New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-06-04
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE DESTRUCTION OF
THE ACCUSATION

Now, gentlemen, the responsibility of this
suppression Of TRUTH IL the truth be not fully disclosed
this destruction Of evidence, Is perfectly well under
stood Here is the paper which. II preserved, would
maintain identity and for that point at least In the
interview would be before your eyes and mine exactly
as 10 WAS then and there two copies of it, One TIL
ton DESTROYED and the other after having been kept and
studied promised to DO tied faithfully to the retractlon
and never parted with without Mr. Bcechers consent,
was destroyed. Well, now, will they say, Why the re-
traction was the paper that you were Interested IN nav
ing preservedl" Indeed That Is so, is 1t The re-
traction and the charge each other and both TO-
gether didn't admit Of difference OF construc-
ton or argument, of invention, OF falsehood,
of treacherous memory and misrepresentation.
An! gentlemen we understand n courts Of justice the
sp0liaOn of evidence; we understand the desrucuoh
the conceament of decisive and important instruments
of conviction We have frequent occasions TO apply ts
In regard crimes, OF violence committed by weapons
We want tho weapons, and If there Is pistol and
bullet pistol found in the accusods hands, and bullet
found in the victims heart we want to see the two
things and whether they fit not before will charge
the accused with having sent that bullet to the death OF
the victim from his pistol Now, suppose three men
leave common haunts Of dissipation or OF gambling,
friends, if you please, Of the friendship that be-
longs to such companions at least, companions
in immortality, companions in reverles, COM
panions In the knowledge OF each others
puilt and they leave their common haunt, 60 and
BIZ quarrel one of them is slain by pistol shot. and the
question is which Of those companions, II either dealt
the blow. And oeiDg they well may, one returns by
crafty provision to give succor to the wounded man,
takes the role of procaimng the murder. and the pre-
caution of extracting the bullet and keeping it. And
now when tho fleeing companion under the attraction
Of pursuit and suspicious from his fleeing. is put upon
trial. and the witness and sweaIs that The deadly
assault came from the accused and not from himself
and that he extracted the bullet, and it was too
largo for his pistol, and fitted the pistol OF
the accused then will the accuseds defenders
ASK where is the bullet 1t was last In your hands
Where is the bullet T." "Oh but measured the bullet,
aud tried the bullet II would not go into my pistol you
see it could not have come of it but 1t would into
his and Just fitted It," Eyes, but where is the bulles
-Ah- says he, al kept 1t; kept 1t, and after a
while being satisfied and having kept the measurement
aud tried it, melted it up" "You melted 1t up T.
And then the Judge says TO the prosecution Where is
the bullet p and the jury say, "where is the bullet "
Oh melted II up have several witnesses that will
prove the dimensions OF :" and the answer is, You
cannot use your mouth for bulletmod tC
take away the life OF the accused Who killed
| the man-that We don't know; but that bullet
would told and that bullet was In your possession
aud destroyed by you" And then another witness
says after he has left the stand We made plaster
mold Of that ballet while IL In this mans possession
and the bullet has been melted up the mold Is here,
now we will see which Of the pistols the bulot matches
and which OF the doubtful authors OF tho crime that bu
vi h now 10 slay." Aud then this mold proved AND
proved and again being the measure Of the
bullet II made reproduce IL In ia leaden FORM cast II
the mold and IL fits the pistol of the witness aud
the life OF the accused.
! Alb gentlemen, yOu want the missile OF that night
You have had the solemn pledge Of MOGiton that
| should b. destroyed while anything else remained
~ bo the method, the occasion, the instrument
OF doubt or iInputation, Of fear and has been dc
stioyed and un that missile Ia proved 10 have been oil
the nature the FORM Of tho effect that is 10 convict
or cid in convicng Mr Beecher-unti that II produced
you refuse the spectators OF evidence the ability 70
make their mouths reproduce It, But whon besides, We
bring you very mold that taken VI II on the very
niybt that II used in the retractaon which was
framed around IT, and when We produce the measure and
the impression Of the bullet Of the missile given by
The witness now seeking W say. two days afterwards