Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1875-05-13


tanned on the ground Of an ambiguous
| ly worded confession when confronted
I.by the defendant. This confession.
moreover, was, according to her state
ment, wrung from her at a time OF
great physical prostration. Such a
peclaration by wife in the interest Of
her husband should always be treated
with the utmost distrust, even if she
were in the best Of health, and not, as
the plaintiff, S wife seems to have been,
imbued with romantic notions about
love, leligion, etc. In no German or
French court, | venture the assertion,
would this confession have been treat
ed y th the slightest consideration.
The defendants conduct may have
been indiscreet. But he is acknowl-
edged TO be confding, warm-hearted
man, fond or given to extravagant lar
guage-a defect into which gifted per-
sous, especially those who write and
speak in public a great deal, readily
fall. Consequently it would be ex-
tremely unjust to interpret with literal
rigor those letters OF his, which the
plaintiff uses to strengthen his case
against him. To be sure, the unfortu-
nate position in which the defendant
found himself in consequence Of the
affection for him arising in an enthusi-
astic woman without his fault, while
he helped to deprive, as we think very
justly and sen8ibly, her husband OF a
very lucrative journalistic position, was
harrassing to him, and, hence, he wrote
those letters, undoubtedly on the spur
Of the moment, without reflection, and
while strong Influences were brought
to bear upon his heart. which, II seems.
was only to easily softened and touched.
But the principal letter, the so'calIed
'-letter OF contrition," addressed to
the witness Noulton, who says the de-
fendaut dictated it to him, cannot pos
sibly have been so dictated by Mr..
Beecher. The latter is a man Of genius,
master of concise language, and, as
his writings superabundantly prove,
accustomed to express his thoughts CO.
herently, aensibly, and logically But
this letter, as piece Of composition, is
not even respectable. The defendant
could : t have written or dictated it in
that sfrape, even Ehile prey to the
most intense agitation.
There remains, then, the plaintiff
witnesses. One is the mysterious
Moulton. He is described as a smart
business man-practical, energetic, and
endowed with hard common sense.
| What drew him into this maelstrom Of
bad passion? Friendship for the
| plaintiff, he says. How can this cool,
calculating money-making man have
conceived any liking for the vain, puff
ed up, shallow minded utopist? Fire
and water do not mingle. There must
have been some hidden motive for
Moulton's anxiety to participate in the
quarrel between the plaintiff and de-
fendant It is one Of the mysteries Of
this strange affair, and is not quite
clear if the Defendants counsel in his
opening address, hit the nail on the
head in regard to the aims Moulton
had in view. A court, however, would
take the singularity OF his conduct,
and above all, his undisguised exaspcr-
alton against the defendant into conSid-
GRAFTON, and attach but very little I'M
portance to the evidence.
And, as regards Moulton's wife
well, she is his wife, and had the most
powerful incentive in the world to cor
roborate her husbands testimony
against the defendant. The acquittal
Of the latter would be ruin to the wit
ness Moulton. With that alternative
staring her in the face, what woman
would not feel strongly tempted to help
him? What court could take her evi-
dence, with such an alternative before
her, as entirely trustworthy? IN no
German or French court would it even
be admitted and it seems horrible that
it should have SO much weight in the
American court.
| repeat that on his own showing
| the plaintiff had no case, and that the
proceedings should have gone on after
so beggarly and bungling an array Of
testimony for the plaintiff, adds only to
our long entertained conviction that
the American and English laws on
evidence, are defective. and that they
lend undue aid to designing litigants.
BEAUTIES OF SHADoWs.-The
shadoogs all day long play at silent
games of beauty Every thing is dou-