St. Paul daily globe., 1891-10-23
A DAY OF SPARRING.
The Lawyers Take Up The
lime in the Donnelly Ii
bel Suit.
Long-Winded Argument Over
the Admission Of Certain
Testimony.
Several Gentlemen Give Evil
dence as to the Sage's
Reputation.
Some Of Them Found 1t Good,
and Others Called 1t
"Shady."

| When the doors of Ethe court room
were thrown open yesterday morning
there was instantly a struggle for seats
and every one was soon occupied, while
many spectators remained standing.
age suit against the Pioneer Press by
| lgnatius Donnelly has interested many
ladies, and number were present yes
terday. In the assemblage were many
prominent Minneapolitans, including
doc" Fish, W. Ii. Eustis, President
| Northrop, Col. Sessions, c. w. Johnson
and host of other notables.
The proceedings began by warm ar
| gument between the attorneys as to the
admission of report of where the let
ter was presented to the investigation
committee by Donnelly, and as cause
for publication. The defense. had au
| thoritieS ad infinatum, proving their
side of the point at issue. Attorney
Flandrau also spoke on the subject, re-
| marking:
If you were going to muZZle the press,
the very foundations of liberty were
| Knocked from under the country. These
publications were made to warn people
against voting for certain man.
Mr.. Wellington claimet that things
had not come to a point where papers
could publish whatever they pleased.
| The report WIS finally read. objections
| being made to certain parts of it. A
| photo-lithograph of letter attached to
the report was offered in evidence, but
was objected to by Mr.. Wellington. In
| the midst of another lengthy argument
an adjournment for lunch was taken.
The argument was conducted after
| luncheon at some length-until the
court finally decided i'll favor of the
| plaintiff.
John Lathrop was then asked to the
witness chair. He said he was fifty
nine years of age. and that he lived at.
| present in Lac qui Parle county. He
was member of the legislature in 1869.
| The defense started in to prove that
| Donnelly had obtained his scat by Dri-
| berry, but Mr.. Wellington made an OBJ
| lection and another long argument was
in order.
elf there is any objection to this testi-
mony," said Squires, I'VE ask leave to
| amend the answer
II shall certainly object" cried Cy.
Capt. Hunt took an active part in the
argument with his confreres, but Cy
| Wellington proved too much for the
trio, the court ruling in his favor.
Lathrop was allowed to state that he
had served one term in the legislature
with DOnnellv.
do you know DonnelIv's general
reputation, legislative and political ?''
| was asked.
Il don't think do" That settled it.
Have you been connected with the
| Alliance, so-called ?''
Objected to. Another scrap.
II have"
For how long ?'
"Five or six years"
Have you been associated with
plaintiff during that time ~
More or less
Has your connection taken you about
the state ?''
VERY little. have been on my farm
most OF the time"
A. G. Rich was next called upon to
give his opinion of DOnnelly's reputa-
ton. He had known him for years and
SAID Of his reputation:
''It'S not been g0od.''
| A number of other similar questions
| followed rapidly, one after another,
| with the same end in view, until finally
| Charles w. johnson was called. He
| testified that Donnelly'S general reputa-
ton was bad. He was very emphatic in
his declaration.
Gen. Leduc was recalled to prove
! DOnnelly'S reputation, but under the
cross examination of Attorney Yelling
ton, merged into question as to whetli-
er he was an enemy of Donnelly or
not
''Gen. Leduc, are you not an enemy
Of Mr.. Donnelly?"
No, sir; not an enemy"
You only have feeling of pity for
! him, then?'
THAT is about it.''
| "Well. now | will put the question to
you direct. Did not your feeling of pity
towards, and subsequent unfriendly re
lations with Mr.. Donnelly begin about
| the time you wanted to assign your
stock in the Hastings d Dakota to
OakeS AmeS to enable him to sell it to
the Milwaukee road. and that Mr.. Don
nelly opposed you, and that you did give
Oakes Ames your interest, which gave
him majority of the stock, and that it
was sold to the Milwaukee road? Did
not your feeling of pity begin about
that time?"
Yes, just about that time" An
audible smile passed around the court
and his honor raped for order. The
witness was very anxious to explain the
transaction. but the court forbade him
| doing so.
The defense said it had one more wit
ness to call before closing, j. j. Roach.
but he was sick to-day. If the plaintiff
would allow the witness to be called
it would rest its case.
Il don't know AS we have any obiec-
tion," said Mr.. Wellington.
The plaintiff wished to offer in evil
dence file of the st. Paul Press of
| Feb. 16, 1875, containing an article
headed "Schoemeler Smiling on Don
nelly" The defense objected, and
after long argument the court sus-
tanned the objection OH the ground that
the st. Paul Press and the ST. Paul Pio-
neer Press We're separate corporations
Evidence III rebuttal was then begun.
The plaintiff called Daniel BasSett to
the Stand. He SAID he was about sew
enty years of age, and hao lived in
Minneapolis about thirty-six years.
WAS Mr.. Clark a supporter of Mr..
| Donnelly in 1869 during the political
| campaign "'
"He was"
"On what issue?"
Objected to and objection sustained
Charles II. Lang next occupied the
| armchair.
Did you ever hold any official posi-
tion in the Hastings q Dakota railway?"
Yes; L was secretary
did Gen. Leduc make demand or
request to the board of directors to give
$4,000 stock 10 Mr.. Donnelly?"
Objection made, but Overruled.
Il do not remember that he did,
A letter was produced which the wit
ness identified as having written to
Donnelly. AS far as he could remem-
Der the S125, refunded to Mr.. Donnelly.
was undoubtedly to reimburse hlm for a
8 per cent assessment on S2, 500 of took.
Mr.. BaSSett was recalled to testify as
to the general reputation of Mr.. Don
nelly prior to Feb. 10, 1875. He stated
it was as good as any other public man
if not better. He mad generally been a
supporter of Mr.. Donnelly.
Died While Waiting.
\ T1o,,