The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1875-05-21
THE BROOKLYN TRIAL,
Judge Porter Continues
Tilton's Meanness Particu-
larly Portrayed.

New YORK, May 2O-There was Il
1 full attendance ut the scandal trial this
morning. Judge Porter apOlogiZed for
the poor tone in which he spoke yestcr-
day and said he would endeayor to speak
to-day so that they all could hear. lie
/ continued his remarks OF the letters which
assed between Tiiton and his wife. be
referred to the letter of March s, 1868,
AS shedding flood of light on the rcIa-
tions between them, six months before
/ that Christian man and low
! ing woman were represented as haV-
| ing improper relations to one another.
I The counsel quoted IRON letter AS fol.
/ lows: Gan irrcpressible tenderness has
! grown up in my soul, and l never saw
/ nv path 50 clear AS now" He spoke of
Tilton rs having genius at that time,
which. If il had not been misused, would
have raised him to lofty position.
/ The counsel quoted from letter Of
/ Tilton to his wife, of February a. 1867,
in which he SAID he had been speCuIatlng
on the life of Jesus and asked her how
he would have appeared IN the character
| of married man. Jesus undoubtedly
loved some woman devotedly, perhaps
passiona,cly. That is the language,
said the counsel, in which Tilton wrote
to his devoted wife, OF his God, and the
counsel commented severely upon II.
The counsel then reviewed the letter
written on the 18th of the
same month by Mrs. Tilton, in
which she toook to herself the blame of
all the unhsppiness which had occurred
in the family, which his learned friend
on the other side had been caused by the
entrance Of the cold calculating scducer.
She appealed to her husbands better
nature which was planted in his breast
by an ever loving God and which she
could not believe was altogether dried
up. Counsel quoted further from let
ter in which she urged that they should
neither of them allow a shadow
OF doubt about each other.
In December, SO, continued Porter,
year after the death of his son Paul,
when he alleges his wife was the mistress
of the honorcd pastor, TiltOn writes let
ters to his wife in which he says that her
affection touched his deepest nature, and
He wished He was More worthy
oft.
When the receptacle containing these
letters Of his wite's was invaded, and the
letters breathed love and alteration, the
believed if they were published, God
would indeed be asleep if He did not
overturn the actions and intentions OF
this invader.
Where the Issue Hinges.
We will now turn, said the cOunse to
the 18th OF October, 1868, for there the
issue Of this case hinges. In that month
Henry Ward Beccher delivered one of
his brilliant addresses at the Academy of
Music. His accuscrs thought that they
could safely fix on the next day, the 10Th,
as the date of the first commission OF the
act; counsel could Imagine what hunting
through almanacs there was for this day
bv both Moulton aud Tilton, 80 that
there would arise no danger from an
ulibi. The next date fixed upon was be-
tween the Friday evening prayer meet
ing and the following Sunday, seven
wears ago, when this crime was said
To have been committed. Gentlemen,
would YOU believe that man would 90,
for the first time in his life, at the age o!
sixty. to commit an act of dcbauchery.
In order for Theodore Tiiton to reek
his vengeance on Henry Ward Bcecher,
he walks ever the body OF his wife.
The counsel then commented on the
witnesses for the defendant among
whom, he said, were fifteen men of "ml-
nence and popularity who transacted
busiuess with all parts of the world and
whose word in commercial circles was
never doubted and whose deaths, if they
occurred together, would cause
the city of Brooklyn TO go
into mourning. There is in the
breast of each of US Il tenderness
exhibited toward women, and remember
our mothers, wives and sisters. There
was day when such tenderness existed
in the breast of Theodore Tilton but 1t
had now taken its flight The counsel
then spoke OF Bessie Turner, assisting in
the rearing of the children in Tilton's
household, and loving companion OF
Mrs. Tiltoil, and wherever she went
commanding respect and reverence. This
Girl when growing in that household to
the station of womanhood, on two occa'
sions was made the object of approach on
the part of her adopted father. she
rave the incidents Of these approaches.
This will show the heart of the man IN
whose accusation against II. W.
Beccher and his (Tilton's) wife, had their
origin.
Counsel read the testimony OF Bessie
Turner is relation to these appronch!S,
and said: There is a simple, chlId-iike
narrative, and no man who heard her
her speak doubted its truthtulneSs. Inc
might of this girls testimany was felt Dy
Tilton, and as conscience makes towards
oc us all, he could give no other than
qualified denial when on the witness
stand. to this last story. Mrs. Iilton told
Mrs. Putnam of these stories, and 1t was
from this friend that Bessie Turner first
learned that Tilton sought her room ior
the purpose of dcbauching her.
At this point The usual recess was
taken
After Recess
Mr.. Porter resumed his argument. lie
began by referring to Joseph II. Rich
ards as the bastard who went before the
church committee to put his own sister
in false attitude by his pretended soilc-
itude. This man under the maIlgn IN
fluence of Henry c. Bowen and tutoored
by Theodore Tilton, his brother-in-Iaw;
had court room to make theatrical
exhibition Of himself, which only Theo.
Tilton could have devised. This man
had been brought back to contradict beS-
sic Turner, and how did he do 1t. Even
he could not deny that Bessie
Turner told him what she had
said. He did, but be merely
- H. ;,,,,,,,,-;,l s,ater,ent that she