The New York herald., 1873-12-07
lnE WHSTCNESTEE LIBEL SUIT.
Sudden Termination of the Case by nnlaal
Conant Of the Litisanfs.
Closing Scenes Of the Trial-Mrs Eacmahon on
the Witness Stand-The Terms OF Settle-
ment-The Plaintiffs Letters Com
mitted to the Flames.

me al absorbing interest manifested in the Mac
Mahon libel suit which during the last three days
las occupied the attention OF the Circuit Court at
White Plains, Westchester county, eliminated
Yesterday forenoon, when a settlement was
erected by the virtual abandonment OF the case by
the prosecution This eminently ludicious conclu-
sion on the part OF the plaintiff and her husband
caused visible disappointment among the large
auditory, which had filed the court room long be-
lore the proceedings commenced.
During the preceding evening session Mrs. Mac
Mahon was called to the stand, and among other
matters testified substantially that 1t was Eldridge
who sought and induced the correspondence
which had cIetly passed between them that the
style OF the contents of her letters 20 him
was demanded by the latter In his epistles TO her,
snder threats that he would open up the divorce
case and have that decree set aside on account of
fraud by which action sne would be made mis-
trcss and her children he pronounced ilegitmate; !;
also tnat many letters were written 20 her by the
defendant before she would consent TO answer
them.
On being ross-eSamined the witness admitted
The interview sne had planned with Eldrdge, and
that he had not asked her TO disclose matters re-
lating TO
CoNJUGAL AFFAIRS,
the extent OF her wardrobe and all the other
read TO the Court ana jury. In short. her direct
testimony was completely riddled by the dexterous
manner in which the cross-eXamination was con-
dpeted
Francis +. Eldridge was then recalled and in
answer to question by his counsel emphatically
testified that nothing OF an improper character
occurred during the private interview which he
had held with the plaintiff at Castle Eden. In
response to other questions BY counsel the wit.
ness explained his motives in regard 10 the inter-
view mentioned in terms ingenious and EN-
phatlc as TO satisfy the entire auditory that his
conduct towards the plaintiff throughout had been
marked by answering rectitude and unalloyed
friendship towards herself and husband, who had
befriended him in adversely.
During severe ecross-examination several letters
written to him by the plaintir were offered and
identified by the witness, who was then asked II
he was actuated by sentiments Of friendship for
the plaintiffs husband when he Kept secret as
agnation with her at that husbands house. He
replied in the affirmative, adding that during the
plaintiffs general life there ran
THREAD OF ROMANCE
relative 10 the slender, handsome stripping who had
won her heart years ago, which, If nurtured and
fostered, must have lei 10 the destruction OF the
ne, by presenting himself before her
hoped TO dlssipate and resolve into
saw the burly, gray haired gray whlskered man or
nearly hfty years. The witness was next asked
whether the cash memoranda annotated on the
envelopes OF letters addressed 10 him were also
evidences OF the gratitude he felt toward his beue-
IactorsY 10 which he replied MOST decidedly
they were testimony OF the reauent acts OF llbeT-
ality on the part OF the plaintif aud her husband,
when l marked as treasure in my memory,
hoping that at some future day might be able 70
repay them.n This concluded the evidence on
both sides The testimony of Mr.. Eldridge was of
such convincing nature that it required no expe-
ayn RI NOR fhuf 81
the case had undergone
RADICAL CHANGE n MS FAVOR
When the Court opened yesterday morning. II
haWng peen previously agreed upon that two 81
the counsel on either side should address the Jury
proceeded 10 sum up or the defence. Meantime
II had been ascertained that the plaintiffs nus
band was much distressed By the
SHOCKING DEVELOPMENTS
OF the preceding day. He had supposed that he
was familiar with the contents of his wife's
letters to Eldridge, but in this he was mistaken,
and on hearing them read was mortified az the
matter they contained Before Mr.. Dykman had
finished speaking the remaining counsel on both
sides quietly retired to an anteroOm, and alter
conference OF some minutes duration returned TO
the Court room, when counsel for the defendants
had happily been brought TO a close. and ia man
Eer highly satisfactory to all the parties concerned
The following terms OF settlement signed by all
the counsel on both sides, were then read
As TO Mr. Holden, the counsel for Mrs MacMahon are
sased that Mr. Holden has been guilty Of
against hm u his brethren Or ecclesiastical supercrs,
The counsel Tor the Rev. Robert Holden satisfied
that Mrs MacMahon's character chastity and her
conduct as wife and mother unlmpeached by the
Developments OF this trial. counsel being satisfied
the evidence introduced the trial that her letters
written to Mr. Edridge (some OF which were introduced
the triaD and her other letters written Mr..
den, his wife and other parties since and about Jan
@ IaTy @ weEe S9 bs by her While N state Of
All suits between the parties be discontinued,
without costs
The Court concurred in the settlement, and in
dfsmissing the jury, expressed regret that counsel
mad not arrived at such desirable conclusion
earlier, and also congratulated all the parties con-
cerned on the happy termination OF the suit A. a
condition OF the settlement 1t agreed that the
entire correspondence OF the plaintif with Mr.
Eldridge should be Immediately destroyed, and
thIs was duly carried out by burning the docn-
ments referred to in the Court House yard. For
tunate It would be Tor the future happiness OF the
plaintln and her husband II the consequences Of
the scandaious disclosures brought about bv the
trial could, like the smoke OF the burning letters,
dissolve INTO thin air, leaving not single trace
behind Mrs. MacMahon did not appear in court
yesterday owing TO a severe Illness 10y which sne
was stlll prostrated at her hotel in White Plains
al