unpleasant speeches.
4 PERTINENT QUESTION.
Mr.. Cogswell asked why witness did moi
verify the character of the paper by Sher.
man and Mr.. Butterworth. He replied that
Mr.. Butterworth was not in the country, Of
had lust landed, and Senator Sherman was in
Washington. He recalled the saying that you
could get a member of Congress to sign
petition to get himself hanged. 1t was no
a pleasant matter to put finger upon a sort