[Newspaper]
Publication: The Muncie Daily News
Muncie, IN, United States
vol. 12, no. 240, p. 1, col. 3
Hadden on the Stand.
He Tells What He Knows
About the Ballot-Box.
OTHER WITNESSES TESTIFY.
One Witness Declared That the Forged
Paper Was Intended to Trap Foraker,
But Not Halstead — Testimony of the
Witnesses.
WASHINGTON, — Feb. 11. — Senator McPherson was the first witness before the ballot-box investigation committee. He characterized his signature to the ballot-box paper as a forgery. Senator McPherson said that when he heard that his name was attached to the ballot-box contract he had intended to have all parties connected with the matter arrested within forty-eight hours.
"It is not too late yet, senator," said Governor Foraker. "The courts are still open."
The witness replied that since he had learned that Mr. Halstead had been down and rolled himself in the mud in making his apology for publishing the paper, the circumstances had been changed somewhat.
Judge James . . . [illegible text] . . . of Lebanon, O., testified that Edward Eshelby had told him the ballot-box paper was a forgery, gotten up in the office of Tom Campbell.
Representative Morey, of Ohio, gave testimony to the effect that he had called on Mr. Halstead after the publication of the ballot box paper with Mr. Campbell's a signature attached, and had told Mr. Halstead that he doubted the genuineness of the signature. Mr. Halstead thought the signature was genuine and produced a photographic copy of the contract, with the names of Representatives Cox, Breckenridge, McAdoo and Campbell on it. The names of Senator Sherman and Representatives Butterworth and McKinley were not on the paper. A portion of the paper had been cut away, leaving the head and some of the earlier signatures.
John L. Pfau, of Cincinnati, said that he knew of the ballot-box paper only from Wood, who had told him that Governor Foraker and Mr. Halstead had believed that the paper was genuine, and that it had been intended to trap Governor Foraker, but not Mr. Halstead.
Wood had intimated that John R. McLean and T. C. Campbell were the movers in the plot.
Lewis M. Hadden, first assistant city attorney for Cincinnati, was the next witness. Mr. Hadden had testified before and his testimoney had been contradicted by T. C. Campbell and George Campbell. Part of his testimony was brought out again by Gen. Grosvenor. The witness said he had told Foraker that there was written evidence in existence that some congressmen were interested in the passage of the ballot-box. He referred to Messrs. Campbell, Butterworth and McKinley.
Gen. Grosvenor pressed the witness to tell why he had omitted in his first testimony any reference to the payment of money to Wood and his wife. The witness replied that he had not thought of the matter at the time and was willing to tell all about the matter. He started to make on explanation of why he had not stated everything at the first examination, but Gen. Grosvenor objected to his proceeding.
Chairman Mason said the witness had a right to proceed, and this Gen. Grosvenor denied. A rather heated discussion as to the right of the witness to make a personal statement ensued, and it was finally agreed to allow Gen. Grosvenor to continue his cross-examination.
In answer to questions from Gen. Grosvenor, witness said that during the gubernational campaign he was chairman of the Hamilton county Republican campaign committee.
He had told Foraker, Pryor and Kurtz, the governor's private secretary, that he had seen in the hands of T. C. Campbell an original ballot-box contract with the names of Campbell and others attached to it. Mr. Halstead had sent for him after the publication of the paper in The Commercial Gazette and asked him all about the matter.
He had told Mr. Halstead what Wood had told him about getting the paper from John R. McLean's safe.
Gen. Grosvenor followed the witness in his testimony concerning his talk with Mr. Halstead, and pressed him to tell why he had not told Mr. Halstead there was another paper he had seen in the hands of T. C. Campbell.
Mr. Hadden replied that he had several reasons for not letting Mr. Halstead know all about the matter. He had just been taken from bed, and was somewhat dumbfounded when Mr. Halstead told him he believed the paper to be a forgery; besides, he was not very well acquainted with Mr. Halstead, and did not feel like speaking fully to him about so delicate a matter.
The committee then adjourned.
