Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-05-29
Correspondent esti-
hes He Attended
Gridiron Dinners
with Roosevelt.
SAYS OCCASIONAL SIP
WAS BEST HE COULD DO.
Locomotive Fireman Tells of
"Teetotal' Walk He Had
with the Then President Up
Lookout Mountain.


MARQUETTE, Mich, May 2s.-
Charles Willis Thompson, of New
York, for nine years a Washington
correspondent and. since 1908. a
political writer for New York
newspaper testified today at the
trial of Colonel Roosevelt's libel suit
against Editor Newett. that. once,
at banquet in -the Gridiron Club,
in New York. the colonel was too
busy talking to drink at all.
All of the witnesses called by the
plaintiff today asserted that the col
onel was only a moderate user of
intoxicants.
The substance of the testimony as
given by Philip Roosevelt, young
son of the coloneIs cousin, was that
while Colonel Roosevelt kept large
and varied supply of wines at his
home he never INDUCED In them inn
moderately.
'sHe kept regular gentlemans $
cellar Philip Reesevet said.
Colonel Re- as usual since
the begiunn.. caring. listened
with the keeneS ,st to the wit
nesses' denial that he frequently got
drunk" as charged in the editorial
published by the defendant
Mr.. Thompson's testimony was as
follows:
AS Washington correspondent.
used to go to the White House TO
see Mr.. Roosevelt. I saw hm usually
alone, some times in tne morning
and some in the afternoon, usually
In his Office, but some times when
In order to lose not a minute in his
work. he received visitors While
lying in the barber chair. | never
detected the odor of liquor on his
breath. never saw him in the slight
est degree under the influence of
liquor and never saw his manner in
any way changed from its ordinary
one
Ever go on any trips with him?"
81 was with him on his 11,000-mile
swing around the circle last year,
which lasted a month l afterward
Joined him at Mercy Hospital, Chi
cago, when he was shot; stayed there
until he went to Oyster Bay; went
there with him and stayed there until
election. Two weeks after he was
shot in Milwaukee he went to New
York on two occasions to address
large massmeetings. and / went with
him and reported them"
Saw Him at All Hours. Day and Night.
ION these trips did you see much
of him?"
II saw him constantly--all hours of
the day and night, and never saw
him take a drink or be affected by
liquor. Whenever he left the car /
followed him"
Ibid you ever see him take a
drink"
"Only at dinners of the Gridiron
pagne in front of him. He would !
occasionally take a sip from it,
Nearly all the time, though, he
was too busy talking or watching
the stunts performed by the Grid
ironers. He always made a speech
on these occasions, and they were
among the best he ever made. He
always left the dinners when they
were about half over to go back to
the White House to his work.
Asked whether there had beenaany
discussion in Washington of his
drinking habits, the witness replied /
Il never heard it discussed during
the seven years that he was there. 4
If it was discussed it must have been
outside of Washington, and it was
my business to know every rumor
that was floating around in that city. 4
II was what ! was there for"
Gould he have got drunk on the
train without your knowing of it?"
Couldn't Have Concealed Inebriation.
HE could not even have been
slightly affected by liquor without
my knowing it. either on the trip or
at Oyster Bay"
The witness testified that on the
trip to San Francisco the railroad
company by order of the coloners
representatives, did not put the usual
stock OF liquors aboard the private
ear.
The newspaper man testified that
during interviews with the then Pres
ident they would sit side by side or
Il standing the President would put
a hand on his shoulder
Mr. Pound asked him If Colonel
Roosevelt ever used profanity.
Never
Did he ever use obscene Ian
guage?"
mo one would dare to utter an
obscene word in his presence"
On cross s-examination Attorney Bel
den developed the fact that on the
campaign trips the newspaper men
usually occupied the seat just ahead |
of the plaintiff.
This was adduced in connection with |
Mr. Thompson's statement that he
had never seen the plaintiff drink.
As to Private stock of Liquor.
"Do you know If the plaintiff keeps
a stock of liquor at his homer
IA stock of liquor is always kept |
at the White House by every
Il mean at his own home" inter-
rupted the lawyer,
.sAs to that / do not know
Andrew w. Abele. of Ironton. o., a
former coal miner and later q loco
motive fireman. described trip he
made with Colonel Roosevelt up
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