Knoxville Whig and chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1875-1882, 1875-05-26
THE GREAT TRIAL.
Summing Up for the Defense.

summing up 10r the Defense.
New YORK, May 19.-Mr. Porter
this morning began his summing up
| for the defense in the Beecher
trial. He said his client had Scriptural-
ly, when stricken on one cheek turned
the other to his foe. In the beginning
of the trial the jury might have been
struck with the general air of untruth-
| fulness permeating the case. On the
one hand they had Tilton and Moul-
! ton, Jayne the informer, Woodruff and
Clafiin, and Joe Richards stealing up
starkly to strike his sister in the back
also there was General Butler, the
great strategist. These are sponsors of
| this accusation, these the champions of
| Christian purity and morality. On the
other hand the defendant had arrayed
| on his side the jury of the vicinage,
the wife, children and grandchildren
who found shelter beneath his roof, and
the three thousand worshippers at Ply
mouth Church. He has also the al
most unanimous and enthusiastic sup
port of his professional brethren, and
the sympathy of all Christendom.
Such as these love and trust him, while
they abhor and loathe the very names
of Tilton and Moulton. The whole
tenor Of Beecher's life gives the lie di-
rect to this charge, and so does the vir-
tuous bearing of Mrs. Tilton. AL
though her husband asserted her to be
an adulteress, he cohabited with Tier
four years aftvI MS accusation against
her chastity, a damning fact of itself
against his charge.
The alleged cuLprit is man three
score years of age, self.disciplined, not
merely a Christian, but veteran
Christian, and minister of the gospel,
who from his youth up dedicated him
self to God and religion. Could such
man be capable of leading life of
such low debauchery and cunning in
trigue as is charged against linn? The
very fiends Would laugh such an accu-
sation to scorn. IF Beecher were ca
pable of taking to himself a mistress
would he be likely ito do so under the
preposterous circumstances as alleged
Especial telegram to Cincinnati COMMERCIAL
BROOKLYN, May Cove have had
all day a continuance of yesterdays
torrent ofinvective against TiltOn from
the mouth of eX-Judge Porter. AS a
whole it has certainly been conclusive
enough for all practical purposes, and
2 some passages of it were calculated to
appal any victim who could suffer from
the fiercest ohjurgation, or OF the most
7 whitening derision. One should say
, the jury must now be filled with ioath-
ing anu scorn for the treachery, cruel
D ty and cowardice of Tiltop, who is at
y once
A HELL-INFLAMED MONSTER
And heaveu-inspired genius, whose
. lofty and radiant head would dazzle il
we did not get glimpse of his cloven
e hoofs and forked tail. Porter often
4 put on the colors far too thickly in de-
!, picting Tilton and his deeds, and the
II other parties involved.
i The jury, however, were riveted all
: day, as they were all yesterday, by the
&c speech, aud thee spectators, by which
the Court Gas filled, were sPellbound
} Til;On bore the bombardment as best
1t he could, yet it is not surprising that
IS Porter's ever returning denunciation
# Of Tilton, face to face, sometimes
STOPPING to glare CHASTITY into Tilton's
face, now
SHAKING HIS SHIVERING HAND OvEF
Il TILToN'S HEAD,
~ Then pointing his scornful finger al
"a Tilton's probOscis, had the effect o.
is raising q deep agitation and flush over
Tilton. At times Tilton displayed Gu
rious self-control. When Porter wai
reading one of his letters in blood
IT curdling style, Tilton graciously whis
, pered to him that he had left out {
a. word, upon which Porter paused anC
N made the correction. Again, this az
II ternoOn, when Porter, tearing through
- passage of invective, wished to fine
10 a sentence in one of Elizabeth's letters
n Tilton hunted it up in printed vol
ume, which he cody handed to his de
rs nouncer, who, however, refused to &C
w cept the courtesy.
no In opening his speech this morning
~ Porter INDUCED in some preliminar.
II, fiap-doodleism over the date of lette
IN which Elizabeth wrote from her nur
" sery" on Sunday" But suddenl.
ST springing from his gentlest TO his fierc
ne est mood, closely confronted the plain
= tiff, and spoke of
. ELIZABETH BENDING IN ANGUISH
II, OVER THE BOY
is whom Theodore Tilton, even in hi
w grave, pronounced bastard. Porte
y Kissed out these words while shakin
Id his hands in the face Of Tilton, VIII
In started, turned scarlet, and uttere
What's that?" as he glaTed at hi
denouncer. We expected a seen