Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1910-07-26
PHILLIPS AGAIN
~ WITNESS bon.
MAYOR IS Asked ABOUT SALOON
INCIDENT ON APRIL 80 AND Ac
kNoWLEDaEs TAKING THREE
DRINKS.

rOllOWlng the plan introduced Sat
urday morning, the defense In the
Phillips custer proceedings called T.
D. Foster Of the Morrell Packing Co..
to the stand this morning and he told
Of much that was favorable to the
defendant in the fifteen years of their
acquaintance. He said among other
things that the present administration
OF Mayor Phillips was an improvement
over the former administration and
that conditions in Ottumwa were
much improved and fairly good as he
saw such things. He stated, however
on cross examination that If he knew
that dice shaking was going on for
cigars and other things, he would not
consider the conditions as fairly salts
factory. Mayor Phillips was on tho
stand at the opening OF court and re-
sumed when Mr.. Foster was through.
He testified among other things to the
saloon incident and the democratic
meeting Of April 80. Mr.. Phillips
maintained that he was not drunk.
The prospect of the testimony being
all in this evening and the case being
practically up to the court for hiA con-
sideration by tomorrow noon br even
ing is very bright.
Mr.. Foster is Heard.
The testimony Of Mr.. Phillips was in
terrupted by the arrival Of Mr.. Foster,
who had but little time, and the de-
tense gave way, causing the mayor to
retire from the stand for the time be-
ing. Mr.. Foster told Of knowing Mr.
Phillips for twelve or fifteen years and
said he was personally acquainted with
him and met and talked with him reg.
ularly. That he never had seen the
mayor intoxicated or under the infiu
ence of liquor, was testified to by the
witness, who said further that he
never saw the mayor take drink OF
liquor, although he was not drinking
whether the mayor had ever taken
drink. When asked If the mayor had
not attended the picnics given by the
packing house, and If at these the
mayor was ever seen drunk or under
the influence Of liquor. the witness said
the mayor had been at the picnics but
never drunk or under the influence,
and that he never had detected the
smell or signs of liquor from the
mayor, although they had often con
versed together.
When asked on cross examination II
there ever had been liquor at these
picnics and If the men knew that Mr..
Foster did not permit 1t, he said that
there had been liquor brought to the
picnics by some Of the men and that
they knew he opposed 1t. AS to the
condition Of the city government, the
witness said that the condition since
the beginning OF the present admins
tration was to his observation better
than prior to the present one, and
fairly good as such things go.
The Condition In City.
He told of knowing Smoky Row as
he passed through 1t frequently on his
way to and from the packing house
and that it was very much improved
during the last two years. He told OF
having had many tussle with the
mayor. but said that they were fair
and each knew where the other stood.
He said on cross examination that to
some extent the question OF open town
was an issue in 1907, but not to the
same extent as in 1909. The issue OF
1909 as he understood 1t was that Of
q better general government. He said
he opposed Mayor Phillips then on the
grounds that he had promised to per-
init the saloons to operate according
to mulct law but that Captain D. A.
Emery promised to close the saloons
and not permit the sale of liquor at all.
He also stated that he thought that
Mr.. Emery would be the stricter Ilayor
as to gambling, etc. He stated that
in broad way he was familiar with
the conditions from 1907 to 1909 but
that he did not know OF gambling and
prostitution in that period. He said
he was not here at the time of the
Rosen murder, but that he thought the
police vigilance began previous to that
time and not just then. He told Sem
ator Cosson that IL he knew dice was
shaken for cigars and such things he
would not consider that the conditions
were fairly satisfactory. His reasons
for thinking Smoky Row had improved
was that the loose women there had
not been SO fragrant as before the past
two years In reply to a question as
Continued on page 81