Omaha daily bee., 1885-06-12
THE LIBEL CASE.
Further Evidence in The SIaniGT Suit
Against the Republican,
Tho Testimony All in and the Argu-
ments of Counsel Commenced


arguments Of counsel were commenced
In the afternoon.
Subjoined Is the testimony continued
from Wednesday afternoon:
Gross examination of Mr.. Rosewater con.
tinued.
Q. Did the company reach to any northern
points with their lines?
A. They reached as far as Louisville until
they were cut off,
o, 1t was purely southern system of tele-
graph?
A. 1t was q kind of system, good deal
of on the Jay Gould plan; it was union in
union lines and rebel in rebel lines, and 30 far
as their messages we're concerned they were
partly northern and partly southern.
.. 1t was purely southern system?
A. No, originally it reached from Louisville
to New Orleans.
Q. Was not this telegraph company purely
and solely southern system of telegraph.
A. 1t was o telegraph line covering the
states south of the Ohio river.
@. Did it reach into single northern state
with its own operators and lines?
A. No, its terminus was Louisville.
@. During all this time of the military
operations in Tennessee that company was
carrying on the general telegraphing for the
confederscy?
A. The confederates had wires of their own
but they sometimes hsd to use the other lines
because they reached places that we could not
reach; in that case they transmitted anything
that came along
Q. They were transmitting general mes
sages for the confederates?
a. They transmitted both ways.
G. You were assisting IN these transmits
sions?
A. was merely employed in the office.
@. Forwarding the dispatches that came in
and all that sort of thing?
A, Yes, | was transmitting all the dis
patches sent to my wire.
Q. You staid there until you were shut in
by the confederate line?
A. Yes, 1 was shut out by the Union lines
finally so that l could not leave there.
G. You did not leave when you could, and
you could not when you wanted to?
A. Yes, sir.
@, Had the rebels vacated Nashville when
you left?
A. When left there it was occupied by the
Union army; L remained there a week after
the Union army took possession.
q. You staid there until the Union army
got into Nashville!
A. Yes. sir.
q. Did you quit your telegraphic duties
when the Union army got there?
A. quit a week before they arrived, and
HOulu uOJ UuuCu Lue WlTtS bRdlL, DtChuse i
was disgusted with the confeds, and thought
would get out as soon as possible; / got dis.
gusted with their conduct.
q. They had riot there for week or 30
between the leaving of one army and the act.
ual possession of the other?
A. Yes, after the evacuation of Donelson
there was riot there by the people who
stores and that continued for five or six days.
q 1t was during that time that you quit
your telegraphlc operations?
A. L went back and forth to the Office but
did not do any work.
Q, How long did you stay in Nashville
after the union soldiers got in?
A. 1t might have been week after / had
the wires across the river; l found that it was
best for me to go north. L was asked by Gen.
to accompany the army south, but L
would probably have been picked off by the
guerillas if had, because they all knew me.
Q. You had his confidence?
A. Yes, to the extent that I communi-
Gated to him the condition as they were when
he arrived, and their going down through the
wanted me to accompany him, but thought
on the whole that it was not as desirable to do
that as to go into another department. where
had no personal acquaintance.
Q. You gave him statement of affairs as
soon as he arrived?
A. / first wanted permission to use the
lines; the daughter of the ex. governor died
Bowling Green and being the only operator
the people asked me to transmit the news
from across the river; crossed in skiff asd
asked to be conducted to Mitchell, and asked
his permission to use the wire, and the next
day Gen. Buel sent for me- l found Thomas
A Scott there and informed him about the
same thing and be said that he would like to
,,,,f ba ha
Q. When the Union forces got there you
went to them and reported as much as you
could the situation and what had been going
on there while the confederates were imposes
sion?
A. informed them that the wires were IN
condition that they could be repaired.
Q They took you at your word?
Q, suppose you gave them what informa.
tionyou couldlabout where the rebels had gone
to and all that sort of thing?
A. / did not know where they had gone to,
but / stated the condition in which they were
when they left.
Q. You gave them all the information that
you could?
A. Such information as within the reach of
anybody that hadaccess to what was goin on.
O. 1t was after this that youwe employed
in the union service?
A. went back to Cleveland and made an
application by letter to Gen. Eckert and was
ordered to report to Wheeling.
@ You went back to Cincinnati before you
took service and then you applied by letter?
A. / applied to be enrolled in the Tele-
graphic Military corps.
BY Mr.. Sayage-State whether or not
during your residence in Nashville you had
any trouble on account of your union senti-
mentsl
A. / was sent for by Governor Harris and
reprimanded for writing letter that was cap
tured by them, to my folks at Cleveland,
which they thought contained sentiments that
they thought ought not to go out of the state
ut that time; they stated that they thought /
was giving undue expression to union views.
q. Was there any threats made at that
lime?
IA. No cir; they said they would keep their
eyes on me, that is all,
Mr.. Thurston-Yo ou fixed it up with him.
and it went along all right?
A. had nothing to say to him; was in
.he employ of the telegraph office, and my
etters were my own views in the matter,
Casper f. Yost, called and sworn for the |
plaintiff, testiti d that his occupation in the |
month of December, 1882 was manager of tie |
omaha Republican; that paper was owned |
md published by the Tribune Printing com
oany; as manager had general knowledge of |
ts business affairs; the circulation OF the |
Daily Republican on goth of December was
about 3, 900, and the weekly upwards of seven
thousand; the principal circulation of both
lapers was in Nebraska; Fred Nye was at
lime editor In chief.
Deposition of Anson Stager.
ASsoS srAGER,