Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1913-05-29
Attorney for Editor in the
Roosevelt Libel Suit tBares
Plea on Which He Hopes
to Win,
DRUNK CHARGE WAS
NEVER CONTRADICTED
Claim is Made That Colonel
Has Never Corr &c tie d
Articles Which Were
Basis of Editorial.

Marquette, Mich, May 2S.-lntro'
duction of further testimony to SHOW
the abstemious habits Of the plaintlfr
were resumed today in the libel suit
OF Theodore Roosevelt against George
A. Newett, publisher of the Iron ore,
OF Ishpeming, Mich, who charged MIN
with drunkenness.
John Callan O'Laughlin Wishing
ton CORRESPONDENT, was the first wit
ness.
The tension and nervousness wnlcn
= ,rvaded the atmosphere OF Juoge
} rlannigans court the first two days
seems to have subsided.
Lawyers, witnesses and principals
engaged in the suit confessed to pro-
found slumber last night and raven
GUS performance at the breakfast
table. smilingly took up the thread OF
the case where it left of yesterday.
Col. Roosevelt entered with George
Shiras. his hest here and took his
accustomed inconspicuous scat with a
row Of spectators inside the railing,
His gaze turned on the Jury and tnen
upon O'Laughlin as the latter was
sworn to tell the truth, the Wnoie
truth and nothing but the truth.
Col. RQoseYelt sits quietly earesslnS sse y &
Ms heavy watch chain which stretcnes
like cable across his vest. He does does
It slowly and refectiyely, rather tnan
nervously He resumed this motion
o. he listened to the testimony TO-DAY.
Mr.. Newett. the defendant, came into
court with his counsel He Is a very
sick man, but his ruddy countenance
hid this from all but those who knew
him well. He sat looking straight in
front of him and not at any one in
particular, utterly motionless as he has
sat thus far in the proceedings. He
was an exception to those whose ap-
petites are rejecting the keen clear
atmosphere Of this region, for his food
Is regulated by the orders OF his phy'
eiclan .2g
Never lmmoderate.
Although Col. Roosevelt, on return
ing to Europe from his African hunt
was obliged to attend banquets and
receI tions rendered him by monarchs,
he never INDUCED in champagne to an
lmmoderate degree, was the testimony
OF O'Laughlin who said he had been
associated with Col. Roosevelt for
twenty years. The witness said he
met the former president on the Nile
after the African hunt and &C.
companied him as far as Paris, acting
rs secretary to Col. Roosevelt
OIaughlin accompanied the colonel
on various campaign trips throughout
this country. Nf% s..
"During your twenty years expert.
ence with Col. Roosevelt have you
ever seen him in the slightest degree
under the influence of liauor?"
IT not only never saw him under
the influence of liquor but it seems
absolutely silly to me to have any one
suggest the fact that he ever was," re-
piled O'Laughlin emphatically.
Lawyers "Embarrassed."
'T will ask you If in 1912 and for
some time prior there was not gen.
eral report among newspapermen that
Col. Roosevelt drank to excess?" asked
Attorney Belden.
OLaughlin shaking his finger at the
lawyer, replied:
"There was not reputable cores.
pondent in Washington but who
thought the report was silly, too alb.
surd to be regarded or repeated
In an instant both sides were on
their feet in regard to this reply and
the jury was excluded.
Attorney Pound said he found the
auswer embarrassing" and Belden
explained that he proposed to show
what other newspapers had to say on
the subject. -
The answer was stricken out by or.
der of the court. The lawyers then
suggested in the absence of the jury,
that the legal question of the admis.
sibility of testimony touching on "gen.
eral" reports, that Col. Roosevelt used
lcuor to excess, be settled.
Defense Shows Hand.
Attorney Belden stated it was the
intention of the defense to question
future witnesses in an attempt to show
the position the defense that there
was in existence general report
amounting to general reputation, that
Col, Roosevelt does use liquors and
some times to excess; that these re-.
ports were published in newspapers
and that Col. Roosevelt read these re-
ports and this charge had never been
contradicted by him; the defendant
published the report Of the former
Continued on Page 81