Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1875-05-05
TILTON-BEECHER.
The Great Scandal Suit Dragging
Along.
Mrs. TiltOn's Letter the Sensa-
ton of the Hour.
What Mrs. TiItOn and Judge
Nelson Say.
Mrs. TiltOn's Letter and the
Judges; Reply.
ProeeedInru Of the Cont.


NEW YORK, May 4.--The plaintiff and
defendant were absent from the court room
when the great scandal case was begun to-
| day. Mrs. Beecher, however, was on hand,
and Mr.. Tilton arrived five minutes after
the proceedings had commenced, accompa-
MED again by Mrs. Middleton and daugh-
ter.
Several witnesses were examined in re-
buttal, who fatty cOntradicted witnesses for
the defense in some material points:
Jos. p. Richards, brother of Mrs. TiltOn,
was recalled and testified:
remember going before the investiga-
! ting committee at StoTs' house last sum-
mer. Gen. Tracy was not there. 1 had a
conversation with him in the front parlOr.
He made some remarks about my appear
ing before the committee. The witness
was asked to relate the interview. / said
to Tracy that appeared at a summons
| from Mr.. Sage. Tracy said, 81 am here as
Beecher's counsel" and he told me L would
be asked if my sister had ever confessed to
me Of having committed adultery with Mr..
Beecher. l replied that l would not an
sWer that question. He said my refusal to
answer would be construed as an answer
in the affirmative, and refused to go be-
fore the committee.
Gossip About Mrs. TIItOn's Letter.
Mrs. Tilton was asked whether she had
kept copy of the document, the preSenta-
tiOn of which, to Judge Nelson, was the
sensation in the scandal trial yesterday.
She answered: 81 have kept a copy, and it
was prepared to make it public, but till
Judge Nelson decides whether or not to
read il in court, don't think it would be
proper for me to let it be published. 1t re-
lated to the matter Of my not being called
as a witness, but to give summary of its
contents would be equivalent to publishing
it."
Judge Nelson told a reporter last night
that ne had concluded to take no action re-
gardiDg Mrs. Tiltons communication. In
the present state of the matter, he could
not see that any action by the court was
called for. In case Mrs. Tilton saw fit to
make some further communication, lie
might take some steps in the matter, but
as the case now stood, there was nothing
for him to do. He would not, he said,
either have it read or published, but if
Mrs. Tilton desired to publish it, he would
return the communication to her at any
time she might choose TO send for it.
Mrs. TiItOn's Letter 10 Judge Nelson.
The Brooklyn Eagle furnishes the fol-
lowing copy Of Mrs. Iilton's letter to Judge
Nelson:
Brooklyn, May 3.-Judge Nelson: l
ask the privilege from you for few words
in my own behalf. feel deeply the Injus-
tice of my position in the law and before
the court now sitting, and while 1 have
understood and expected from the begin
ming Mr.. Evarts principal in the matter,
yet since your last decision have been so
sensible Of the power of my enemies that
my soul cries out before you and the gen.
tlemen of the jury, that they beware how,
by divided verdict, they cOnsign 10 my
children a false and irrevOcable stain on
their mother. For five years past 1 have
been the victim Of circumstances most cruel
and unfortunate, struggling from time to
time only for a place to live honOTably and
truthfully. Released for some months
from the will by whose power unconscious
" eliminated myself again and again,
declare sOlemnly before you, without fear
of man and by faith in God, that am in
nocent of the crimes charged against me. 1
would like to tell my whole sad story, and
truthfully to acknowledge the the fire.
quent falsehoOds wrung from me by COM
pulsiOn, though at the same time unwilling
which the vital importance Of my position
makes necessary. / assume the entire re-
spOnsibility of this request, unknown 20
friend or counsel of either side, and await
your honOr's honorable decision. With
great respect, ELIZABETH r. TILTON.
Judge Nelson's Reply.
The following is Judge Nelson's reply:
Chambers Of the City Court, Brooklyn,
N Y, Moy 4, 1S75.-Mrs. TiltOn: l am
directed by Chief Judge Nelson to return
your letter as it cannot be read in court;
also 10 state that in civil cases counsel have
the right TO refrain from calling particular
witnesses, however competent, and that
neither the court nor client can interfere
with the exercise of that right. The Judge
also instruCts me to say, that the question
whether you could be a witness stands on
quitet another ground from that considered. |
When your husband was called and sworn, |
he was competent witness to testify in |
his behalf against third person defendant, |
and while the policy of the law was to |
some extant involved, there was no express |
statute in the way, but the statute Of May |
10, 1867, expressly declares the wife to be |
incompetent as a witness for or against |
the husband. Yours, respectfully,
GEO. W. MABEL,
Clerk City Court, etc.