Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-05-04
Ed. ROOSEVELT 10 AID
IN PROVING EXISTENCE
OF BIPARTTSANPA PACT
Assistant Secretary of the
Navy Expected to Tes-
tify on Alleged Senate
Combination Which De-
feated Sheehan.

feated Sheehan.
SYRACUSE, N. y, May L-waning in
terest in the william Barnes-Theodort
Roosevelt $4,000 libel suit was revived
and redoubled today by the expectation
that both principals would be on the
stand In addition to Franklin D. Roose.
welt. Assistant Secretary Of the Navy
and nephew OF the former President
The crowd that struggled for admission
to the courtroom equaled that Of the first
week of the action, when the Colonel
held the boards
Mr.. Roosevelt was expected to correct
his testimony" to the extent of revealing
his state of mind at the time he caused
to be published his alleged libel OF Barnes
who. he charged was in combination with
G. Francis Murphy of Tammany Hall.
EXPECT PACT TESTIMONY.
When court opened this morning
Colonel Roosevelt appeared. accompanied
by his nephew, who was a candidate for
United States Senator I'm the deadlock
when James OGorman was elected to
succeed Chauncey NJ. Depew. Roosevelt
was credited with being the choice of
President Wilson.
The appearance of the Assistant Secre-
tary OF the Navy was n surprise. II was
believed he would testify to the alleged
Barnes Murphy Senate combination that
resulted in the overthrow Of William r.
6heehan.
The summoning Of Franklin y. Roose-
Welt was the result of Justice Andrews
change of ruling yesterday when he an
nounced that Colonel Roosevelt could
ofer additional evidence to show he acted
without personal malice toward Barnes
when he made his political statements
last fall.
PRINTING CONTRACTS AIRED.
The first evidence of the day was docu-
mentary. Stewart Hancock, OF counsel
for Roosevelt read into the records bids
made for departmental printing in AL
bany from 1899 to 1913. He also read ex-
cerpts from the stipulation entered into
when the State of New York sued William
Barnes Albany Journal Company for al
legged over-charge for printing. The suit
was won by the State, reversed by the
Appellate Division and affirmed by the
Court OF Appeals
Roosevelt busted himself reading a large |
batch of mail while Barnes drummed
upon the table with his fingers. appar- |
emily the least interested man in the room. |
William Lyon of the j. b. Lyon Print |
ing Company, of Albany was the first wit |
ness. He identified his cUmpanys check |
book and explained various stubs cover |
ing the period of 1so9-O1.
Charles NJ. Winchester, of the Lyon |
Company, was recalled to tell more about |
State printing contracts A desired book. |
he said. was at his hotel and he was ex-
cused to go after it,
Fred G. Foster, chief clerk of the State
Printing Board. then was recalled to pre-
sent the printing ring evidence he began
yesterday
MORE PLATT LETTERS.
Musty letter files of former Senator
Platt produced new thrill in the trial.
Five letters exchanged two decades ago
between Barnes and Platt, amber with
age, We're produced to show Barnes per-
sonal interest in securing State printing
contracts. tF
For six years men favorable to you
have prevented me from securing any
thing In the printing line" Barnes wrote
to the boss" i'm 1899.
What / don't want to see is another
printing plant in Albany" was another
excerpt from "A letter of Barnes.
That Republican leader "deprives me
of a legitimate piece of patronage" was
another complaint of Barnes to the chief
tain. asking that his newspaper be given
the State Assembly clerks contract TO
fudnish stationery and "other appet-
tances"
EdWard Platt, son OF the former "boss"
produced the new Barnes-Platt letters
under subpoena by the defense
One told of a quarrel between Barnes
and Lemuel II. Quigg because Barnes
could not get printing contracts. OF 1874
letters exchanged between Barnes and
Platt the five referring to Barnes mpor-
tunities for State printing business were
the only ones which Justice Andrews
would receive.
The entire testimony today was de-
signed to prove Barnes alleged personal
Interest In printing contracts. Prospective
appearance of Barnes as a formal witnesD
for Roosevelt to Identify his newspaper
books and OF Roosevelt to give further
iirect testimony was postponed. ,
How Albany printing companies Jug !
sled contracts and how tine State has
spent S7,s32.OOO for printing since 1889 were 1
'ther disclosures I