Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1875-06-25

t. N. Editor ofhc Tr5la,.
SIR. | want to give the notions Of one
living in the mountains Of West Virginia
about what Is called the great trial now in
progress in Brooklyn.
l have read your reports Of the testimony
and the orations Of the attorneys 50 far, and
must say that cannot see why SO much
time has been spent, unless it be to display
the talents of the lawyers on each side.
Had a case sustained bv such testimony
been brought before one OF our hard-headed.
honest-hearted, common sense Justices of
the Peace it wOull have been disposed of in
a lew hours
The Squire would have asked Mr.. Til
ton to state his case Mr.. Tilton would
have replied (as Is the substance of his testi-
mony before the Court in Brooklyn)-Sir
my vile, who Is as pure aS an icicle on the
Temple OF Diana, and a perfectly white
uled woman, irhiic IN trance, commit
ted adultery with Henry Ward Beecher, an
Old gentleman Of about 60, nearly twice her
age, and | lived with her four years after
she told me Of it.
SquIre-What is that YOU say? "A white
souled woman, as pure as an icicle, commit
adultery in a trance" And you want this
court to believe such internal nonsense ? No,
sir 1t amt done in that way-it is con-
trary to human nature-and this court can't
be imposed upon by any such balderdash.
Tilton-But, Squire, this Is not all. After
she told me, politely invited Mr. Beecher
to my house, and in the presence of my
wife requested him to 20 into a calculation
TO see whether the boy Ralph was my son or
Mr.. Beecher's son, and Mr. Beecher said he
could not tell, as he did not keep record CT
the transaction.
'Squire-Worse and worse. Who ever
heard of a man, not a downright natural
born fool, that would thas treat the seducer
Of his wife? 1t amt human nature, savage
or civilized. to do so.
Tilton-But, Squire, Mr.. Beecher told me
that he had committed adultery with another
woman as well as with my wife, and he told
Moulton and his wife that he had commit
ted adultery with my wife, and (although
1t was done while my wife was in a trance)
that be and she had afterward PRAYED that
they might be forgiven for it.
Squire Well, sir, should like to ask
you one question. Has Mr.. Beecher any
brains in his head?
Tilton-Oh yes. He is a man of an i'm
mense quantity Of brains-one of the great
men of this country, second only to myself
Squire-And you say that he told you
and Moulton and his wife these things, and
you expect this court to believe that man
with any brains in his head would do so
silly thing. lsay again it amt human
nature, and no amount of swearing can
change the opinion Of this court on that
point. Suppose you were to swear that this
white sheet of paper Is black, do you think
that this court would believe it? No, sir :
not while 1t has any brains in its head.
Now, sir, this court regards your whole
story as silly lie, or else the emanation of
a erazed brain, and must dismiss your case.
This Is the way the case would have been
disposed of here, and the day will come
when every honest man who reflects on the
subject will say it ought thus to have been
decided in Brooklyn long ago. J.D.D.
BERKELEY SPRINGS, W. Va, June Is.