The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1875-05-28

Tilton's testimony he onco though
Beecher man Of great intellect, greater
even than his own, but he Outgrew thi
and placed Beechers strength in his greR
moral qualifications. These were wha
made him greater than Sumner, Greeley
. and Tilton. These we're what induced
him to engage in what ho termed sacra
mental adultery, introduced and tOrmin
ated by prayer.
Mr.. Evurts asked tho Jury to look al
the folly Of this attempt to make the
charge seem credible by making adul,
terry seem immaculate. Adultery was a
thing which touched the institution oI
marriage and children. and children,
children were interested, that the proof
in regard to 1t should DO plain and con
vincing. II was Divine law that when
the fathers had eaten sour grapes the
children's teeth should be set on edge
Now what sort OF adultery was this
which took place between the purest and
best woman who remained pure and
good after Il had taken place, who could
prevent this sort of adultery from get
ting into families, and who could ward
off tho charges OF its commission. In
regard to this sort Of miracle hO was
reminded Of cartoon, published In
Punch, representing a Sunday School
boy and his teacher. The boy did not
know what miracle was, tho master
asked him what no would say II ho saw
tbs sun shining in tho night, tha boy re.
piled that no should say It was the
moon. But, said the master, II a man
should tell you II was the sun.
Please, sir, | should say elied. Laugh.
teri But II should tell you II was the
sun, l who never lie. Please, sir, l
should think you were drunk. (Laughter.)
So in this case, the Jury were asked to be-
lieye that tho chaste moon, shining
in the pure heaven Of tho re.
ligious world was blazing sun
OF adultery. They would at once
declare 1t was the moon. But here Theo-
odoro Tllton came along and said, Il, Sir
Marnaduko declare II 10 the sun Of adul.
terry" What would the jury say to him ?
He believed they would say he lied,
[Laughter[ But Frank Moulton came
next-ho who never told a lie-and said,
"0u-On the honor Of Sir Philip Sydney,
| declare 1t Is the sun OF adultery" What
could the jury say to him but that he was
drunkP Laughter.1 The Punch cat.
echism ended here, but there was third
witness in this case, Mrs. Moulton, the
wife Of Sir Philip Sydney, the sistcrly
friend OF her pastor and Of Mrs. TiltOn.
She, too, declared that this was the blaz.
ing sun Of adultery. In this case, with
ali tho politencss which the boy could
command, !, he thoughtho would be obliged
10 say, "Madame, you must have been
sunstruCk, and don't know tho sun from
the MOON" Laughter.l Wherever you
establish tho proposition that these
breaches Of external morality that threat.
en- the very fabric Of society, tho pur-
ity OF the family, can occur without
preliminary moral degradation, and in.
dulged without being accompanied by
tho inflammation Of low desires, and
tho triumph Of the flesh over the spirit
can he pracllced with the maintenance Of
all active benevolence aud the exhibition
Of all the beautiful virtues Of life. You
have struck blow not at Beecher, not at
Mrs. TiltOn, but your own wives and your
own daughters. Why do you rear them
In the distinction between the wise and
foolish virgins2 1ftho wise virgins with
their lamps trimmed and burning arc to
be left in utter darkness and the wedding
feast closed against them, why do you look
at the growing beauties Of the face and
feel safe2 Were we TO discard the Divine
sentiment on which our society had rested
for 80 long time, were We to abandon
these precepts and gU back To tho old
physical law Of personal security, II We
abandoned these pEecepts VIC would have
10 get a wife deposit company aud have u
paramour alarm by which wo might be
summoned 10 be present In caso Of necCS.
sity.
Counsel then turned TO tho require.
ments Of tho law 10 meet such case US
this. In tho English law confessions
alone wero not sufficient grounds for the
destruction Of tho marriage relation, but
only proof Of the fact. Proof Of actual
bodily contact was required. Proof Of
conduct, disposition, adIltOrous purposes,
ENHANCEMENT Of the affections for adul.
ferrous purposes, and Of the opportunity
Of companionship and personal contact
with security, were the absolute methods
Of proving tho body Of the crime. 1t
was mistake to say that proof Of the
body Of the crime was not required. This
was required by law, and II was necessary
on these facts thus proved, accompanying
the confessions Of the parties, that an
adequate ground for verdict could be
found. There was not much ground, said
counsel, for suit Of divorce In this case
Counsel spoke Of the force Of Brooklyn
epithetS applied to this trial, and said
the best method Of testing the bridge be-
tween Brooklyn and New York was 10
send train loaded with these epithets
over It, and II II stood this II would stand
anything. This was an issue whether
Mr. Beecher, who stood for this country
In the height Of her extremity against all
England, and faced the jeers and cat.calls
Of great crowds of English gentlemen
who wero Of tho better classes, and faced
them down, what no single voice or man
ever did ior nation since tho world be.
gan; whether he was that beast, loose,
coarse and loathed that would enable
the English people TO return tho taunt
that n Jury discovered that his courage
was not Of tho soul; whether they were
to say by their verdict that this man,
whom every stranger who had been In the
court room desired TO grasp by tho hand,
that he was man who should be excluded
from all companionship, and that be could
ptemeditato persistent, cool seduction
Of married woman. a verdict, said
the counsel OF six cents would be aS dis.
astrous to Mr. Beecher In this case "a
verdict OF hundred thousand dollats,
and their verdict could not be a divided
one, but must either be for the plaintiff
or defendant. Mr. EvartS said they
would now look at the law Of Citcuih.
stantial evidence, and which he explain.
ed to The Jury, quoting from legal vol.
ume portion Of an opinion In the case
Of the People IA. Bennett. The plaintiff,
said the counsel, had not failed 10 pre-.
sent proofs looking to conviction from
any delicacy. He did not hesitate 10
bring Joseph Richards here under charge
Of the court; he did moi hesitate 10 bring
paupef woman from the ward Of a
hoSpita 10 repeat her lies before them.
When she SwOfe that on one occasion she
heard Mr.. BeecheF ask Mrs. Tilton how
she fell, to which abe replied, "Father,
dear | feel an anh ihe tOnhsel did mi