Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1915-04-29
According to Evidence of Let
ters introduced at Trial of
$4,000 Libel Suit of William
Barnes.
LAWYERS At OOOs
HOstilities in Court Break Out
COlOnel's Counsel Fight Ad-
mission of Newspaper Arti-
cles-ROOsevelt Seems Fa-
tigued by Inactivity.

Syracuse. y. Y. April 27.--More hith-
erto unknown chapters OF pollt'cal MS
tory were revealed in the supreme court
here to-day when confidential correspond
ence that passed between Theodore
Roosevelt on one hand and William
Barnes and former United States Senator
Thomas G. platt-"the boss on inc
other, was read to the jury. 1t was the
former presidents sixth day upon the
witness stand. He identified the letters
and answered questions about them and
some more about campaign contributions
and big business.
lie wound up the day by claiming MS
his own speeches and interviews published
in New York newspapers in which he
said some things about the men he called
"the bosses" The names Of Barnes
Murphy, Guegenheim. Cox Lorimer. Pen
rose, and others, We're scattered through
the articles.
The letters that passed between Colonel
Roosevelt and Senator Plat showed that
/ the two continued to consult on friendly
terms while the former was governor
ce-presdent and then president In 4
telegram sent to Colonel Roosevelt while
he was still governor the senator urged
the signing of a bill for exempting from
the franchise tax grade crossings ot steam
railroads and said that "our friends OF
the y. Y. Central" and Senator Depcv
| were anxious" Colonel Roosevelt re-
piled that he had received the Telegram
too late" and that any way he consid
! cred the matter was one upon which n,
should take the advice Of the tax com
mission unless it could he shown tina
| they were wrong"
"NOT AN EASY BOSS"
In another telegram when Senator
Flat insisted that Colonel Roosevelt
then governor. attended the meeting o.
n commission the colonel, after pro.
testing. agreed to do so and added
"hut YOU are not an easy boss"
/ The colonel when vice president ask
ed that his friends be taken care of
! by the senator. In other letters APP
pointments were discussed while in on,
written by the senator after Colone
Roosevelt was in the White House. tn,
cabinet to be selected by the mayor.
elect Of New York, Seth Low, was writ.
ten Of
The name of Wikam Barnes, tn,
colonel admitted. did not appear one,
, in all this correspondence.
| The letters between Nj. Barnes ant
the colonel covered a period between
1904 and 1910. Their tenor was entire
lly friendly and at times they almos
/ hordcred upon the formal. The an
! pointment of men to office, and a var
Il ety of political affairs were discussed
and the 'Dr. Jel<yll and Mr., Hyde" ele
ments Colonel Roosevelt, said Mr.
Barnes had in him were the subjec
of questions which resulted.
LAWYERS IN HOSTILITIES
Hostilities broke out between tn
opposing lawyers several times. o.
each occasion Justice william Andrews
presiding, smoothed them down. Tn
Roosevelt counsel fought against tn
admission of the newspaper articles
| Then when the colonel was asked abou
campaign contributions from men af
hliated with the American Powder com
pany. the New Haven railroad. Har
vester company, the steel corporation
pany. and whether he as President o
torney general to investigate or brin
action against the concerns the at
torneNs clashed again,
The Tennessee Coal & Iron compan
and competition by the steel corpora
ton was under discussion when job
NJ Bowers, chief counsel for Colone
| Roosevelt, eaid: Now please stop wit
that. We will be all summer tryin
this case"
I'VE may" replied William Ivin!
chief counsel for Mr.. Barnes, I'VE di
not start this game
Yes you did" declared Mr. Bowerl
heatedly.
Yes; you did" returned Mr. Wins
Colonel Roosevelt made the first pubica
ton"
Then the court intervened
| The colonel spent considerably MOI
time listening to the lawyers read letter
and newspaper articles than he did
answering questions. He seemed to
more fatigued at the end of day {
inactivity than he was on the days whe
one question after another was bein
asked him.
The belief prevailed here tonight ths
the cross examination of the form,
president would end some time to-mol
row.
Mr.. Barnes was in court again th
afternoon having returned from Alban
where he went to attend the state cor
stitutional convention