New-York tribune., 1875-02-26
THE BEECHER-TILTON TRIAL.



:,.oc. in the testimony Of Francis D. Mo0ton
:, 4. concerning the letter which they obtained iI"
T,on on SATURDAY morning the 31 Of December and on
sxh the, sought the OF this traction from MI
n.,chsr Now gentlemen, there Is any one iae n 'nS
%, which must madeit impression upon 'ne minus
a these two witnesses 1t s that night OF the o VI
She .csuns day Noevent in the life OF Theodore Tton
with II in importance The bringing Of any accu-
Ito, srsinst man eminent as Henry ward beecher
.ene the confidence Of the public as ne dd whose name
"a fame had encirced esrththe bringing OF any ACCUSE
.,on which involved moral urptnde against him. was most
,portsnt act MI Tatou must have appreciated he eone
.e,oes of IL As did his friend Francis d. Aoulton
- N. start because you he began to make memoranda
. oDce Now they found themselves completely nanked by
N, Recher Obtaining this letter Of retracton from the wife
m the nyht Of sh OF December Never was disoranza-
,D and dismay into the campot army more perfect
and absolute the dismAy and dsorganzaton which
,,ck Francis D. Mouton and Theodore Ton the night Of
A,.ninr this retracon from Mrs Tilt0n. They went to
,ct letter from Mrs Ton they obtained IT, and yet when
we SIX Mouou this letter obtained he is utterly un
able to tell you is the remarkable instance OF want oil
neuory that have seen IN my experience IN the
ma Of causes He says the hst place. yen remember
gentlemen that he thinks the house and asked Mrs
toD for IL and he thinks he went into the sick aud
her. but he don't know He thinks she wrote there but he
don't know He don't know whether her husband
accompanied him to the house or not He
a,ur know whether the husband accompanied him
fntot N,
he wss the house all the sick al all He has
no recollection seeing her writing the letter ALL and
finally he don't know but got the letter from the hands Of
Theodore Tltoa himself Now. will read you the evidence
ca this subject Upon his direct examination he says to Mr
Fullerton:
20 How did you receive that no:c-irom whom A l
tkinf from Elizabeth TitOn direct
M Porter-From her, A. From her directly
Mr Eyats-Not personally-at b.r house! A Yes, Sir @
Did you Mrs. Tutonf A. l think did; yes. Sir. Ny
recollection that went 10 the house and saw Mrs Iton
q In her room! A Yes Sir
4 Sick roomy A Yes, Sir don't know whether it
sek room or not. / saw her"
Nj Sherman here suggested Mr. Tracy that he reading
nom the cross-examinaton Of the witness.
Mr. Tracy-Yes thank you for tho correction Gentlemen
reading from the crossexamnauon. Tie first ques
nOn read the direct but reading from the
cross examination. He had any difficulty the direct
axAmnaon in answering where he the letter, put the
c-oSsexamination you how his memory fails him The
last three questions that read to you the
nation.
lReadingl 20. Was she in bed not A do not re-
member"
Now gentlemen, perhaps you will believe that man who
went 10 house lady obtain important paper
that and into her and got the letter from her
would not remember whether she in bed
when he went in You may believe that but do think
you viii.
20 her husband yout A do not remember that
Q Do you remember that be was not' A don't remember
Q Did he 90 the house with you A don't remember
q Do you know how you to that houses A If went
Q Did Mr. Tiion ride with you' A I don't think he did
best of my reco lection is that he did not
Was ne in the house when you went there A don't
recolect
o Whether he was or no;s A No
q From the time you went in until the time you came
sway you don't recoect Of seeing Mr. TiOn there A
Q And don't know that be was there A Don't recollect
Or that be was not A. Don't recoect that he wa. there
Well do you recoect that be Was not A don't rec0l
leci that he there.
Was that letter written in your presence A Don't re-
collect whether il not"
Now, gentlemen have shown you that Mrs Tion was
sick that night and that day This explanation which will
read you in shows that she sick in bed and
shall show you she sick in bed that occasion She
had been attended BY her physician every day from the cath
anti the 3Oth. And yet this man. who thers
70 obtain this letter don't know whether she bed
Or not when he into her and he don't remember
the fact Of whether in his presence
Now is not important, gentlemen where Mr.. Moulton
obtained this letter; very important except char
acerzes his conduct whether got the house by Theo
iOre Ton going up into the and getting the wife
write il and bring il TO him, whether be into the
and waited FOR her write the letter But it is import
for you know whether witness is telling truth
the whole truth and nothing but the truth; whether he
equivocang whether he Is saying he don't remember when
you know he does remember and il you believe that he
does remember fact when he does remember it. that
sscredts his testimony utterly and thoroughly and you
not permitted to give any credit to it.
20 From whose hand did YOU receive the letter. A.
think received il from the hand Of Elizabeth TtOn.'
Now gentlemen there is scrap torn of here from my
notes; but the answer he makes is-he is ask ID:
"Can you say you did receive from the hand Of Theo
bore TliOn!'
And he says:
cannot say but did receive it from the hand Theodore
Tlton-"