Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-05-31


four-days of court proceedings in the
libel suit of Theodore Roosevelt
against George A. Newett, an Ishpem
ing editor, who charged the plaintiff
with drunkenness, it was indicated,
tonight, that another week would be
consumed in completing the case.
tomorrow, being Memorial day. the
balliff at the conclusion of today's pro-
ceedings announced that court stood
ADJOURNED, until o'clock Saturday
morning. The announcements fell
gratefully on the ears of LAWYERS.
hailiffs, witnesses and others who have
been under considerable strain. Also
there will be no session of court. Sat
urday afternoon.
Colonel Roosevelt said he had no
plans for tomorrow, except that he
would seclude himself from partici
pating in public functions. He ex
pressed regret that he could not ad
dress the veterans. but took the posi-
ton that as a party to a suit pending
he ought not to take any action which
Nigh be construed as unethieal.
Attorneys Pound and Van Benscho-
ten, for the plaintiff. and Belden and,
Andrews for the defendant, today fol-
lowed the Colonel's trail through near
" every state in the Union, across the
Atlantic through the Mediterranean
sea, the SueZ canal to Africa through
the wilds of that continent back TO
Khartoum, through some of the capt.
tails of Europe and back to Oyster
Bay, figuratively smelling his breath
for traces of liquor.
Substantially the testimony was a
repetition of that recorded at previous
session: The Colonel does touch liquor.
but so rarely, and so lightly that he
is. in the eyes of today's witnesses,
virtually a tetotaller.
Those who testified, today, were An
drew w. Abel, former railroad fire.
man. of Ohio; Former Judge A. Y.
Blair, who disfranchised hundreds of
Ohio voters for selling votes, when he
was on the bench; Charles Willis
Thompson, a New York newspaper
man: James r. Garfield, Clifford Pin
ehot; Lawrence Abbott, owner of the
magazine. of which the plaintiff is one
of the editors: Edward Heller, natur-
alist of the African hunting expedition:
Q. X. Davis, secretary of the National
committee of the Progressive party.
Phillip Roosevelt. whose father is a
first cousin to the former President;
Edwin Emerson. newspaper man.
who was field clerk to. the colonel of
the Rough Riders Regiment. Includ-
| ing witnesses already heard and depo-
stions and witnesses to come the
plaintiffs testimony as to his sobri-
ETY. will cover his life from young
manhood to the present time The rec
ord cf the case will include his con-
duct in public offices all the way up to
The White House, his appearance on
public occasions and on travels aggre-
eating many thousands of miles, and
the seciusion of his private life. scarce
~ without a break.
Cross examination, today, was alert
as to testimony of the memory of wit
nesses and especially to make them
show that there We're real grounds for
their declarations of the colonefs So
briefly. The newspaper men were
searched to show how intimate they
| had been with the plaintiffs the Rough
Rider and the naturalist We're asked
| low close their sleeping tents were to
| that of their chief, the lawyers trying
| to discover if there had not been peri
DDS when witnesses could not have
known whether the plaintiff was drink
| ing.
An instance was the cross-examlnation
of Heller, who had never seen the colonel
take drink or show signs OF having
| taken any intoxicant. Attorney Andrews
brought out that Heller had been i'll in
Africa that the colonel had gone on side
trips after game or otherwise when Wit
ness was not along and that the witness
was very busy taking care of the skins
Of animals. 1t was. brought out that tpes
expedition took several hundred spect7S
mems of big game, and two or three fnHess
| that number of birds and smallers ami
mails, to care for which Heller had TO
have assistance.
Pnehot. former chief forester, Car
field former cabinet member and young
Philip Roosevelt familiar with the DO
mestic habits of the plaintiff were the
witnesses of greatest interest. today.
Philip Roosevelt was asked how old he
was and replied ''Twenty-one."
"What business are you imp inquired
Attorney Pound. I'm newspaper man.
answered the witness.
"Since when?' "Since last March,
He testified also that he took the four
years course at Harvard in three years.
Asked how long he had known Col.
Roosevelt, he replied: well, he's known
me all his life.'' In the midst of the tit
ter which went around the room, he cor
rected his answer and said he had
known the colonel ever since he could
remember.
On cross-examination, Attorney An
drews inquired as to the stock of liquors
and wines Kept in the Roosevelt home.
"Champagne?" insinuated the lawyer.
| III don't know, but l suppose So
Brandy" II don't know; / suppose
so.''
"Red wine?" 81 suppose so.'
|. Andrews to name over various kinds of
wines and liquors to which Roosevelt
returned the same answer. concluding
with Eyes, Rhine wine: everything you
would find in gentlemans cellar"
Pinchot was anxious to explain Just
why he considered himself an authority
on the colonel's habits and Attorney
Pound accordingly framed the proper
question. The former chief forester then