Wilmington daily commercial., 1875-05-21
FIRST EDITION.
Judge POrter's Argument.
HIS SPEECH CONTINUED, YEsrEnpAY-rs arl

HIS SPEECH CONTINUED, YEsTERDAy-ITs aENER-
AL oHARAcTER-HE ExroLs Bessie TURNER AND
HER TESTIMONY.
Judge Porter, yesterday, opened by continu-
Ing the line of argument which lie had pursued
OH Wednesday, aud read from some of the let
ters of Mr.. and Mrs. Tilton. Among these wed
the letter of Mr.. Tilton to his wife in February
1867, in which he mentions his meditations on
Christ as He would be in the character of a
married man. This letter Judge Porter read
in mocking manner, accompanied with scath-
ing comments that produced a marked effect
upon the audience. Reading
ONE OF MRS. TILroN's LETTERS,
full of expressions of devotion to her husband
the orator ecquently described-by way of COM
ment upon an expression in tho letter-the
charm of apparent youthfulness which the mu-
tual love OF husband and wife casts over the
gray hairs and wrinkles which come upon them
in age. In doing this he paid graceful tribute
to Judge Nelson.
He began the more strictly argumentative part
OF his address by calling attention to the dates
on which the complaint particularly charges that
adultery was conmittad-Oct 10, and Oct. H.
1868. These dates, he asserted, were selected
because they were believed to be safe from
proof OF an alibi by the defendant. III can lima
gine, he exclaimed, '.the searching of alma
macs by Tilton and Moulton, when the days we're
fixed upon" The
TESTIMONY OF MISS BEssIE TURNER
formed the principal subject of tho argument
yesterday. With great power the orator
sketched the scenes between Miss Turner and
MIR. Tilton as described by Miss Turner. He
then analyzed her evidence praising her char
acter as innocent and devoted, and her state
ments as truthful and consistent The tes-
timony OF the witnesses who contradicted
her was rapidly reviewed. Mr. Richards
was denounced, Mr.. Martin was sarcastcally
called "Tilton's spy" and Mr.. Tilton himself
was declared to have failed to give moro than
qualified denial Of the very point in Miss Turn
er's evidence, which it was most vital to his case
to contradict. Judge Porter lauded highly the
manner in which Miss Turner had borne the
cross-examination Of Mr.. Fullerton and Mr..
Beach, and the general character OF her testi-
mony With great effect
THE ORATOR EXCLAIMED,
"She to-day stands proud and erect, while he,"
pointing at Mr. Titon with contemptuous look,
and speaking in harsh voice, with scornful en-
phasis, "slinks from the gaze of manhood and
OF womanhood ~ Judge Porter made a power
full appeal to the jury at this point asking the
jurymen il they "believed this to be an honest
man." and turning toward Mr.. Tlton he ex-
claimed, with fierce intensity, "Hollow, treach.
erous, false, cowardly, base p
Tho testimony of Henry @. Bowen was taken
up near the close of the session, and Judge Por-
ter initiated the manner in which Mr.. Bowen
had testified, putting his own Interpretation up
to Mr.. Tilton, the lawyer caused laugh by ex-
claiming, with an ironical smile, "After all,
Theodore, don't you think that Henry O. made
a pretty poor witness 2" Mr.. Tiiton darted back
a contemptuous look at the speaker. Judge
Porter will continue his argument to-day.