The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-06-27

other story-tel:s 1t to the Times-Herald
correspondent
He does not say Foraker hired him to dc
the trick, but he leaves the impression tina:
Foraker was party to having it done
Woods story runs this way:
Wood was taken in hand by detective
of the name Of Dowd. who worked for the
Michigan Central Railroad, and by him
conducted to Detroit to a lawyer friend OF
Foraker's of the name of Frazier. This
lawyer, according to Wood. drafted the
form of the ballot box contract, to which
the names of Sherman Campbell, Butter
worth and the rest were forged.
From Detroit Wood was taken to ToroI.
to. There he was presented TO a man Of
the name of Charles Bealen. Wood says
Bealen was an expert who had "doT time
for a $4,000 forgery, and after getting out
of jail had settled down in Toronto on the
proceeds of his crime. Bealen was supplied
with facsimiles of the signatures OF the
congressman as they appeared on their
franked mail matter sent out Of Washing
ton From these copies, says Wood. Beal-
en- forged the signatures.
81 came back to Columbus" says Wood.
land went up to the governors house.
Foraker was then governor.1 l had the
governor called to the door. He stood in
the doorway. and I down on the steps.
Here's your paper said. and gave
him the document with the forged names
on 1t. He took 1t, put it in his pocket and
left. That Is all had to do with it.
"Oh, yes was jagged after the story
came out, but did not stay in jail very
long The boys took care of me al
right"
And Wood now hints, without admitting
specifically, that ne receives money to this
day for his work in 1859. The money comes
in New York drafts, he says. and he has
them cashed by tom" Campbell. This
Campbell used to be a lawyer In Circinna !,
and an associate of Foraker until he had
TO fight hard to keep from being debarred.
Since then he spends most of his time in
New York.
Campbell by the way. wanted Foraker
to defend him in the disbarment proceed
ings. and never forgave the distinguished
gentleman for "ducking."
Wood may be lying-he is confessedly a
rascal-but he talks now as IL he thought
the truth could do no harm. His circum-
stantial story is up to- Foraker.
1t does not make much difference
whether Foraker got the forged document
from Wood or from Lou Hadden, who was
then assistant county solicitor and pro-
tege Of Tom Campbell. The circum-
stances of the case and his refusal to at
tempt to clear himself from implication by
cross-examining Wood during the congress
sonal investigation that followed long ago
convicted him of completely in the public
mind.
Foraker had the forged document before
It was published. Through him it was put
irto the hands of Murat Halstead, editor of
the Commercia.-Gazette. In Foraker's in
terest Halstead naturally published 1t as
an attack on James E. Campbell. because
Foraker was at the time coaxing Halstead
along with promise to make him United
States senator.
Whether Foraker knew Il was a forgery
or not does not matter. 1t was a most
serious charge IL true, heinous one II
false.
Ben Butterworth was in Cincinnati,
Grosvenor and John Sherman and others
were readable by telegraph. Not one of
them was asked If his signature might be
genuine. And to this day Cincinnatians
point to this fact as evidence of conniv-
ance at a hbelous conspiracy
Motive for II? Defeat of Campbell was
not the only one. The forged republican
signatures were the names Of the men
who then divided with Foraker leadership
of Ohio republicans. II the genuineness of
their signatures on that forged paper could
be left even in doubt, they would be
smirched. II they could be smirched, For
aker would stand alone.
John Calvin, then assistant city solicitor,
got wind OF Sherman's name being on the
paper-none but Campbelrs was first print
ed in the Commercial-Gazette. He whis-
pered II to a democratic friend. Then the
murder was out.
John Sherman ros in wrath. So did But
terworth. The superstructure built on for
gerry came tumbling about Foraker's head,
and he was forced to confess from the
pubic platform how he had tried to black
en- the characters of public men.
And now. as if venom must find an out
let, time and a congressional investigation
having exploded the ballot box forgery, II
is a matter Of specific recollection that J.
b. Foraker has dared to insinuate in pri-
vate what he has already retracted in
public and has never dared to repeat in
public-has insinuated that the ballot box
contract forged signatures were genuine
after all.
Before going further, Foraker Is entitled
TO one apology for what has been said of
his never fighting for friend He did once
for George L. Cox-but fought from I'M
der cover
In April, sos. the Franklin county grand
jury-Columbus is in Franklin county
moved to indict George B. Cox for bribing
members of the legislature to vote for o
poolsellinG bill. Charles L. Kurtz-and
that meant Foraker-sprang to his aid.
Political pressure invaded the grand jury
room.
As remembered now the argument was:
eff you indct Cox you sacrifice Foraker"
1t is further remembered that Governor
Mckinley was threatened with annihila-
ton II he would not help save Cox.
Cox was indicted-that is. a true bill was
voted against him on April Is. The bin
was held up TO give the Foraker-Kurtz
crowd more time, but ostensbly for the
hearing of evidence on the same charge
against Lewis G. Bernard, the democratic
boss Of Hamilton county.
Then, on April a. the political pressure
told and the indictment voted against Cox
was reScinded.
A more specific instance of stabbing IN
the back? Bellamy Storer. now minister
10 Spain. was 50 reached from behind in
lSat
Mr.. Storer had been IN congress. He was
willing 10 go back. His constituents want
ed him. The delegates to nominate had