The Oskaloosa herald., 1913-05-29
STORY WAS BASED
ON GENERAL TALK
SUCH IS DEFENSE OF HEwETT
IN ROOSEVELT LIBEL.
COLONEL TELLS HIS OWN STORY
John Callan o'Loughiin, Newspaper
Correspondent Declares He Has
Seen Much Of the Colonel 8t
Never Saw Him Drink.

| Marquette, Mich, May 28.-That
the alleged libel statement published
by Editor George Hewett in his week
| ly paper was based upon general dis
cussion of Colonel Theodore Roose-
velts habits by Michigan men was
brought out in arguments made by
Hewett's attorneys in the damage suit
brought by the ex-president and now
being heard here. The entire gist of
the testimony offered by John Callen
O'Loughlin, the second witness exam
ined this morning, was to the effect
that Roosevelt was extremely abstem-
ious. Attorneys for Hewett from
whom Roosevelt asked $4,000 for
publication of the statement that the
Colonel gets drunk and that not in.
frequently" tried to get from
lOLoughlin an admission that before
Hewett's alleged libel the rumor was
current among newspaper men, that
Roosevelt was in the habit of using
liquor to excess. Every reputable
newspaper man knows that is lie,"
declared O'Loughlin with marked an
lger. The defense expects to show
that Hewett in printing the charge
was merely repeating story told by
various persons throughout the coun-
try and In long argument in the abb
sence of the jury his attorneys de-
manded the right to show Hewett's
publication was not malicious. Bel
den in his cross examination of o.
Loughlin managed to bring up the cell
ebrated vatican incident of the Colo
nePs European trip. Il am a Catho-
lic," began O'Loughlin when he was
halted by the court. The judge re-
proved Belden and shut off the entire
line of testimony. ellison Gardner,
Washington correspondent of the
Newspaper Enterprise Association,
was recalled for his cross examina.
ton.
Newspaper Reporter Testifies.
John Callan O'Loughlin, the first
witness In the Roosevelt libel suit,
gave his age at 40 and his residence
as Washington. His employment he
said is with Chicago newspaper.
Met the Colonel in Washington in
1888, he said when he was connected
with the civil service commission.
Later knew him when he was assist
ant secretary of the navy. That was
in the beginning of the Spanish.
American war, and always saw
Roosevelt twice day and sometimes
five, six and seven times day. Then
| he went to the front with the rough
riders. | saw him only occasionally as
governor of New York. When he was
president saw Roosevelt morning,
noon and night. | met him below
Khartoom in Africa on his way north
| from his hunting trip O'Laughlin
said that from Soudan to Paris he
acted as Roosevelt's secretary. He
described Roosevelt's trip through
Europe. Then O'Laughlin, after thus
Establishing his acquaintance with
the Colonel, came to the vital mat
ter of drink. ..,#a, -.s. ~-- -.
| 81 Il not only never have seen
f, Roosevelt under the influence of,
| LIQUOR" he declared, but 1t is
] an absolutely silly thing to me
that anybody should bring such
charge against him. | am a mem
Der of the Gridiron Club in Wash
ington and have seen him at the
| club banquets half a dozen times
but never saw him take more than
one glass of champagne ..-
| ."- HooSeNeit telS MS story
Marquette, Mich, May 2s.-Theo-
dore Roosevelt, twice president of the
United States, took the witness stand
in the county court OF Marquette coun
ty and defended himself under oath
against allegations of drunkenness.
Colonel Roosevelt told the story OF
his life and his counsel, James H
Pound, in spite of objections. asked
many questions that made the colonel
tell about the various high public Of
| fees he had held, his Cuban campaign
the books he had written, his life in
the west, and the attempt to assassi
ma te him at Milwaukee.
| Never Drank a Hishball.
Mr.. Roosevelt said, with great earn
estness, that he never drank q high
ball or cocktail in his life; that he
had never been under the influence oil
liquor to the slightest degree and that
while not total abstainer, he was
very nearly one. In fifteen years. he
declared, he had consumed less than
a dozen drinks Of whisky. and then
usually under Doctors order, the
whisky being measured in a graduated
glass! He never took two drinks OF
whisky in the same day and, while al
state banquets he sometimes took .
single glass Of champagne in obedience
to custom, he never had wine on his
private table. On two occasions the
colonel had drank mint juleps ava,
from Washineton hut the counse
brought out the fact that one of thes'
occasions was in st. Louis and the
other at Little Rock.
Colonel Roosevelt's direct examina
tion lasted for nearly two hours.
Colonel 10 crossExanIned.
The crossexamlnation OF Colone
Roosevelt by Attorney Horace A. An
drews of Cleveland was disappointing
TO the audience in the courtroom. In