The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-04-12
THE BROOKLYN TRIAL
Drift Of Henry Ward BeeCher'S
Direct Evidence.
THE METHOD OF HIS DENIALs

THE METHOD OF HIS DENIAI4S
This cause celeore-the Tlton-Beecher case-is
not only being tried In court before an eminent
Judge, with the leading counsel OF the country en-.
gagged for plaintiff and defendant, but IL Is being
tried by the people, before supreme Judge,
Jury OF public opinion, and thousands OF counsel
represented by The press that reproduces the evil
dence and make their comments Tor one side OF
the other. So strong an interest is developed
in the issue by the public at large that people
stop in all kinds OF places 10 talk over the ques-
tion an d II Beecher and Triton man happen 60
TALL together, the debate Immediately becomes
very animated and the bystanders chime IN with
their music. Al present the Beecher star 10 IN the
ascendant, and the Tlon man That opens MS
mouth gets pretty roughly handled. IL IS nselesa
for him to say, "wait until the reouttal," as the
indignant followers of the Plymouth church pastor
Immediately respond, HE has denied everything.
as we told you he would, and explained the lam
guage as the simple outpourings OF an overloaded
and excited brain"
Nothing can be more beautiful in its way than
the unbounded faith and devotion OF the nock to
their shepherd. His disciples worship bhnoly and
with intense iaith, believing as gospel every word
that falls from his lips, and. with that conviction,
morally certain or Victory for their side. They
come full OF lalth and say, "You read the evidence
in this mornings paper, when Beecher denied
that he had held any sucn conversation with TIL
ton and Moulton; that their whole statement was
a tissue OF falsenoodsSn They teen look as II to
say, .'Tha. Is enougnn and, wnen you gently sug.
gest that is reason 10 doubt the testimony
OF MIR. Moulton and Mr.. Tilton any more than
there is 10 doubt that OF Mf. Beecner they look
wild, laugh significantly, and 60 away, evidently
plying your ignorance.
THE TESTIMONY
given by Mr.. Beecher during the past week las
been marked by one peculiar feature, an evident
determination to fight the battle on fixed nne,
and he has kept straight ahead without swervng
once from the course OF direct denial tnat ne mas
taken in regard 10 the evidence given by MI
Tton and Mr. Moulton. HIS friends listen WITH
eager interest as at one moment he describes
meeting between himself, Moulton and luton,
wnere they all kissed one another, and then again
when, with emphatic power aud theatrical
gesture, he denies some statement, calling upon
MS God as his judge TO the train OF his words Al
another point his voice Will become solt and
tender and gradually faltering as he goes along,
the big tears roll down those rudy c1eeks.
the iaay listeners raise their handkercnefs TO
their eyes, Mr. Evarts looks toward the jury with
the air OF a man VINO wished to say, "Can such
man as that he gulltyS" ana then, after saort
pause. 10 give proper effect to the taoieau the
scene changes. anu the examination continues on
another portion OF the testimony
Some ol the descriptions given oy Mr.. beecner
OF tue different interviews re nad wltn MIS- Moul-
ton were very picturesque III tnelr nature. bat TO
those VINO heard the testimony oil the LADY her-
SELL hardly carried that conviction OF truth tnas
the witness wISneu TO convey. In one interview
ne testified that sne came up behind MIN aud sald
that sne did NOS Deneve all the Dad stories
that people told about nlm BeecneI then came
out VITA effect and deIvered tne following
with dramatic ges ure :-"Emma Moulton, am
good man; before, my God, am good man ~
HIS description OF the concluding poruon oil the
interview, wnen sue gave MN tue KISS oi lnsplra-
ton, was given In modulated tone OF Voice,
especial wnen he added that ne oid not return
tue sanitation.
Mr.. Beecher was called cniehy to the letters tnat
have oren produced against nm IN the case Tor
the plaintlf. HIS nne OF acton In regard 70 taoss
wlln q view 20 making the Jury believe tnat IN
many instances the language used was simply
SERIES OF METAPHORS,
which he had empIoyed In moments OF excite
ment. The letter OF contrition was produced,
and the witness commenced oy saying IN 40
dictate it," When he was asked dld
lore him as / do before ny GodS :" he
replied, "No.n said tuat thought mad wronged
MN In mis- household, that humDled myself be-
fore my God or 1t and was wiling to humole my.
self before Theodore lIlton. Mr.. Beech-r treated
tne letter as one that had been written by aoul
ton, the latter moulding the outpourlngs Of his
soul excited as 1t was with the idea that ne mao
shape IN winch tney had just Deen produced.
Mr.. BEEcHRR'S REcoLLEcrioNs
o. the meeting at Monitors wne P the tnree r prin1
present, appeared TO De very Clear as re gllDy de-
MED re-iourths oil what the others nad testlned
10. lie denied ever navluE made Use OF language
TO the efecT II you wish tnat should retire rom
my pulpit you nave only TO say the word; &C.
her for any vulgar end; my Intercourse
had been through love anu not through lust"
acting as Ioiows, ouryIn2 his face In MS
hands ne said ne ielt Ike man on the edge oI
nell. In fact that inlerve y, ike all others, was
completely upset and another coloring given 70
TIE Woodruff NATTER
was brought up last Tuesday, and Mr.. Beecher
contradlcted the greater portion OF Mr. lnton's
statement OF an interview Ia wncn ne h9u tolo
the witness the result Of conversation ne naa
with Mrs. Woodruff. He gave description VI nls
own Ierviews W tn Mrs. wOoduuil an1 ner eni
ueavors TO get nlm TO preside at tue sseinway
Hail meeting, and now ne mad been oDllgeu " re-
fuse, as though he was q oellevrr IN won ms
suffrage, he cOuid not countenance or encourage
ILe evidence gwen by Mr.. Beecher during the
past week mas called tie attention oil the puOnc
10 the increasing growth OF the crime OF perjury.
IL has been discussed In legal circles Tor some
time past and several oil our most eminent judges
have oeen heard 10 remark taat tue crime VI per.
jury earIuliy prevalent, aud hat nardy
day passed an court without some instance c0m-
Ing up wnere "A witness nad perJured Blmsel. 10
Is very PLAIN 10 tue ordinary reader OF tue testl.
muny tue Beecner- fllLon trial That perjury nas
peen Committed not b. retain Dot by wholesale,
and when this memorable cause Is oeclded tnete
viii PROBABLY De good opportunity anordea "
the Bench Tor the commlttal OF those lndlylouen
VINO make light ol one OF tue greatest
crimes against their fellow man. IL ~
appalling to read the evidence OF Messrs. Beecher
the other. Tney only agree In tue most trivial ana
unlmportdnt points, and IN most instances, are IN
direct contradltion OF one another.
1t was generally understood that the direct ex.
animation OF Mr.. Beecher was 10 have closed last
week. but Friday being an idle day IL will proDa.
bly, continue TODAY aud perhaps part OF
TUESDAY. Mr.. Fullerton Will then com.
mence the cross-examinatlon. aud the friends Of
1IlLon anticipate llvely week and confidently as
sert Mr.. Beecner win be cut to pieces ana not
hair let on his scalp The defence are equally
confident the otaer way ahd claim tnat II II I'M
possible TO upset the evidence OF truthful wiz
ness and one who has told as clear story a. Mr.
Beecher.
uONFS IN gITRTTRRc