Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1875-03-19
THE SCANDAL TRIAL.


CrOSs-Examiniug Beeeher's Assistant
After our Geographic report OF the TilJon-
Beecher trial closed Yesterday, the examin.
alton of Assistant Pastor Halliday was con-
tinued.
The witness was handed the record book
and stated that on October 30, 1872, n meeting
OF the board of deacons was held. There were
present Messrs. Hawkins, White, Moody,
Roach, West, Halliday, and so?ue deacon
esses. Beecher was not present at that meet
ing or after it. There was discussion after
question was raised by the discussion wheth-
er the church should take any action or not.
No written resolution was offered about it,
out essentially there was q resolution passed
IN the form that il was not expedient 10 take
any action on the scandal at all. There was
no dissent from this opinion, as ali were in
favor of it. So far as / know Beecher had
nothing to do with this.
Mr.. BEECHER RECEIVES A NOTE.
Mr. and Mrs. Beecher did not come into the
court room until after the proceedings hal
commenced. About half an hour after his
entrance Beecher received a note and left the
court room in hurry, returning after an
absence of about half an hour. Mrs. Tilton
and Bessie Turner were not in their accus-
TONED places, which were occupied by ladies'
who have heretofore been Strangers to thu
trial. After the recess Beecher held brief
conversation with Mr.. Evarts, and then. at
tended by gathering of the Plymouth church
section and accompanied by his wife, he re-
turned TO his home in private carriage.
AFTER RECESS
Halliday resumed the stand, and his cross
examination was begun by Judge Fullerton.
lie teStlhed that at the meeting in October,
when the Woodruff scandal was discussed,
all the members named in the record were
present; there We're others also present, among
them MI Fitzgerald: told the meeting that
BeecheI, when he examined the papers with
the scandal in them, said that he had made
up ms mind not to notice them; did not say
this TO influence the meeting in any way; my
impression is that Captain Duncan was pres
ent, and the records say that Mr. West was
present also; think Harking and Roper were
present.
THE FIRST MEETING WITH MRS. MoULToN
had was in the spring of 1872. think it was
pastoral call, and may have been in the
mousse from fifteen minutes To- half an hour.
called again on the day of the deacons'
meeting Ms. MOulton met me at the door
and asked me into the parlor, where / went.
the Woodruff and Clafiin scandal?' She said
she did not know what right Mrs. Woodruff
mad TO use her name, as she had nothing To
DO with 1t. said something which do not
remember, and she replied that Mr.. Beecher
was her pastor, and II believe him." and
mat nothing people could say would effect
son called my attention 20 Mr. Beechers POI
trait at that time. My attention was called
10 II 81 one OF my visits there. The first one
in the sp.ing Of 1872. II was hanging on the
east wall OF the house. My conversation
with her on that occasion was very brief
not lasting more than ten minutes.
West was chairman, made a report. When
THE WEST CHARGES
were presented was clerk of the committee,
and made the entry on the minutes. The
charges were presented at the meeting in
June, 1873, in the church parlorS. Mr.. West
himself presented them; the action taken be
ing To allow him to make them; they were
incomplete, and referred back To West for
completion. After their being referred back
10 West third specification was added, and
they were presented in complete form the
following week. West, Captain Duncan ana
myself were present. there were others also
present, but their names do not know. I
had several conversations with West about
the charges before they were presented the
hrst time, and endeavored to dissuade him
rom their presentation. i did so because [
thought they were not being presented prom
erly. i think the documents of the West
charges are among papers in my possession
at nome or else in the custody of the gentle
man who became clerk after me. Handed
document This is in part a copy ofthe West
charges, but is not the original paper. This
l think, is in the handwriting OF the clerk of
the examining committee.
The witness corrected his previous tesfi-
mony about his objection TO the presentation
OF the West charges, and said what he meant
was that his objection to the charges was
groundless on the fact that they were being
presented in an irregular m amer The wit
ness then continued: In reference TO TiltOn's
name, only advised that II be dropped from
the rolls OF the church. / never gave West
any advice not to prosecute these charges,
but would not swear SO. l advised the ex-
aiming committee not TO investigate the
charges against TiIton. Most of the COM
mittee Were in favor of investigating these
charges; Captain Duncan was one of them:
DR.. White was another. The conclusion of
this affair of the West charges was in Octo-
Der, 1873. West told me he did not go to see
Mr.. Tilton about these charges, as he ought
10 have done as church member. There
were also some of the witnesses whom he die
not go to see. This was one of the reasons
thought the charges Were irregular 1 al
ways urged that Tilton should be dropped
rom the rolls OF the church. as he said he
was mol q member Of il and did not consider
himself so. Adjourned,
SUFFOcATED BY COAL GAs.-On Tuesday |
INT tl.o Il,