Yankton daily press and Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1875-1875, 1875-05-20
But the Evidence Being oil in the
Number Of Ladies in Attel-
dance is Diminished.
Judge PorteI.'s open
ing Argument fol.
the Defense.
A Vigorous Arrangement Of
., Tilton, and M0nltOn.

y ~ -
Resumption Of Beecher Trial.
NEw York, May l9.-Pursuant to
adjournment the Tilton-Bcccher trial
was resumed this morning. Long be.
forcsthc opening Of the Brooklyn city
court the soom was Unusually crowd.
ed, reminding one Of the early days
OF the trial. The number of women
in attendance was greatly diminished
which can be attributed TO the fact
that the evidence in the scandal was
all in. ,
Theodore Til on entered flew min.
utcssb before the hour for calling the
jury, followed Mr.. Beccher and his
wife. The defendant chatted and
laughed with those Of the Plymouth
gathering in his immediate vicinity.
Before the jury were called Judge
Nelson instructed the audience to
keep perfect silence. Any noise would
interrupt the speaking. Judge Porter
then began summing up for the de-
fensc. He said: "Gentlemen, you
have been for 6Fe months in the. SER
vice Of Thco. Tilton under mandate
Of a power wl,ich you were bound to
obey. Ny, client has, since the begin.
ming Of this suit, acted on scriptural
principles-whcn they struck him on
one check he turned to them the 9th.
--er- In the beginning they might have
been struck with the general air Of
untrnthfulndss which Permcated the
case, and counsel thought that if they
had been called to deliver their verdict
there, could have been little doubt
what their verdict would have been.
On the one hard they had Tilton and
Moulton; Jayne, the informer; Wood
hull and ClaAin; Joe Richards, stand
ing up dsilysto strike his sister in :he
back i and then Bntler the strategist.
These arc the parties who are the
sponsors Of the accusation; these are
the champions Of christian purity and
morality; the originators, publishers
and advisers in the matter. We had
in favor Of the defendant, the jury Of
the yicinagc, the wife, the children
and the grand children who found
shelter boncath Ms roof, and the three
thousand worsl,ippers Of Plymouth
church. Even the clustering hearth
Of young children loved his ame,and
would be living to bless his memory
when you and. | will be no more. We
have with us the almost unanimous
and enthusiastic support of his pro
fcssional brethren and the sympathy
Of enlightened christians. These
trusted aud loved the defendant while
they abhorred and loathed the name.
OF Theodore Tilton and Frank Moul
ton. Incur whole system Of juris
prudence the plea Of innocence wa,
safe, and our laws in that respect were
not q failure. The speaker quotee
EaEd -the-mlght-o
truth and its preysiling power. On,
Of the obstacles to the accuser wa
the. defeadantb ans wef Of his limo
cellcc, alsl the oath Of honest men,
AuothelE 6stattc7 they met with pre-
scnted itself in the unblemished char
actef and unsullied purity Of boil
himself and the wife, Ye
another obstacle was the fac
tharf.=s1fihittom and Moulton 70
four years, by their words and act.
faisified such an accusation both i
writing and otherwise. Another soh
stscle was the fact that Tiltpn ce-hah
J tied and slept with tho lady accused
Z and remained for four years in famil
relations with an alleged adulteres.
They met another obstacle that they
both Monlton and Tlton, admitte
with oaths on their lips, Of havin,
opea ! hostility ag.inst defendan
They. encountered another obstacle j
the fact that they had to conceal j
as they say, and the question arises
they arc not lying now. That wa
m old maxim Of the real law whic
Proytded that vgitnesses were 10 1
weighed I'm the balance; an
8 here in our scale they hs,
had Henry Ward Beccl,er q
his life, and Tilton and Moulto
\ with the record Of their lives in III
other.I We, are accustomed to belle,
In truth. The alleged culprit is : ma
three score years Of ase, pclf discipli
II