Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1868-04-29
Butler CrOss-EXamIneS Cen
eraI Thomas.

Conceive the dumpy, Iingainly figure
of the Manager, balancing on the back
of a chair, with one hand, and with the
other constantly lowering over his bald
crown as if to rub up ideas by friction.
His pugnacious face was held up at an
angle OF about forty-iVe degrees, that
the half shut eyes might get the range,
now Of the squirming witness, more
often of the amused Senators or the
tittering galleries; and the effect was
to thrust the chin toward the witness,
and give an air of the finest insolence
and most perfect swagger to the whole
figure. Now and then he walked out
into the area in front of the secretary's
desk; more often with scowling face
and threatening gesture, he gloWered
upon the witness from the neighbor-
hood of the managers table. Against
him stood up, at the end further from
him of the Secretary's desk, the hap
less witness, now, as his illluck would
have it, passing from the exhilaration
to the stupefaction of the extra drinks
he had taken. Adjutant-General
Thomas is an old man, slender in figure,
but erect and soldierly, with thin gray
hair, and q rubicund face, wrinkled
with the footprints OF over sixty years.
The features are thin and nervous-the
long hook nose and the high forehead
being the most prominent; and the
general air of the man IS such as might
very well warrant Mr.. Stanton's effort
to get him placed on the retired list.
If we add to this that his intellectual
force was great, that his social standing
has been good, and that his habits have
been conYivial, it may be the more
readily understood that, with an ex-
terror polish of good manners aad ready
phrases, the man is at the bottom, half
an imbecile.
There is no need to tell over the
story of his discontinue. Probably
there is not a better lawyer in the
country to break down a witness than
Mr.. Butler. He set out to break down
General Thomas, and he succeeded
entangled him in contradictions, con-
fused him as to places and dates, made
him swear to one statement one minute
and another the next. He did not get
him to this pass without considerable
previous expenditure of the most
offensive hectoring and bullying, an
exhibition from which any gentleman
might have shrunk in that presence,
but in which Butler seemed to take
delight. He sneered at Gen. Thomas,
sneered at the President, sneered at
the counsel, accused Mr.. EVarts, in the
most insulting tone, of caves dropping.
Yet after all, two things are to be
said of the performances of General
Butler. Il was a wonderful exhibition
of smsrtness and skill. And it carried |
his point. General Thomas left the |
stand a thoroughly demoralized and |
witness. Butler had fair
ly extorted from him the admission |
that he construed the Presidents order !
as waTranting him to use force in gain |
ing possession of the War Department.; |
had driyen him to admit that he swore |
to incorrect statements, in a previous |
examination before a Committee of |
the House; had hopelessly compressed |
him in contradictions, which left no
ioubt on the minds Of the Court as to |
MS desire to tell the truth, and very |
great doubt as to his capacity to do it. |
: Cincinnati Eg-crfe