The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1875-02-25
Mrs. Moulton's Testimony
On Friday, Mrs Frank Moulton testified

y
he was glad there was one woman with whom
he could talk on the subject, and who might
give him sympathy; he asked Inc the condition
of Mr.. Tilton's mind, and if he was angry OF
could be kept quiet. In June, 1913, Mr. Beech
er had conversation with me. in which he eX-
pressed his fear that the letter Of confession
would be published he said that Theodore was
man not TO be tlu>ted: When | told MIR
Beecher that Mrs. TittOn said she was TO blame,
he replied that the sin was his and not Eliza
bcths. | said TO him that he would nave been
better off to have confessed the matter when 1t
occurred, but now he had added to the original
sin four years of perjury and lying: he sad he
was not afraid of Theodore taking the case into
the courts, as he had lived with his wife after
ward and condoned the offence; that he was not
afraid Of any course that the case would take IN
the courts, and would fight it out to the end
Mr.. Beecher on one occasion expressed regret
at the sorrow and suffering he had brought on
Tiltons household. always Saluted Mr. Beech
er in friendly manner, but on one occasion
when he spoke of his great sorrow and talked
of committing suicide, with tears streaming
down his cheeks, I placed my hand on his
shoulder and kissed him on the forehead: re-
member one Friday when Mr.. Beecher was on
his way to the prayer meeting, when Mr..
Mouton was present, threw my arms around
Mr.. Beecher's neck and asked Mr.. Moulton to
save this good man.
In the afternoon Mrs. Tiltons own brother
testified to descending suddenly one forenoon
INTO his sisters parlor and disturbing there Mrs.
Iilton and Mr.. Beecher sitting on sofa, and
his sister, with gesture of haste and fright and
flushed face, motioned Mr.. BeeCher in such a
way as to make painful and lasting impression
upon the witness, Joseph Richards. He told
his wife that night. He would have explained
himself further to the jury, but Mr.. Evarts cut
him up harshlv. This was painful and power
tu piece of testimony from such source, and
it thrilled the courtroom. Mrs. Titon heard
l. Il,
brother. They looked very much alike. He
was cool and impassiVe; so was She II is not
a family to droop in public.
From the New York Herald's report, Feb. 20.
The scene at recess was that Of blank
amaZement. People arose and looked at
each other, and as Hawthorne relates in
one of his stories each man saw his next
neighbor tremble, but was not conscious
that he trembled himself. The short wit
nesses those with plain, brief statement.
and merely incidental relations to the
scandal, had been more efficient and start
ling witnesses for the plaintiff than those
laden down with documents and bearing
their own characters into the investiga-
ton to be examined into. There had been
Catherine Carey, the wet nurse, with her
brief personal relation of familiarities
Richards, Mrs Tilton's brother, with one
painful, "indelible" scene Brasher, with
his story Of Mr.. Beechcr in Livingston
street at all hours of the day. They We're
like to the brief apparitions. saying to the
victim of their testimony:
Burn his eyes and scar his heart
Come like shadows; SO depart.
Mrs. Tilton arose from the chair where
she had been sitting. with her head bent
forward and her eyes partly closed, her
veil down and her face pale and thin, and
she walked out of the courtroom, attend
ed by one man and three or four ladies,
among them Mrs Sherman, the LAWYERS
wife, and Mrs. Field. Mrs Field is look
ing very white and much worried, not
nearly so much like Zenobia as early in
the week. She looked up at Mrs Moul-
ton, yesterday, with face expressive OF
gloom, and yet imperturable opinion. The
dizziness Of the average middle class face
is notin Mrs. Moulton's features, and when
She was asked. yesterday, if she consd-
cred Mrs. Tilton an acquaintance and an
atfectionate friend, there was Just trine
of discrimination in her look. The ques-
ton answered itself Several other ladies
were in the courtroom, very much alb
sorbed. Assistant Pastor Halliday's face
was looking very long. He seemed stupe-
fled part OF the day yesterday Nh
Tracy dropped that grizzly smile he car
ries and looked straight before him. The
old Judge on the bench looked painfully,
almost tearfully intense. rs Mrs Moulton,
in the forenoon, had entered upon the steep
and narrow defiles of her darker expert
lIa bal TO hot
shown more than a mastitf's watch over
;he case. In short, Brooklyn was in the
protonndest agitation all day yesterday.
At the close of the day Mr. Evarts looked
pale and old and serious. Judge Porter
and Mr. Abbott had heard Mrs. Moulton
with an interest so absorbing that they
appeared to lose their professional rell-
ton to the case in the importance it had
newly acquired through a newer human
revelation. Prior to this day we had seen
worldly men at work striving to bury
something to drag it away, to push it out
of existence In place of their savage
contention and futile ingenuity, here had
been a witness saving, "Coniess, Speak (,
1t is easy and noblcr' Mrs. Moulton had
been to this tragic opera what Little Pearl
had been to the Scarlet Letter, ready to
advise preacher, will you stand here
at noon tomorrow in the pillory, with
mother and me?" She had, according to
her oath, said to Mr. Beecher " our only
way out is to confess. | will be a friend
to you as long as you live if YOU will do
So On the supposition that Mrs Moul-
ton had not told the truth, still her story
had all the fascination of simplicity in the
midst Of a deadly tabeau. AS if woman
had walked into a den of lions and ser
penis and talked to one palsied there, as
ii she had not seen any terror, so seemed
Mrs. Monlton's relation to the case The
Woodruff scandal had not touched her.
She talked about going to Mrs Wood
hulFs house, and the association lost its
fatality by the fact that with her went her
mother, now dead, and her only child.
Mr.. Beecher was not in Court when she
began her testimony. He came in late,
and Mrs Beecher who had heard it with
a pteous face, told him, in sentence or
two, what it was He made few efforts
to look incredulous and to laugh; but
after while the crimson color, as of
grape skin held up to the light, began to
fill the cheeks and brow and extend to the
roots of the hair. His eyes half closed.
and looked entreatics OF prayer. His
breath could almost be heard He was,
to all appearances, in real agony. lib.
Clatlin came in while the testimony was
at the full. The witness had Just ceased
to speak. with that sweetness OF solemnit
which made the scene like Quaker meet
ing. Mr.. Beecher took the occasion to
whisper to him and to smile again. At
recess Mr.. Beecher spoke loudly and at
length, about thirty reporters and others
around poking in their ears to listen. He
said that she had lied from beginning to
end Still his face was very greatly dis
turbed. Nothing like it has been seen all
the trial. Even Mr. Beach, of Plymouth
who always laughs, looked queer yester-
day. The expression Of Mr. Beecher as
he marched out OF Court and through the
corridors was that OF pain anger, and pre-
monition. Mrs. Beecher followed him
mechanically and STOPPING. Three of the
boys had been present, and Mrs. Moulton's
reference to them had been depressing.
On the other side, Mrs. Moulton was
tra bod ,ho Il A. Il