Evening Republican, Volume 19, Number 93, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 20 April 1915 — STAGE SET FOR SUIT AGAINST ROOSEVELT [ARTICLE]

STAGE SET FOR SUIT AGAINST ROOSEVELT

WiHiam Barnes, New York Republican Leader, Plaintiff in Damage Action at Syracuse. The stage is set for the damage suit of William Barnes against Theodore Roosevelt. It will be tried at Syracuse, N. Y., where it was sent from Albany, the change of venue having been granted at request of the defendant. During the campaign last fall Roosevelt branded Barnes an undesirable boss and said many other things that had the effect of damaging Barnes in New York and all over the country. Barnes brought suit for $50,000 and the case will be hotly contested. The jury was procured Monday and consists of seven republicans, two democrats and three progressives. Roosevelt has employed a number of attorneys. One of them moved to dismiss the suit, saying that Roosevelt had no malice toward Barnes and used his name simply because of the position Barnes held and that if it had been any other person instead of Barnes then the name of the other would have been used. The attorney said that if Roosevelt had simply attacked the republican and democratic parties without reference to individuals it would not have had the effect desired. The names used fitted the purpose, said his counsel. Some of the charges made were based upon information Roosevelt had secured when governor of New York, and he believed that there was an invisible government and that Barnes and others were responsible. He said that Mr. Roosevelt had stated that the government was rotten and that Barnes and Murphy and others influenced it but he did not say they were rotten-or dishonest themselves. The statement was not very strong and not calculated to assist the Roosevelt case materially. Justice Andrews, who is hearing the case, denied the dismissal.