Glass ballot box forgery

Ballot-Box Forgery.

The Investigation Committee

Begins Its Work.

SEVERAL WITNESSES EXAMINED.

Representative Stuble, One of the Committee Absent on Account of Sickness, Representative Grosvenor Called on to Aid the Investigation in Examining Witnesses.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 17. — The select committee of the house to investigate the alleged ballot-box contract and the Cincinnati forgeries during the recent gubernatorial campaign in Ohio, began its sessions yesterday morning, with Mr. Mason, of Illinois, in the chair. Representative Struble, who is suffering from the grip, was the only member of the committee absent.

At ths request of a number of those interested Representative Grosvenor was called on to aid the committee in examining witnesses.

Representative McKinley, of Ohio, was the first witness. The chairman presented a report dated "Washington, July 2, 1888'' (the forged ballot-box subscription list), and asked if the witness had ever seen the paper, and if the name "William McKinley, Jr.," signed to it, was his own signature. Mr. McKinley said he saw a paper, similar in appearance, for the first time about a month ago. Representative Butterworth showed it to him. The signature was not his own. He knew nothing about the matter except what had been in the newspapers, and never heard of the ballot-box bill until the last campaign.

Judge Justin Harmon, of Cincinnati who was counsel for Governor Campbell on the ballot-box forgery case, was called next. He was shown the paper dated "Washington, July 2, 1888, and asked to tell all he knew about it. The witness had never seen the paper before. He said that James E. Murray had called on him after the forged paper appeared in a Cincinnati newspaper and said, the paper was a forgery and had been got up in his office. He secured three affidavits that day. The next clay he called on Murat Halstead at the oftice of The Commercial Gazette and demanded to see the paper. Mr. Halstead said paper was in the Safe Deposit Company's vault, but he produced a photographic reproduction of it.

The witness told Mr. Halstead that the paper was a forgery, and the matter was allowed to rest for twenty-four hours. The next morning Mr. Halstead published his retraction in The Commercial Gazette. On the same morning he received a note from Mr. Halstead stating that he had become convinced that the paper was a forgery and he hoped that every effort would be made to probe the affair.

In answer to a question from Gen. Grosvenor, Judge Harmon said that as the names of those who were implicated in the ballot-box affair never had been brought forward he did not care to drag them out. At the time the forgery was discovered he purposely omitted the name of all except Governor Campbell from the affidavit which he showed to Mr Halstead. In the interview with him Mr. Halstead said he had become suspicious regarding the paper on the afternoon of the day the forged paper appeared in his journal. He never ascertained where Mr. Halstead secured the forged paper. The forger, Wood, had claimed that the paper was got up merely as a scheme by which what is known as the "Topp letter," a document that might do damage to the Republican cause, could be traded for it.

Amor Smith, Jr., collector of customs at Cincinnati, said he first saw the paper at the Republican state headquarters at Columbus, and expressed his opinion at the time that the paper was not genuine. At the request of some of his friends he took the letter to Mr. Halstead, who seemed to think the paper genuine. He atterward ascertained that Mr. Halstead had seen the paper previously.

Ex-Governor Foraker was the next witness. The forged subscription list was shown to him. He said he had no personal knowledge who executed it. He asked to be allowed to tell his story from the beginning. On June 27, 1889, the morning after he was renommated for governor of Ohio, Louis M. Hadden, assistant city solicitor, called. There was some conversation about Mr. Campbell. Mr. Hadden said that if Mr. Campbell was nominated he would have the support of the leading Republicans of the state.

The witness asked him who they were, and Maj. Butterworth's name was mentioned among others. The witness expressed some surprise and Mr. Hadden in explanation said that Mr. Campbell was the author of the bill (the ballot-box bill) in which Maj. Butterworth and Maj. McKinley were interested financially. There were a number of people in the room and the conversation was hurried. Mr. Hadden promised to furnish him evidence proving Maj. Butterworth's connection with the matter. The witness produced a letter written to Mr. Hadden, telling him not to forget about the evidence, but no answer was received. He thought it his duty to the interests he represented to secure the evidence and make whatever use of it he saw fit.

Governor Foraker produced telegrams from Wood asking to be endowed for smoke inspector at Cincinnati. These were his first communications with Wood. Wood called on him on his return to Columbus from New York. He had seen Wood but twice before that time. He knew nothing at the time derogotary to Wood's character. Wood asked to be endorsed for the position of smoke inspector. Governor Foraker told him that he thought he was fitted for the place. Then the witness asked Wood about the alleged ballot box contract. Wood manifested some confusion and said that there was a contract but that Powell Crossley had the papers in his possession. Wood said there was another and far more serious contract in which the same parties were implicated. This was the steel gun contract, as it had come to be known. Wood promised to get the papers from Mr. Crossley.

Representative Outhwaite, of Ohio, appeared before the committee at this stage of proceedings, and said that Governor Campbell had requested that his examination take place Jan. 27. This was agreed to, and as the hour of noon had arrived, and the members of the committee were desirous of being in the house, an adjournment was taken for the day.