The Portland daily press., 1875-04-03

Iue ITtOuUe VI yesterday says Vi MI DteOh-
er's testimony: Only for moment were the
murmurs of surprise at the strange conclusion
of Mr.. Redpath's testimony heard. Every one
knew the supreme moment of the trial had
come, and that Mr.. Beecher was to face the
Jury and deny the charges which had been
made against him. The silence was unbroken
save by the restless movements of nervous
auditors when Mr.. Evarts, turning to Mr..
Beecher. said, "Mr. Beecher, will you be
sworn?" He had come into the room nearly
an hour before, in advance of the time for the
opening of the court, his wife on his arm, and
had seated himself by her side, surrounded by
his daughter and her husband, Mr.. ScoVille,
his eldest sister Mrs. Perkins, his brothers
Edward and Thomas X. Beecher, Mrs. Edward
Beecher. daughter-in-law, and larger delega-
ton from Plymouth church than has ever
before appeared in the courtroom. He
was attired as usual not change in his
oabit. His long gray hair was dshevelled,
as it usually is. He looked as he always
does except that his face was not paler,
but less flushed. Otherwise it was the same
fixed, placid look which he has worn through
out the trial, except on the exciting occasion
when Mrs MOulton told her strange story of
his confession to her. He rose when Mr. Evarts
spoke, and, with only look and smile at his
faithful wife, who turned her white, thin face
up to him as he arose. he stepped behind the
Plymouth group and, passing behind the jury
box, approached the witness chair He mounted
the stand upon which it rests. The officer pre-
sented the Bible for him to be sworn, but he
motioned it aside and, turning full upon the
clerk, lifted his right hand The clerk, suppos-
ing he desired to affirm. had begun to ad-
minister the form of oath, when Mr.. Fullerton
and Mr.. Beach objected, unless Mr.. Beecher
should declare he had conscientious scruples
against swearing upon the Scriptures. A brief
discussion, between the judge and Mr.. Beach
was brought to an end by Mr.. Beecher himself,
who declared that he had such conscientious
scruples The clerk then began agaiR-"You
solemnly affirm and declare"-when Mr.
Beecher dropped his arm, and MT Evarts, at
the same moment, explained that Mr.. Beecher
took the oath in the New England form;
Again the clerk began, this time in slower and
more impressive tones and in manner
strangely unlike the rusty, mechanical habit OF
speech which has grown upon him IN long
years of service: "You soleHnly swear by the
everything God that the evidence you shall
give in this issue joined between Theodore Til-
ton, plaintiff, and Henry Ward Beecher, shall
be the truth, the whole truth and nothing but
the truth" Mr.. Beecher, unlike other wit
nesses who have preceded him and with most
reverential bow, his eyes cast down, answered,
Il do" If any of the auditors anticipated
anything tremulous in his tones they were dis
appointed. Once the reporter thought he saw
his uplifted hand tremble as he took the oath,
but it was probably imagination. His voice
was as unchanged as his habit and his look and
when he had dropped his hat and taken from
his shoulders his cloak and thrown it ACT oss his
left arm, it was the same familiar face that is
seen every Friday evening in Plymouth church
lecture room; and throughout the rest of the
days session he sat there unchanged, unaffec-
ted, apparently as cool as if in his lecture room.
His manner was the least affected of any
man in she room, and was entirely unconstrain-
ed. He sat most of the time with the two mid
die fingers of his right hand thrust in his vest.
At noon, when the striking of the city hall
clock interrupted the proceedings, he took out
his watch as if to see how accurately 1T Kept
tirue. Once, when he had occasion to look for
a memorandum book the officer behind him
offered to relieve him of his cloak. and he sur
rendered it with "Thank you" He was per
fectly at ease. The reporter looked in vain for
those minute evidences of nervousness which
readers are always glad to have described, and
the description may appear tame, but it is
truthful The best idea to be found of him by
those who have seen him in the pulpit or lee
ture room is to recall him as he appeared then
and there. AFOunu tn6 COruoIS Ol HIS uoutn
and eyes there lurked the familiar quiet smile,
which betrays the great humor of the man,
which cannot be repressed, and which so fire.
quently finds expression even in his most seri
Gus discourses in the extraordinary phrases IN
which his ideas are often grotesquely dressed
In his testimony yesterday this humor cropped
out several times. Once, when referring to his
literary labors, he called himself "a very
voluminous author" He half smiled and
half blushsd at what he evidently
H. -1aI
tstical expression, and a moment later his
eyes twinkled and frightened just the least,
and his old half smile came back when he had
to say that during certain period he had
made many political speeches and preached not
few political sermons, This irrepresslbe
humor bubbled to the surface still later when
he was asked if he had not written many let
ters, was not in fact a great correspondent
He smiled as he hesitated second or two be-
fore answering 81 should say not, if l should
Judge from my impression; but if they should
begin to hunt over my letters l presume 1t
would be found that l had" This was the
first alluson to his troublesome habit of writ
ing long letters. Still later this humor found
more extravagant expression. He had been
asked if his first public discussion with Mr.
Tilson had not been marked by considerable an.
tagonism and asperity in the expression of
their views. He answered as if approaching
the joke, nothing that trapscended what see
here In court" Even Mr.. Beach unbent at
this and smiled with the Beecher party. The
rest of the plaintiffs counsel sat gloomy, 81
lent and stern, as they had done all through
the day. taking their cue from Mr.. Tlton and
MIR. Moulton. Bnt, lest it should be imagined
that the witnesss manner was trivial, it should
be added that these incidents occurred during
the early part of the day, when his attention
was dram to comparatively trivial matters
And, even during this period there were Incl
dents of the opposite character, betraying the
deep feeling aud hearty earnestness of the
man. Once, for instance, when asked about
his early intimacy and companonship with
Mr.. Tilton, he answered with real feel
ing: sit was common employments, com.
panionship and downright loving on my part,'
and as he spoke these last words, he glanced,
for the first time, at Mr.. Tilton. Still later
in the morning he evinced more feeling when
questioned in regard to the occasion of the
service rendered to his son in the army by
Mr.. Tilton, he said, ale was doing me little
kndnesses that were very agreeable, but there
was one that stood out beyond all others and
wa. very specially valuable to me-" After the
word 'very" there was a long pause. The
words stuck in the witness's throat, and it was
only with great effort that he concealed the
strong emotion which he felt. Only the closest
observers, and those very near him, knew what
he was keeping back; and, on another occasion
he was long time in getting control of his
voice SO as to answer clearly the question as to
the number of his children in the words,