Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1913-05-28
DEFENDS TITLE OF SOBRIETY,
But Is NOT A TOTAL
ABSTAlNER.
TOLD REMARKABLE STORY
PROBABLY AVERAGES As MUCH
AS ONE GLASS or CHAM
pAGNE A MONTH.
one swallow or BEER
Detc'ts Whislkey, Beer and Tobacco,
But Occasionally Takes Glass OF
Light Wine With HIS Meals.

MARQUETTE. Mich, May 97,--
Theodore Roosevelt, picture of
Rudy vigor and perfect health.
turned square jaw in the direction
of twelve farmers, teamsters, miners
and woodsmen in court today and
gave his character for sobrlety as mot
a total abstainer," but never intoxi-
Gated IN his life. His testimony and
that Of others corroborated such
description Of abstemiousness. If the
sturdy looking man who spent seven
years in performing the duties Of
president Of the United States saw
anything curious in his position of ex-
planning to the twelve toilers that he
was not really drunkard, as charg-
ed in an allegedly llbelous item by
the defendant, Geo. A. Newell his
ccuntenance, did not betray It, nor
did his manner.
When Mr.. Pound, his counsel. after
q brief outline of the plaintiffs case
to the jury, called Colonel Roosevelt
TO the stand. the latter, who had been
inconspicuous among a number OF
prospective witnesses and visitors,
stepped brislily forward.
"Now tell the jury" instructed the
lawyer, and the client proceeded to
tell them as directed.
"At public dinners sometimes
drank a glass of champagne, perhaps
two; on On average, | may say, one
glass OF champagne a month"
The witness snapped his words out
in his peculiar distinct, choppy
enunciation and added after NOM
entary pause, with emphasis, "and |
do that in public At this. Judge
Richard c. Flanagan, presiding over
the court, rebuked an bathurst of
laughter.
Fine Bed of Mint.
There was a fine bed of mint at
the White House." contued the wit
ness who was left pretty much to tell
his own story. Then his eyes spark
led and he said;
Il may have drunk half dozen
mint juleps In a year" light sup
ply of wine and liquor was taken on
the African expedition and Of this a
bottle of brandy was taken along for
Colonel Roosevelt. The physician of
A.. the outfit measured it out to him from
time to time for chills or other reas-
ons.
II touched nothing else In the
eleven months" continued the witness
"and the doctor apparently out Of
whim. mt the end Of the trip, measur-
ed what was left and found that 7
hnI 1al it,a
Attorney Horace Andrews. of the
defense. devoted little time to cross
examination and made no great ef
fort to change the testimony. He in
terposed several objections of a minor
nature. but the witness, deeply in
terested and stirred as he seemed to
be at refluting what his suit alleges
was libel, always stopped short and
waited for the ruling of the court.
Dislikes Whiskey and Beer.
The witness expressed detestation
for whiskey and beer. OF the latter
he could remember having taken one
mouthful in his llfe. That was at
the Deutscher club in Milwaukee,
where he was urged to pay the tribute
OF q swallow of the amber brew. As
for whiskey. he got 1t mostly under
protest upon insistence OF his doctors
who put teaspoonful Of It in mix
which they sometimes pressed upon
him on occasion of extreme fatigue.
In epitome, the former presidents
testimony showed that he drank liqu-
or or wine when compelled 10 for IN
disposition, or when the convention
alities of public occasions required,
except that he takes glass of light
wine, rarely two glasses, with his
meals.
Much of the succeeding testimony
vas introduced to indicate that the
plaintiffs physical vigor, his function
al perfection, his violence of exercises
ard capacity for work could not ex-
LIST in the person OF one who got
drunk, and that not infrequently. as
the alleged libelous editorial In the |
Iron ore charged.
Important witnesses on this phase |
of the examination were DR.. Alexand- |
or Lambert. Colonel Roosevelt's fam |
liz physician and intimate friends Of
thirty years, and Dir. r. N. Rixey. !
surgeon general Y. s. y. retired. |
whose official duties during the Nc |
Kinley and Roosevelt terms Of office |
included little else than TO guard the |
presidential physical wellbeing. Other !
witnesses were Jacob Riis and Glib
son Gardner, the former, a sociologist |
and writer. and the latter a newspaper |
man whose duty for many years CON-
PEELED him to take close note Of ev-
erything pertaining to Colonel Roosc-