The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1875-01-21
BY TELEGRAPH
TO THE
WHEELING REGISTER.
Associated Press Report. by Western
Union Line, office Northwest cor.
of Main and 18th SITS.
DOMESTIC NEWS.
The Beecher Trial.

City Conrt early this morning. and the
; lobby of the hail. and gallery We're com
fortably filled and afterwards crowded
Mr. Beechers two sons were present
Mrs. Tiltou, Mrs Field and Mrs. Sher.
man were in their accustomed seats. AL
: the counsel, with the exception OF eA'
Judge Porter were promptly on time
Defendant and wife came into court about
a Quarter of an hour after the formal
opening of the court. Moulton was call
ed to the witness stand, when EvartS
stated that ex-.TudPe Porter was unable To
be present and was suffering from II So
we're attack of influenza. He suggested
that the cross-eXamination of the witness
be divided between General Tracy and
himself. Mr.. Beach opposed this us il
was not proper, but advised the cross eX-
animation TO be laid over until eX-.Iudgc
Porter was able to resume his duties.
Mr. Fullerton also contended that when
witness was croSs-eXamincd, it should
. be by one counsel. Mr.. Evarts proposed he
. should resume the croSS-eXamlnation and
would be assisted by General Tracy. Mr..
Beach objected on the ground that such
a plan would be improper and out of
/ order.
/ The court directed the counsel to ar
range the matter whatever way they
pleased Mr.. Beach objected. Judge
/ Nelson remarked il would be better to
20 on with the croSs-eXamination, and
General Tracy took Moulton in hand.
Witness teStitied-I never saw NJ
Bacon's letter referred to rs the letter Of
contrition; do not remember if had any
interview with Mr.. Tilton prior to the
2Gth of December, 1870; do not remem-
Der when Mr.. TiltoE published his vale.
dictory in the IudcpendeHt but when it
was published | read it; think | read it
on the first day il was issued; had boon
Informed that Mr.. Bowen had made two
contracts with Mr.. Tilton, one i'll the
fadepcndent and one in the U,poa; think
was told this ON the 10Th of December;
on the afternoon of that day ! went 10
Tilton's house; do not remember that
saw him then or Mrs. Titon; went there
as | usually went there; DO not remem-
, Der if | waited on Tilton there; | had an
= interview on that occasion lastingan hour;
there was something said about the i'll
terview which he had with Bowen; he
did not tell me that that interview WAS
brought about by Oliver Johnson on ac.
count of stories about Tilton; he did not
say that he offered to join Bowen III 1t
war against Beecher; | saw Tilton next
, between that time and the 3Oth of De-
cember; on the 26th Tilton said he had
written a letter to BeeCher asking him t.
explain these charges At an interview
after the one on the 2Gth, | learned that
the letter was sent to Beechcr. At my
interview with Beechcr shortly after, |
told him of the charges preferred by
Bowen to Tilton, against him. ! said to
him that ! thought Bowen was treacher-
Gus. Inever expressed my opinion to
/ Beecher as to the truth Of the stories; do
not think | said anything rs to their
truth or falSehOod; Beecher replied that
he thought Bowen was treachcrous; on
the occasion of this interview Bcccher
and | went to the second story; | do not
think | latched or locked the door; We
then went to Tilton's house,
Witness was asked whether Tilton told
him stories that were told to TiltOn by
Bowen.
Ex-Judge Fullerton objected, and the
Court 0verruled the objection.
WitneSs-Tilton told me some Of the
stories; he told Inc Bowen said he (Tiltonj
had gone to Wnstcd, Connecticut, with
lady, and acted improperly with her.
This was ali TiltUn told me about the
WinStcd matter; Tilton did not tell me
how his conduct was improper, or the
name of the lady; he stated Bowen said
: this was on lccturing tour; did not
tell me any other story then; do not re-
member when or where he told me this;
: he did not tell me his contracts with
} Bowen were threatened unless he could
explain this story; when told BeeChcr
. that Bowen was trcachcrUuS man, |
: meant to convey 10 him that Bowens sto-
: rlcS told to Theodore Tilton were not to
. te believed when left
i nv house on 3Oth of December to visit
r Brecher. ! was friend Of Tiltom; wa.
not Beccher's enemy, nor his clo>r init
4 mate friend; when Beccher came out
l with me protlered him my Friendships
did this without TiItons consent ol
knowledge; | saw Tilton again in tn,
morning OF the 3lst, at his house; don
remember who went with me; | saw
Mrs. Titon there in her room; think sh,
: was in bed; don't know whether she wa!
i'll or not; | think she was sick
don't remember who was with INT
on that occasion III the room; dC
not rccollect whether saw Tiltor
there; on that day | visited Becchcr; hc
was not at home when | called; he came
in shortly afterwards; mad an interview
with him in room on the second story;
| began the conversation by saying he
would think this u strange interview
:, told him he had obtained Theodore per.
mission To have an interview with hi:
wife when he obtained the letter of re-
.. traction. and said his course was diShon'
orable; told HIM came for the letter OF
rctraction, and he said thi, rccantation
would Toe the only defense for his family
in case If his attack; he said with grca,
sorrow he had loved Elizabeth and Til
ton very much and through that love
for her he had fallen, and not through
lust; he averred his intention to throw
: himself on my friendship, Il
He Was Oh the Brink of II Moral
Niagara.
Mr. Moulton saw the letter of Mrs
Tiltou asking Mr.. Bcecher to return hcl
retraction; il was directed to me; ! hav,
not got the envelope but suppose it wa
torn of and destroyed.
Mr.. Tracy asked for the letter whicl
Mr.. Morris left in his office and he SEN
Il messenger for it.
: Witness continued-I read the letter
of Mrs. Tilton's 10 Mr. Beecher, direct
{, ing the return of the rctracting letter
after ! had read the letter of explanation
e from Mr.. Tiltoa offered to destroy bott
letters if he would give me the retractin!
letter or keep them both safe, not to b'
made public; meant to keep them both
safe; my idea was that this should not bt
Y made public against BeeGher withou
t his having the recantation letter t