The Oklahoma City times. [volume] (Oklahoma City, Okla.) 1908-1984, 1915-05-22
ROOSEV ELT TOLD
TRUTH; No LIBEL

I'd to It's receipt The objection was
overrulpd the jury was thanked by
Justice Andrews for Its services aud 1t
then flied out into the jury room.
! Colonel Roosevelt hurried to the jury
room, thanked the jury shook hands
with each member aud said
"In my whole life ! shall work In
/ the interest ~ the public and none Of
YOU gentlemen shall ever have the
chance to say that have done other.
wise.
The colonel then was photographed
with the jury
After the picture had been taken the
colonel turned to the jury and con
| tinued
! II am more moved by this verdict
than II /, possible for me to express,
None Of you. | assure you, ever will
have cause to regret your action | am
especially gruLified that such verdict
came from q jury composed Of men OF
every political faith"
The foreman said forty ballots In all
were taken before the verdict was
agreed ou The ballot taken more
than 10 hours before the jury came In
today wa, s. to 3 In favor Of the de-
fendaut II remained at that figure
for about five hours
Before leaving the crowd which ac-
companied him from the building, the
colonel said to the jurors who had not
yet left
"Gentlrmeu this Ii certainly II tyu.
cal American verdict l want to thank
YOU again
Juror Hurus was cheered as he left
the building
ROOse,elts Statement
| Colonel Roosevelt later said his at
torney, john VI Bowers, had prepared
II Statement hr had approved 1t fol
| lows:
The victory that Mr Roosevelt has
won ls q victory ror good government
The Issue put TO the jury was wheth-
er machine government or government
10y the people should prevail The lat.
ter has urvuIrd The article In the
suit wHs nrIi boy the court 10 be libel
GUS In several aspects
'BecHusr ll charged corrupt ALI.
Hnces between william Barnes, Re
publican leader Of the state and
Chnrles Murphy the Democratic leader
of the state, In relation to the state
government lhis the Judge held was
the meaning and purpOrt Of the article
taken as n whole
Second because the article CHARGED
that the plaintiff had worked through
II corrupt alliance between crooked
business and crooked politics The Iu.
rors were further instructed that they
must render verdict In favor OF the
plaintiff unless they found that the
defendant established 70 their salts
faction by fair preponderance Of
evidence that both charges were true
This burden was borne successfully by
Theodore Roosevelt.
1T IL impossible 10 determine nj
this time the reaching extent uf
this verdict for good government Il
certainly assures US that the Anglo
Saxon system Of determining questions
between ltigans Is lodged rightly In
she hantS Of n Jury OF twelve men
Moreover. II determines that ju
rors holding political views opposed
To those held by party will not be
swnycd thereby In determining the
questions submitted 10 them
The foreman ~ the jury in a state
mrn' -nld.
After the first ballot we stood If
lo ! iu favor Of the defendant. Those
Figures never were changed. Mr.. Burns
refusing TO change his vote untl this
morning"
Except for Mr. Burns the Jurors
who voted for the plaintiff on the
flrt ballot did 50. they said, because
they nd not want II TO appear that
they gave insufficient consideration 10
the great mass of evidence that was
rrc-euied during those five long
weeks We are all very tired, as
sure YOU"