Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1913-05-31
Viewer In His Life Had a Cock
tail or HighbaIL
DOESN'T SMOKE OR DRINK BEER
Colonel Testifying In His Libel Suit
Admits Using White Wines and DC
easionaIly Champagne and Sherry.

appeared In what Is probably a novel
occasion in history. when he. a former
president Of the United States. de
Tended himself under oath against an
allegation OF drunkenness. Ills direct
testimony and cross-cxamination lasted
an hour and forty minutes.
He appeared as a witness in his $40.
600 suit for libel against George \.
Newett, a newspaper publisher, OF lsh.
peming. who in an editorial charged
him with drunkenness.
During direct examination by his
counsel, Mr.. Pound. Colonel Roosevelt
related briefly the history OF his lie
and then N detail related his daily
mode OF living and habits for many
years past
He declared that he Is not an intern.
perate user OF intoxicating liquors.
that he does not like the taste of most
liquors and abstained almost entirely
from their use He emphatically stated
that not since he had become OF age
had he ever been in the slightest de.
gree under the influence OF intoXicants.
Severe cross-examination Of an hour
failed TO shake his direct statement as
10 the extent OF his drinking
The leading points in his testimony
were:
IL have never drank cocktail or p
highball in my life. With exception.
noted | never drank whisky or brandy
except under the advice OF n physi.
clan. don't care for the taste OF
either.
II don't smoke and don't drink
beer. because ! dislike smoking and
dislike the taste Of beer. never have
drunk whisky or brandy except when
the doctor prescribed IL. or possibly on
some occasion after great exposure
when was chilled through But II ha
been certainly fifteen or twenty years
since have drunk 1t because OF lie
ing chilled.
Il have never drunk beer nor do
drink red wine The only wines tina /
have drunk have been either whit
wines. Madeira. champagne or very o.
casionally a glass OF sherry.
"At home often. at dinner. vii
drink a wine glass or two of Madeira
In summer. instead OF the Madeira. !
will often drink tall glass OF white
wine and appollinaris water
AT public dinners sometimes drink
a glass OF champagne. or perhaps two
] think that on the average this means
that will drink champagne about
once a month.
Mint juleps | very rarely drink. IN
the White House we had a mint bed
and should think that on the ayerag,
may have drunk half a dozen min.
juleps a year
Since left the White House foul
years ago. TO the best of my memory
! have drunk mint juleps twice. one
occasion al the country club at $,
Louis. where drank part of a glass
mint julep. and on another occasion AZ
big lunch given me at Little Rock
Ark, where they passed around III
table a loving cup with the mint julei
In Il, and drank when the cup wa
passed 10 me.
THE only other casions on which
! have drunk whisky have been when
II has been prescribed by the doc;o.
During the last fourteen years q
not believe | have drunk whisky
straight. or with water. more than hall
dozen times"
The colonel az another stage Of his
testimony said that he preferred tea 70
brandy and milk and doughnuts t
champagne.
Jacob Riis. social worker. was also
a witness. The statement that Colo
mel Roosevelt was a drinking man is a
mons,rous lie" he said with emphasis,
in answer TO the question Does he
drink any whisky or brandy?"
DIR. Alexander Lambert was the next
witness. He said that had the colonel
been an excessive user of alcoholic
liquor he never would have survived
the shock when he was shot at Nil
waukee last year Or. Lambert has
been on numerous hunting trips with
Roosevelt In North Dakota, Colorado
Louisiana and Wyoming and has
known him personally since 1891. The
witness said he was an expert on al
coholic cases and had treated 40 900 OF
them.
From your personal experience with
Mr.. Roosevelt on trips and in ohicia
life at Washington. would you say he
was a man who drank TO excess OF
not?' DIR. Lambert was asked.
The witness replied with emphasis
that the ex-president was extremely
temperate.
Or. Lambert said that the first time
he was called upon TO give his profes
sional services 10 Colonel Roosevelt
was when the latter was al the Mercy
hospital in Chicago suffering from the
wound he received from the bullet al
Milwaukee. Dr. Lambert was asked
his opinion as to Colonel Roosevelts
chances OF recovery had he been
constant user OF alcoholic liquor
"He would not have recovered" was
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