Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1905-07-06

electric light plant for the city and that
Mr.. Howell was a vigorous opponent of
this attempt at municipal ownership. He
was prevented by ruling of the court.
Merely Better Term.
on REORGANIZATION the county attorney
inquired why The Bee had substituted the
word retained" for the word hired" in
its issue of the morning following the pub
llcation of the alleged libel.
THAT change was made after had been
arrested on this complaint" said Mr.. Rose
water. 1T was to my mind a better word.
perhaps. to convey just the meaning 1 had
intended; more in conformity with the
idea 1 had in mind when 1 wrote the
article"
Asked as to his object in publishing the
, alleged libelous article witness said:
MY intention was to apprise the people
that 1t was not a strictly disinterested party
who was seeking to be chosen to represent
them in such an important position"
Answering further exploring questions of
the county attorney Mr.. Rosewater gave
what he said might be considered the broad
Interpretation of the term bribery, used
by Judge Slabaugh.
probably two-thirds of the lawyers who
serve in the Legislature" said the witness.
would be in for bribery under the meaning
you give the word. They agree, for instance,
| to Introduce certain bills and to look after
| them. Their campaign expenses are paid
| in money or other valuable consideration
given in advance of their election. Sem
| ators and members OF congress sometimes
! do the same thing. But this is before they
become members and hence they are not
| liable"
| The county attorney moved to strike out
| the answer, but Judge Day let 1t stand.
! That word, Hired.
The county attorney then devoted con-
siderable time in trying to fix in the record
a definition of the word hired, used In
the article and bribery, not used at all
in the article He asked the witness IL he
did not consider such hiring was always
for a bad purpose
Witness-As to bribery? Yes.
Asked IL he believed when he wrote the
article complained of that Howell was an
unfit man for public office, the witness re-
piled;
ct believed then he was an unht man
for public Office and I believe 1T now.'t
| Asked how long he held this belief, the
| witness replied:
Ever since l heard him make an alb
solutely false statement at the city council
hearing, in the presence of other Witnesses .
The county attorney then attempted to
different dates. that Mr. Howell had been
indorsed by the paper When read in con-
nection with the entire articles from which
they were TO be taken, the extracts would
not bear this construction.
Mr.. Cornell insisted on all of the articles
going in evidence, If politics was 10 be in
jected into the trial. County attorney OBJ
tected that he did not want any politics to
get in. But Cornell had his way in sew
eral instances Of this kind that arose just
preceding the noon adjournment, and sew
eral of the public library files were so in
troduced, In most of these the editor was
contending for the citys right to buy the
water works under the charter at more
advantageous terms than could be had un-
der Howells bill.
On the subject of the copy Of the voucher
signed by Howell which The Bee published,
Mr.. Rosewater said he had got the original
from Superintendent Hunt
Shortly after the converting of court for
the afternoon session the cross-examina-
ton of Mr.. ROsewater was finished, with
out any OF his direct testimony having
been impugned in any vital respect.
HINT COrrObOrRtes ROsewnteF.
Following Mr. Rosewater on the stand
came A, B. Hunt, superintendent of the
Omaha Water company since 1881 He
said the same people have always con-
trolled the company through all Its changes
OF name. He has had general charge OF the
interests Of the company as TO legislation
both locally and at lincoln. When the
Howell bill came up at Lincoln Mr. Hunt
said he was ordered 10 California and after
its passage he at once came home again.
MIR Connell-You didn't have much to dc
with the passage of this bill, did you?
Mr.. Hunt-No. sir. If had been here
He had received strong intimation from
his superior officers that he had better take
a trip TO California for his health while
the Howell bill was under consideration.
| Mr.. Hunt remembered an interview be
tween himself, Mr.. Bierbower. the receiver
, and Mr.. Howell. He confirmed the testi
mony OF Mr.. Rosewater that the latte
had learned from him HunD that Mr.
{ Howell had made a proposition to have
certain friend placed on the directorate "a
t a salary Of not less than 500 a month";" II
order to smooth over any differences tina
3 might arise between the city and the com
pany."
{ Mr.. Hunt said he ana Mr.. Bierbower ha