New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-12-08
TIE WITNESSES AND InEIB TEsTrl1NN


70 some extent.
TILE WITNESSES AND HER TE,iiNlN
E,IDEycE FOR tn; P-Ai.r Ii-i'a.
Tie nature Of tic &c t.Iony 10 b. it.-l c-,d
tbs great trial may be lG2ciy ar .?., itI" Z
variety OF direct and bctg,ay criderc' i'r.r..tn
the public statements or gwen before toe h',fb
eating Committee. OF course, all tie testimony WI
have to undergo great scrutiny ard the ,i.oc,es"E
need to present good regulations fJr veTlcty; a'S
no effort will be omitted to break down witueosa
whose testimony is likely to be Of material value te
either side II has often been ascd. hat testimony
Of that which Is known is almis lille H. the coIrisi
In behalf Of the plaintiff MIR. Triton, 81, numerous
letters of Mr.. Beechcr to Mr.. Moulton AMI Mrs
Tilton can be introduced. and Whatever Mr. Beechnt
has said to any ons upon the subject, MI IIltor
will testify to having received from him con-
fesson of and an apology for criminal intefc'ur',
with Mrs. 1il0n. Alr. Nouiton wiz testify th'i
Mr.. Beccher confessed The San" act to HIM. ana
that all their united efforts were to ward
of tho consequences OF tho iauit' f''
Miouton will testify thai Mr Becchcr confesS.u tie
crime of adultery il her presence de'a'llHs IA NV
circumstances Of the allcg d seduction anu Vha'
advised him repeatedly az 10 the course he should
pursue, citing the course OF oilers uhp'r s'.n'V1
circumstances Thomas Kinsela, the editor II lie
Brooklyp ErqIe Will be subpenaed by the prosec2-
ton to tell nat it ia alleged by several persons hs
has told in private conversation. that Mr.. Boecher
told HIM of the whole affair loIg ago. cohieSshs
his adultery with Mrs. Hilton, AID tA"s
Sir. LI.on made To Inn TIE uIecs
charge of adultery against Mr. beecher
LONG before the subject became one OF pubic "9''-
sion In order to destroy inc force Of his eyG.Gco
whatever it may be, the hieals Of If. Ihion
have arranged for the early publication in one OF
the Brooklyn papers Of Einsclla's correspondence
with Mr.. Thomas W Field. Superintendent ii Pab-
lie instruction III brooklyn. This correspondence
duplicates several prominent officials and officers
elect and it is said to DC Of most shameless Guar.
acter.
Mrs. Bradshaw who has been al intimate friend
of the Tiltons for many years, declIDcd TO appear
before the Investigating Committee. but could teS-
tfy that Mr Tton stated tue facts 10 her, charging
Mr. Beecher with adultery soon after the da;e u
the confession OF MrS. Iiton Joseph Richards. the
brother of Mrs IiltOn who said TO the Committee
that he was brother and unwilling to make any
statement to them. and who had every opportunity
to know the full story two more yelrs
ago. will testify that Mr.. Tilton made
the full charge against Mr. Beechcr, and
will give other important testimony. +. Is. Car
penter will be another important witness for the
plaintiff, and will testify e. certain events Nbicn his
published interviews duling the SESSIONS OF the in-
yestigating Committee did not contain. Miss susan
b. Anthony and Ms. Henry b. stanton will be
among the witnesses. The former will tell that Mrs.
Tton told her ali about the adultery and the latter
that Miss Anthony and Mr. Titon told her AL abous
1t. -
CAN MRS. TrLTON DE wIrNTS'
There has been much question regarding
the admissibility of Mrs. Tiltons testimony.
Can she be witness on either s.da
in the trial 7 The law provides that when q
husband brings a charge Of criminal cOny ersat0n.
the wife of the complainant who is involved in the
charge cannot testify. This provision is made IN
order to prevent collision between man and wife.
suit Of this kind must necessarily be suit for
damages and were the wife allowed to testify. there
would DO cases in which she would pro-
fess to have been seduced, and thus unite
with her husband in attempted bacllnail.
1t has been thought in this it was so apparent
that there was no collision that Mrs. Iilon might
be competent witness. but there is a positive
statute and no exception of the sort can be made.
1t is upon this ground, therefore, that MIS-. III
ton cannot be brought forward witness Ivy
either side and not that she las coutradctcd her
SELF This latter fact might make her an uapTotta-
bic witness upon whichever side but counsel
for the defense assert that except for the Law
she would become witness. Her ircompetcncy viii
prevent the introduction of large quantity OF evil
dence which has been looked for with special inter-
est Upon the ono hand not only her letters referring
to her secret" her confession to her husband. bus
also her alleged confessions of adultery "a Miss An
thony and Others must be omitted from the eyi-
denco. Upon tho other hand her formal state
ments of the causes by which she waS COM
PEELED to make certain accusations against
Mr.. Beecher and her retractions are thrown out
This necessity would seem TO be more prcjudcial 10
to Mr. Tilton's than 20 Mr.. Becchcr'S case. Wcreh
to be shown that she had confessed adultery 10 out
side parties at times when her husband could havs
had no commanding influence over her mind. u
could hardly fail TO damage Mr. Beecher more than
her general and specific retractons and deniaA
could aid him.
James McDcrmott. a stenographer. employed oy
Mr.. Bowen at the time he called upon Mrs. Wood
hull for such evidence as she had against MI
Beecher has made q written statement embraena
in "a Is pages of legal cap all that Mrs. Woodruff
knew Of tho scandal, and tho authority for hf
statements. Mr.. McDcrmott has since been injured
and will be unable to appear in Court; and IL IS
question whether his testimony will or will not "
admitttd.
EVIDENCE FOR THE DEFENSE.
The witnesses for the defense viii embrace iarS
number. some of whom have already been prom
nent in the case and others whose names have ho
appeared. Mr. Beecher will be called upon TO OK
plain his remarkable letters, tho apology U"
efforts to silence suspicion what no told MI n'
sella, Mr.. and Mrs. Moulton and MIR. Iilton' -. y,
anticipated that the examinationof MIR. Beecher VIZ
last al least two days, AND his croSs-eAamihaN'A