The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1875-04-15
Mr.. Beecher as Witness.

Mr.. Beecher as Witness.
The Tribune furnishes the following
account Of the appearance OF Mr..
Reecher ON the witness stand the first
day:
ment Of the trial had come, and that
Beecher was to face the jury and deny
the charges which had been made
against him. The silence was unbroken,
save by the restless movements OF
nervous auditors when Mr.. Evarts
turning to Mr.. Beechor said: "Mr
Beecher, will you be sworn" He had
come into the room nearly an hour be-
fore, in advance of the time for opening
| Court. his wife on his arm, and had
seated himself by her side, surrounded
| by his daughter and her husband. Mr..
Scoyille. his eldest sister, Mrs. Perkins,
his brothers Edward and Thomas X.
Beecher, Mrs. Edward Beecher, his daugh-
ter-in-law, and larger delegation from
Plymouth Church than had ever before
appeared in the courtroom. He was |
attired as usual, not change in his
habit. His long, gray hair was dis
heveled, as it usually is He looked as
he always does, except that his face was
not paler but less flushed. Otherwise it
was the same fixed, placid look which
he has worn throughout the trial, ex-
cept on the exciting occasion when Mrs.
MOulton told her strange story OF his
confession to her. He rose when Mr..
Evarts spoke, and with only a look and
a smile at his faithful wife, who turned
: her white, thin face up to him as he
: arose, he stepped behind the Plymouth
group, and passing behind the jury-box,
: approached the witness-chair. He
mounted the stand upon which it rests.
The officer presented Bible for him to
be sworn, but he motioned it aside, and
turning full upon the Clerk lifted up his
right hand. The Clerk supposed he de-
sired to affirm, and had begun to ad-
: minister that form of oath, when Messrs.
: Fullerton and Beach objected, unless
n Mr.. Beecher should declare that he had
S conscientious scruples against swearing
upon the Scriptures. A brief discussion
; between the Judge and Mr.. Beach was
n brought to an end by Mr. Beecher him.
C self, who declared that he had such con-
l. scientious scruples. The Clerk then be-
IS gan again, "You solemnly affirm and de-
l. clare,o when Mr.. Bcecher dropped his
arm, and Mr.. Evarts at the same mo.
y ment explained that Mr.. Beecher took
the oath in the New England form.
n Again the Clerk began, this time in
% slower and more impressive tones, and
'r his manner strangely unlike the rusty,
m mechanical habit of speech which has
Is grown upon him in long years OF service,
u "You solemnJy swear by the everything
ID God that the evidence you shall give in
m this issue, Theodore Tilton, plaintiff
le and Henry Ward Bcecher, shall be the
truth, the whole truth and nothing but
OF the truth" Mr.. Beecher, unlike tho
"a other witnesses who have preceded him
I; with a most reverential bow, his eyes
as cast down, answered, 81 do"
ne Visibly he was the least affected mar
i'm the room. His manner was entirel,
1T unconstrained. He sat most of the tim'
- with the two middle-fngers of his RICH
)n hand thrust in his vest. Once when n
in had occasion to look for memorandum
nd book, the officer behind him offered t.
relieve him of his cloak, and he SUI
ed rendered it with "thank YOU" III
re was perfectly ut case. The reporte
we looked in vain for those minute evi
ad dences of nervousness which readers ar
at always glad to have described, and tn
~, description may appear tame, but it
ed truthful. The best idea to be formed {
liz him by those who have seen him in tn
his pulpit or lecture-room is to recall him a
ice he appeared then and there. ArOun
the corners of his mouth and eyes ther
ng lurked the familiar, quiet smile whic
mel bctrays the great humor of the mai
on which can not be repressed, and whic
He frequently finds expression even in h
vas most serious discourses in the extrao
The binary phases in which his ideas al
Ter. often grotesquely dressed. In his test
an mony yesterday this humor cropped o,
yet several times. Once, when referring
he his literary labors, he called himself
hat very voluminous author. He hs
APP smiled, half blushed, at what he e,
it, IDENTIFY thought might be regarded as
egotistical expression, and mome
re- later his eyes twinkled and brighten,
Just the least, and his old half smi
hen came back when he had to say that du
Vt ing certain period he made many I
tor litical speeches and preached not Il
ute political sermons. This irreprcssib
liar humor dubbed to the service still lat
RIM, when he was asked il he had not writ
,wn many letters was not in fact gre
ind correspondent. He smiled as he hest
vers ted second or two before answering,
lien should say not if l judge from my 4
The preston, but il they should begin
BILE. hunt over my letters ] presume 1t won
ght be found that had" This was the ii
ling allusion to the troublesome habit
we're writing long letters. Still later Il
,las, humor found a more extravagant
preston. He had been asked If his fl
title public discussion with Tilton had
en- been marked by considerable antag'
, of ism and asperity in the expression
cgi- their views. He answered as if app
and ciating the joke, Nothing that ira
we're cended whatI see here in Court" Ev
nee, Reach unbcnt at this, and smiled w
IS OF the Beechcr party. The rest. of
the Plaintiff counsel sat gloomy, silent
as a stern as they had done all through
the day, taxing their cue from Tilton
fire Moulton, but lest il be imagined that
oops witness manner was trivial, IL should
we're added that these incidents occurred d
ock. ing the early part of the day, when
attention was drawn to comparatIv
writ trivial matters. He evinced great u
that ing when questioned in regard to the