The star. (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1874-1875, 1875-01-11


Great Conh.st Over the jury.
Special Correspon,tt ttence Of the Star.
NEW YORK, Jan. 0, 1875.
THE BROOKLYN cry COURT
probably stands as high in professional
respect, as any court which ceuld De ex-
pected to take original Jurisdiction 0i
such case.
The Courthouse is an imposing edifce
OF white marble, built within few years
alta very liberal cost. The inner vesti-
bule, on the ground level, is in itself q
spacious and lofty building of a circular
form, some forty ieet in diameter, tioored
with black ana white squares Of marble,
and rising into magnificent dome, con-
spicious from aiar among the many
steeples and towers OF the City of
Churches.
Ascending the sweep of the grand
staircase, to right or left, you reach at
the first landing the long and ample cor
;ridor of marble, leading back to the Gen.
eral Term Courtroom. Like the other
principal offices OF the building. it is a
noble chamber, some fifty feet square
and thirty leet high, with lofty windows
and handsomely irescoed walls. A high
gallery across one side is open to who
ever can get in first, and is always
crammed for an hour or SO before the
opening of court in the Beecher case.
The main floor is gwen up to lawyers,
jurors, NC.
REPRESENTATIVES OF THE PRESS.
OF the latter there are fifty or sixty in
attendance, crowdinga a number Of long
tables arranged around the witness
stand; besides many correspondents and
editors who are not under The necessity
OF being ''contined to their notes." some
OF the leading CITY papers employ as
many as ten stenographers each, on this
case. But these are mostly such steno-
graphers as mere newspaper reporting
can command. The men who are capa-
bic OF u really verbatim report OF trial
like this can be counted OH your fingers,
ana are mostly engaged in official posi-
tions IN courts of law. The magnificent
daily reports OF the Tribune, which give
the reader fuller view Of everything
said and done Than an ordinary specta-
tor could possibly get Ior himself If he
sat by the side of the Judge, and which
stir professional enthusiasm in the soul
OF every journalist, are the work of
/. wARBURToN, BoNYNGE & ADAMS,
OF New York, Official sLenographers to
to the Court for this case, and the Oldest
law reporters, il / mistake not, in the
city. Warburton; at least, have met
as a reporter Tor nearly twenty live
years. Their reports are, OF course,
made to be sworn to, and the Court and
counsel rely on them exclusively lor the
minutes Of the case. They are pub
lIsned, 10 the last IT." in every morn
ing's Tribune; from which they are cut
and arranged on tne blank pages Of con-
venient-Slzed scrap-bOUks, for the con-
~ t.
seen frequently consulting them. Each
eli the three stepegraphers above na.ned,
in succession, writes ior half an hour,
and when relieved repairs TO the Tri-
.bane's Brooklyn office, reads off his notes
to rapid copyists, who take them down,
revises the copy" and sends il, as last
as completed, 10 the compOsitOrs. Each
days proceedings would ill pamphlet
OF fifty large octave pages, and week
would fill two or three numbers of any
ordinary magazine.
JUDGE NELSON
Is every inch judge, aud his (cubic)
inches are not lew. His portly rotund-
ity, however, is but inditferently sup
ported on the right side, by Iimping ar
titicial leg. HIS looks would pass for so
Or upwards, although his hair is not
gray, lor he has none. A smooth brown
except. of course, the Webster-l.ke dome
in front. His clean shaved, strong boned
and unsystemalicai face is massive, i'm
mobile, grave, judicial, and yet by no
means sterile or unkindly in expression.
1t is face for wear, not ornament, and
his manner on the bench Is equally sinr
pie, as ii his high functions were the most
Commonplace matters in the world. His
rule is courteous and liberal, alike to-
ward counsel, jurors, witnesses (whom
he does not allow to be brow beaten and
even the. press. 1 saw him Interpose
personally (before taking his seat) TO
secure chair in the jam Tor a humble
representative of a rural paper, whom q
court officer had just rudely hustled from
an inappropriate position. Possibly the
understrapper may have gained from
the quiet example some vague impress
sion that the courtesy OF judge might
not be beneath evenhIs own more urgent
dignity.
THE NOBLEST FACE,
in this most remarkable array of counsel,
is, of course, that OF William nj. Evarts |;
though wripkled and shriveled away, at
the lower part, from the majestically ex-
pressiye forenead, by an extreme degree
of emaciation, which depnves the super
fcial eye of very much OF the uncOn-
scious dignity of his presence. There is
also sweetness in the expression of
the mouth in action, which detracts from
the imposing effect of his countenance in
repOse, as seen in Photographs. His
slight and f1eshless figure contributes
nothing, and be looks better without it.
A refined intellectually and purity are
the stamp OF his aspect. 1t seemed
Somewhat singular to see a senior coun-
sci of Mr.. Evarts' caliber taking the
commonplace drudgery of cross-examin-
ing jurors, all day long, with SO many Ca
pable juniors by his side inactive. But
as he is TO be the great advocate in the
case, ne wishes to get into personal con-
tact and rapport with the men he is 30
deal with.
TILToN's SENIOR COUNSEL,
VIM. A. Beach, is also leader of the
New York bar, but striking contrast to
his distinguished opposite. He ia hand-
some man, symmetrical and command
ing in cOuntenance as well as in figure,
but with cold light in his blue eyes and
faultless smile that does not suggest the
noble moral qualities. His lace is slight
ly florid, neither iull nor spare, with a
high forehead, hair rather white than
gray, with tuft oil the same at the chin;
and on the whole Is formed for severity,
which his irritable temperament brings
out strongly, in contest with witness,
for example. His bearing in the eXami-