The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1915-04-19
7. RS HATS in
THELEGAL ring
Trial that Will Make History
to Open Today.
POLITICIANS INVOLVED
Many Will Be Drawn Into Maelstorm
When Roosevelt-Barnes
Trial Starts.
POLITICIANS INVOLVED

Syracuse. n. Y. April 1s.-The great
est political battle ever fought in q
court room will begin here tomorrow
when Theodore Roosevelt faces William
Barnes in $4,000 libel action brought
by the latter.
The two belligerents reached here at II
O'Clock tonight, both full OF fight. They
met face to face at the station. Barnes.
alighting from the train turned to see
the Colonel glaring at him through the
window of his compartment. He scowl-
ed and turned away.
The talk of compromise ended tonight.
Roosevelt went at once to his hotel and
mapped out a plan of battle with his
counsel. John u. Bowers and W. II.
| Van Benschoten. From there he went for
the night to the home Of his old-time
supporter Horace S. Wilkinson, one Of
Syracuse's few Progressives.
Barnes went to the same hotel with
William VI. WINS. who accompanied
him from New York.
Harness a Waiting Game.
My counsel will talk for me-" he
said.
| Barnes was confident and cheerful.
His is to be a waiting game and he has
| a ba ndoned all his old time savageness
| of attack.
The first move in the trial will be
the filing of a motion by Roosevelt's
lawyer to dismiss the complaint on the
ground that the statement in question
! is not libeous.
| 1t will be urged that no charge of
| personal corruption is made. This.
| however. is not a retraction and Will
not be construed as such by Barnes
unless the Colonells lawyers specifically
SO state. which they say tonight they
do not intend to do.
Many Politicians Involved.
After the motion is filed and passed
on the jury will be drawn.
| As the trial will involve almost
every politician who has figured in
State politics since Mr.. Roosevelt was
governor, the old guard" of both
parties will be here in force. Roose-
welt in going himself on trial for libel
will put the State organizations on
| trial on all the charges he has ever
made against them in speeches and
printed articles.
No man who has figured in State
| politics feels that he is safe from at
tack.
| The week promises some of the biggest
| political sensations ever sprung in New
York. and two masters of sensation will
| boss the springing.
| At midnight both camps were still pre-
pairing for the shock of the biggest bat
| tie outside the war zone, and both as
determined to fight and as sure of win
ming as any of the European belligerents.
Will Probe Race Laws.
August Belmont will figure conspicu-
| ously, if involuntarily. as a witness for
| the Colonel.
| Mr.. ROoSevelt's lawyers will ask Bel
| mont all about race track legislation ana
/ try TO show through him that Barnes
and the Democrats worked hand ana
glove against the Hughes bills.
Also Belmont will be asked what he
knows about a possible understanding
between Barnes and the late Anthony n.
Brady. when Brady was behind the Al
bany County Democrats and Barnes was
booking the Republicans.
| The Colonel himself will be an early
witness. Under the rules of the legal
game, he must prove, or try to prove.
all his charges before the Barnes side
| need say a word in court
Advance Guard Arrives.
The Colonel will first cheerfully ad-
nit that he made the statement quoted
by Mr.. Barnes. Then he must, out of
his own mouth and out of the mouths
of his witnesses, make good" If
he cannot do that he loses the case.
The advance guard came in squads
through the day. John D. Bowers.
Roosevelt's chief counsel, arrived in
the afternoon and held a council with
W. H. Van Benschoten, his assistant.
who had preceded him.
The jury panel of eighty, from
which will he drawn the twelve men
who are to decide the biggest present
battle ever fought out in court, are
| divided by parties as follows: Re-
publicans, Al; Democrats, IA; Pro-
gressives. II; Prohibitionists. 3. JUS
tice William S. Andrews. a Republic
can. who has been on the bench for
sixteen years, will preside.