Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1884-04-23
The Governor On the stand.

What Passed Between Him and
Judge Bfrdsan In the Inner Room
Some Interesting Stories-Further
IlPrOgrcss In the Great Libel Suit.
The genial countenance of His Excellercy
Governor Waller beamed forth from the wit
ness box of the Superior court in this city
yesterday morning, and the gabernatorial
lips told about the historic Birdsall eiec-
ton. The Sperry-Troup libel case was on
again, and the court room was well filed.
At the openings the court Edward Butler,
editor of the Union, resumed his testimony.
He testified that Mr.. Sperry passed upon
| articles written by Judge Lynde Harrison on
political topics.
Governor Waller told the story of the
Birdsall trouble, after stating that, officially,
he very much objected to testifying. After
telling of what happened in the outer room
of his apartments he said: s'Mr. Birdsall
went through two rooms to the inner one,
and 1 allowed him to remain there moment
before went in. then said: 4 hope you
are well this morning, Mr.. Birdsall, or some
thing similar. He said: No, sir, I'm not
well, or feeling well. I've come here on q
very disagreeable business-to you 1 said
to him: Mr.. Birdsall however disagreeable,
you must do your business as comfortably
and easily and pleasantly as you can.
You must remember the story of
the Massachusetts, sheriff Who went to
hang a man, did it as gracefully and
chesrily as possible He said: 4 haven't
come here to hear stories said, sit down,
Mr.. Birdsall.' He set on chair and took
seat about as near to him as the second
gentleman on this panel is now from me- He
said: You have nominated for an office
| (naming the Office gentleman (naming the
gentleman) who is my personal enemy?' /
said: 4 very much regret it, Mr.. Birdsall. 1
supposed you gentlemen would heal up your
differences in that part of the State. Be
sides, I cannot always look out for these per-
sonaI quarrels in making appointments 1
spoke as am speaking now, calmly and
| quietly, for knew what the man was there
for. He said: 7 propose to attack your
action I said that 1 didn't mind that;
L had got used to it. He said he
had five newspapers that he could
control. One was a Meriden paper,
another was a Troy paper and then
there was his own paper, the Hartford Tele-
gram He said he proposed to open on me
Tomorrow morning. 1 said: why, Mr..
! Birdseu, you're beginning early Then he
pulled out of his pocket paper and began
reading it. I'm not sure whether he had
begun to read it before he said, Don't you
want to read it?' I said didn't care to; that
he was familiar with it and had better 60 on
and read it. The article was substantially
the one that was subsequently printed in
the Palladium In his manuscript be fol-
lowed the plan pursued by some editors OF
being familiar. In what he read he res
fsrred to me as Tom Waller and
q little further he got it down to
plain Tom said, Now I wouldn't do that.
| It's hardly proper is i?' All this with as
sumed indifference and repressed indigna-
| tion. Then he said he intended to publish
that statement and also my letters to him. I
| said: Mr.. Birdsall, 1 suppose 1t would be q
| waste of time to call man Who would pub
lish such malicious, uptruihful, lying
statement as that a scoundreL This matter
Won have come to tell me of, Mr.. Birdsall, is
| nothing new. l here understand that you
we're In o newspaper Office. recently in New
Haven; that yop were in New Haven this
morning, at the CeatEsl Hotel Il think that's
| the one near the depot9, with Mr.. Sperry
| of the Palladium and have no doubt, sir,
| that that article you have shown me is in
| type in the Palladium Office at this moment.
| So, Mr.. Rirdsall, your coming here is not q
surprise to me. I have told you thought
you q scoundrel and nor all I want to have
you do is to go-go-gol He Gaid it was
not true that he had talked to Mr.. Sperry
that morning nor wss the article in type in
the Palladium ofHcer From the way
he talked J. thought he wanted
ma to persuade him to say some
thing that would probably stop the
whole thing. said to him, ME. Bird
san don't want you to tell De anything
about this; don't want to know anything
about Il. want you to GO. I meant to
show some feeling and I think / did. ne re,
vert 70 Chs door and spoke to the secretary.
/ asked for Mr.. Ropd lexecutiVe messenger