Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1913-05-29
ROOSEVELT TELLS JURY HE
is NOT A TOTAL ABSTAINER
Never Intoxicated in His Lfe-Testmonv Cor
roborated by Physicians and Intmates-
Drinks Light Wine with His Meals.

chair. Asked IL the former president haN
ever been under the influence of liacof
in his presence. the socioiosist replied
with gusto. 'Oh, Lord, mol"
Asked II Mr.. Roosevelt used coarse or
profane language. the witness, a close
friend OF the former president, replied
sharply: INT. Roosevelt is gentleman"
There was some discussion as to wheth-
or it was necessary to prove the gentility
Of the former president, but in the end
the court ruled that It might DO taken for
granted.
Robert Bacon, James r. Garfield and
Clifford Pinchot probably will testify to-
morrow, among others.
NEVER DRANK A COCKTAIL
Colonel Roosevelts testimony, in sub
stance. as elected by his attorneys, was
as follows:
II have never drunk n cocktail or a
highball in my life. With the exceptions
hereafter noted, I never drank whiskey
or brandy except under the advice of q
physician. ] don't care for the taste OF
either.
Il don't smoke, and 1 don't drink beer.
because I dislike smoking and dislike the
taste of beer
Il never have drunk whiskey or brandy
except when the doctor prescribed It, or
possibly on some occasion after great
exposure when l was chilled through.
But It has been certainly IS or 20 years
/ since l have drunk 1t because of being
chilled through. never have drunk
| beer, nor do l drink red wine. The only
wines that I have drunk have been white
wines, madeira, champagne or very &C.
casionally, a glass of sherry.
AT home 1 often at dinner drink a
wineglass or two wineglasses of madeira
In summer. instead of the madeira l will
often drink a tall glass of white wine
and Poland water, or Poly water At
! public dinners l sometimes drink a glass
of champagne or perhaps two. l think
that on the average this means that |
will drink champagne about once a
| month.
RARELY TOUCHES WHISKEY.
The only exceptions to what l have
stated about drinking whiskey and brandy
are as follows:
Mint juleps l very rarely drink.
AT the White House we had mint
bed, and l should think that on the
average l may have drunk half a
dozen mint juleps a year. Since l left
the White House four years ago. to
the best of my memory, l have drunk
mint Juleps twice; on one occasion at
! the Country club at st. Louis, where
! drank part of a glass of mint julep.
and on another occasion at big
1 luncheon given me at Little Rock,
Ark" where they passed round the
table loving cup with the mint ju-
| lep In 1t and l drank when the cup
was passed to me. The only other
occasions on which have drunk whis-
key have been when 1t has been pre-
scribed by the doctor.
On campaign trips j drink nothin z
until. as said above. l go to bed. when
| take a goblet. or perhaps two COB
let's. of milk. with a teaspoonful OF
brandy to the goblet, finding 1t rests
! my throat and makes me sleep well.
On almost every campaign trip there
will be some occasion on which I stop
at friends house. when l will drink
a glass of wine; or there will be some
public dinner when l will drink either
a glass of white wine or glass of
champagne.
| while at the White House ! never
| touched brandy or whiskey excepting
the mint juleps above mentioned, and
| possibly on two or three occasions
when DIR. Rixey prescribed a drink of
whiskey, once, If l remember Alright,
for an acute attack of indigestion and
| once when he and I had made a 100
| mile ride together and came in
through snowstorm, and he gave me
some whiskey. ana l disliked it so
that after taking a sip, l would not
take any more and got a cup of tea
| instead.
| CROSS-EXAM 20 Minutes