Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1874-08-18
BEECHERS CROSS EXAMINATION.


The cross examination of Mr.. Beecher was
lengthy and important, his replies casting
more light than his formal statement upon the
case. We copy that portion Of 1t relating to
Matchmaking, with what follows;
BY Mr.. Cleveland-In your statement you
have alluded to one payment of S. 900. Have
you furnished any other money to those par oar
ties? Al have furnished at least $1,000
beside the IS 900.
Q-To whom did you pay that money Z
A.-To Mr.. Moulton.
Q-As nearly as you can recollect, how
much money went into the hands of Mr.
Moulton? Al should say l have paid
81, 900.
Q.-To what use did you suppose that
money was to be appropriated! Al sup
posed that it was to be appropriated to eXtr-
cate Mr.. Tlton from his difficulties in some
way.
Q.-You did not stop to inquire how or
why? A.-Monlton sometimes sent me note
saying: 81 wish you would send me your
check" for so much.
Odd you usually respond to the de-
mands of Mr.. Moulton for money during
those months? Al always did
Q-Under what circumstances did you
come to pay the So, 900 in one sum? Abe
cause it was represented TO me that the whole
difficulty, could be now settled by that amount
of money, which would put the affairs of the
Golden Age on secure footing; that they
would be able to go right on, and that, with
the going on of them, the safety of Tilton
would be assured, and that would be the set
Element of the whole thing. II was to save
Tilton pecuniarily.
Q.-Were there any documents shown to
you by Moulton? What did he show you be-
fore you made the payments? Alt was the
result of intmations and general statements,
and l finally said to him, IL am willing to
pay $1,000" l came to do it in this way :
There was a discussion about that paper.
Moulton was constantly advancing money, as
he said to me, to help Tilton. The paper
was needy. One evening l was at his house.
We were alone together in the back parlor,
and Moulton took out of his pocket a letter
from. 1t was read to me, in which the
writer mentioned contributions which the
writer had made to Theodore. l understood
from him that the writer of this letter had
given him some thousands of dollars down in
cash, and then taking out two time checks or
drafts, which, as l recollect, were on blush
paper-although am not sure of that. There
were two checks, each of them amounting to
one or two thousand dollars more, and |
should think it amounted in all to about six
thousand dollars, although my memory about
quantities and figures is to be taken with
great allowance, but it produced the impress
sion in me that the writer had given him one
or TWO thousand dollars in cash down, and, as
the writer explained in the letter, it was not
convenient to give the balance in money at
that time, but that the writer had drawn tine
drafts which would be just as useful to him as
money, and Moultoa slapped the table and
said: "That is what call friendship" and
was stupid, and said, "Yes, it was" After
ward. when got home. and thinking about it
in the morning-"W said l, "what a
fool! | never dreamed what he meant"
Then went to him and said to him, 81 am
willing to make contribution and put the
thing beyond controversy" Well, he said
something like this "That he thought it
would be the hest investment that ever made
in my life" then went to the savings bank
and put a mortgage OF 1000 on my house. l
took check which was given me by the
banks lawyer and put il into the bank, and
on Moulton's suggestion that it would be bet
ter than to have check drawn to his order, |
drew the money in $500 or s 900 bills, have
forgotten which, but know that they were
large, for carried the roll in my hand, and
these gave into his hands. From time to
| time he spoke in the most glowing terms, and
said that he was feeding it out to Theodore,
and he said that at the time of the first in
sta!lment he gave Theodore $500 at once,
and that he sent with it a promlssory note for
Theodore to sign, but that Theodore did not
sign it, and sent it back to him, saying that
he saw no prospect in the end of paying
loans, and that he could not honorably, there
fore, expect them, and refused to sign any
note, and Mouton laughed significantly, and
said that Tilton subsequently took the money
without giving any note.
O. Did you receive any note Of security
whatever, or evidence of debt from Mr.. Moul.
ton, or has there been any offer to return the
money to yoa2 A.-Nolhing of the kind; j,
was never expected to be returned by either
party.
Q.-Hss Moulton said anything to you
about money in a comparatively recent
periodf About the time of the publica-
ton Of the Bacon letter, think had been