The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1915-04-20
FIND NO DIFFICULTY
IN SECURING A JURY
Libel SuA Against Former President
Roosevelt Occupying Stage Center
In New York.
MAKES MOTION TO DISMISS
ON GROUND OF NO LIBEL PER Sc
Court, However. Promptly Overrules
Roosevelt's Attorney-Many Po-
Iitical Skeletons to Be Resur-
rccted.

Syracuse, ". Y. April 19.-Sever
Republicans, three Progressives and
two Democrats constituted the jury
against Colonel Theodore Roosevelt
They will determine II Colonel Roose-
welt, in a published statement last
July. to the effect that Mr.. Barnes
and Mr. Murphy were the invisible
government that made for an alliance
between crooked business and crook
ed politics, meant to say that Mr.
Barnes was personally corrupt, or was
merely whacking at bad government
These are the issues OF the case as
simply as they can I'd put. william
NJ Twins. senior counsel for Mr.
Barnes, will contend in his opening
address tomorrow morning that
Colonel Roosevelt's statement was
maIiciousiy personal. and that he mu--
be made to pay In hard cash. John
NJ. Bowers. renior council for the ex-
president, barred the Roosevelt defense
this evening, when in a motion - dis
miss the case. he argued that Colone!
Mr.. Barnes or Mr.. Murphy obtained
personal gam from their control OF
tho invisible government" and that
Colonel Roc sevelt's LANGUAGE dill not
necessar ily import personal rorrup-
ton.
Roosevelt Motion Denied.
Mr. Bowers motion to dismiss, on
the ground that@ the statement was
not libel per Sc. and that, even If II
was libel per Sc, Ii was subject TO an
innocent construction. was offered 70
supreme court Justice william S
Andrews at r. M. after the jury
box had been filed and the Jurors dis
missed until tomorrow morning. Jus
tice Andrews. who had given careful
study to Mr. WINS and Mr.. Bowers
briefs for many daya. promptly denied
the motion. and cleared the ground for
the real opening OF the case.
There were little rnurmurs or sur
prise when Mr. Bowers explained that
Colonel Roosevelt had never meant TO
charge that Mr.. Barnes was a boss
for profit only. or that he made in
yfs.hIe government" pay rich dividends,
Some persons jumped to the conclu-
sfon that the colonel was backing
water and that the request 20 dismiss
was an indication that he WAS not
nearly so full of fight as he looked.
1t can be said straight out however,
that this view of the preiiminaries Ia
far from the truth. The rough rider
and big game hunter has come to syria
cuSe full OF light. and II Justice An
drews permits. intends TO open lot
of secret doors and rattle many old
skeletons In Republican politics. Mr..
Bowers motion was simply for the
purpose of knitting together the law
points OF his case. and to pave the way
for his array OF evidence.
The ease and speed with which the
jury was selected amazed the New
York lawyers, who had scarcely ex-
pected TO ind twelve good men and
true In less than two days. possibly
three. Even Justice Andrews rather
figured on two days examining tales
men. As a matter OF fact ii required
just four hours and fifty minutes OF
work to qualify three farmers. two
manufacturers. a woodworker. a con-
tracing painter. carpenter, a gro
Ger, a motorman. a coal dealer and a
clerk for the business of determining
whether or not Colonel Roosevelt
meant to be personal when he talked
about bad bosses and rotten govern
ment. Several reasons accounted for
the celebrity IN the jury building.
Eager to Serve On Jury.
First of all. IL appeared at the out
set that every man summoned from
farm, or Office or factory. was a little
more than eager to be accepted as a
Juror.