Wilmington daily commercial., 1875-04-02
FIRST EDITION.
Beechcr on the stand!

He rose when MIR. Evarts spoke, and, will
only look and smile at his faithful wife, VIII
turned her white thin face up to him h
arose, he stepped behind the Plymouth group
| and, passing behind the jury-box, approache,
the witness-chair. He mounted the stand upoi
which it rests. The officer presented tile Bibl,
| for him to be sworn, but he motoned it aside
and, turning full upon the Clerk, lifted up hi
right hand. The Clerk, supposing he desired tt
affirm. had begun to administer that form O
oath, when Mr.. Fullerton and Mr.. Beach objec
ted, unless Mr.. Beecher should declare that hi
had conscientious scruples against swearing
upon the Scriptures. A brief discussion be
tween the Judge and Mr.. Beach was
BROUGHT TO AN END By MR.. BEEcHER
himself who declared that he had such consc
entous scruples. The clerk then began again
You solemnly affirm and declare"-when Mr.
Beecher dropped his arm, and Mr.. Evarts at the
| same moment explained that Mr.. Deecher tool
the oath in the New England form. Again the
| clerk began, this time in slower and more i'm
| pre- ssiye tones, and in manner strangely unlike
the rusty, mechanical habit Of speech which has
grown upon him in long years of service.
"You soemnly swear by the ever living God
that the evidence you shall give in this issue
joiued between Theodore Titon, plaintiff, and
Henry Ward Beecher, shall be the truth, the
whole TRUTH and nothing but the truth"
Mr.. Beecher,
UNLIKE ANY OTHER WITNESS
who has preceded him, aud with most reveren-
tlhi DOW, Hlh eyes chSL uOWn, answered., - 90.
II any Of the auditors anticipated anything
tremulous in his tones they were disappointed.
Once the reporter thought he SAW his uplifted
hand tremble as he took the oath; but it was
probably imagination. His voice was az un-
changed as his habit and his look and when he
had dropped his hat, and taken from his shoul-
ders his cloak and thrown it across his left arm lit
WAS the same familiar face that is seen on every
Friday evening in the Plymouth Church Lecture
room. And throughout the rest Of the days
nnu ,ol,o Fnok I'D
parently as cool as if in his lecture-room. yisi-
bly, he was the least affected in the room.
HIS MANNER
was entirely unconstrained He WAS attired as
usual not change in his habit his long gray
hair was disheveled as it usually is he looked
al he always does except that his face was-not
paler-but less flushed. Otherwise it was the
throughout the trial except on the exciting oc-
casion when Mrs. Moulton told her strange
story Of his confession to her.
SUMMARY OF MIR. s..TEsTIMoNY.
The Testimony of Mr.. Beecher yesterday may
be called preliminary. 1t was an outline nara
tive, an abridged history, of his early life and
struggles, his subsequent religious and political
SERVICES his domestic relations and his intimacy
with Mr.. Bowen, Mr.. Tilton, and Mr.. Moulton.
1t led from his birth down to the eventful per-
iod of December, 1870, when, according to the
theory of the defense, the conspiracy began. 1t
with propriety be said to form part of the de-
fense or to furnish an explanation of his course
in reference to the issues of this suit. The de-
fense proper will doubtless begin to-day. 1t
WAS not without its purpose and bearing on the
case, however, and some Of the points Of inter
est are worth elucldation. Throughout it was
characterized by fine touches OF sentiment and
humor, and several times Mr.. Beecher in few
phrases drew striking sketches of character.
1t was natural to anticipate that the defense
wOuld elaborata Mr. Raecler HtAtemant of his
services during the war; and particularly abroad.
Mr.. Tracy, i'll his opening address, had placed
great stress upon the signal services performed
by Mr., Beecher in enightening. public opinion
abroad. But the point was dismissed with
single question two, to which the answers
were brief, and the jury were left to recall as
best they could what aid he had rendered at that
time.
The growth of Plymouth Church from embryo
to It's present magnitude, with between $500 and
5000 communicates ; the building up Of The
Independent and The Christian Union (the lat
ter from circulation of 600 to $4,000 in
single Year, the rapid production of thirtyfive
volumes-all these labors were merely men
toned as ordinary events. The great help
which his wife had given him during all the
years of their married life was, however, more
fully dwet on and emphasized.
few minutes We're occupied with tho de-
fendants account of his early friendship with
Mr.. Tilton. Mr.. Beecher's manner in giving
the history of their former intimacy WAS entire
ly devoid of the. .humor with which he had an
swered the unimportant questions of the NOR
ming, and his voice hesitated at times as though
he were deeply moved. He also told Of first ac-
quaintance with Francis d. Moulton, and this
part of his narrative seemed to arouse once
more his sense Of humor, and he laughed out
right as he described him as ''a worshiper of
James Russell Lowell and Shakspeare's son-
nets" Mr.. Beecher's first acquaintance with
Mrs. Tilton WAS then explained. He had
known of her when she WAS girl, but had no
personal acquaintance with her until she was to
be married to Mr.. Tlton. Then he called upon
her at her husbands request. This stage of
the inquiry elected from Mr.. Beecher an ex-
PLANTATION Of the circumstances under which
some of his presents were made to Mrs. Tilton.
The first of these was Brazilian topaz brooch,
which he had brought to her from Europe in
1860, where he had also purchased little presents
for as many as thirty other friends. He also
explained how he came to give her the picture
of the trailing arbutus. The questions in regard
to this period Of Mr.. Beechers acquaintance oc-
cupied only short time, and the narrator passed
rapidly to the year 1870.
Mr.. Fullerton then moved his chair close to
that of MIR. Beach, and the two lawyers were in
constant consultation. Frequently when Mr..
Evarts would put question Mr.. Beach would
object, but instead of starting up to argue the
point with his usual earnestness he frequen ly
turned to Mr.. Fullerton and conversed with him
in low tones for few minutes. The consulta-
ton sometimes ended in the withdrawal of the
opJecplou Witnoub hrBuineHt' Inese thcbics
seemed to indicate that the spectators were not
the only ones who had been led by Mr.. Evartss
preliminary questions to believe that none of
tile main points of the defendants testimony
would come up for their consideration during
the afternoon. Mr.. Eyartss course with the
witness was clearly surprise to his opponents.
Mr.. Beecher narrated the circumstances
which led him in December, 1870, to
write to Mrs. Tilton the note advising her to sep
arate from her husband, which the defense af
firm WAS one of the grounds OF the letter Of
contrition. AS much of the note as contaiued
Mr.. Beechers advice was put in evidence, but
the latter part of it, which contained Mr.. Beech
er's reasons for his advice was not read. MIR.
Evarts made an effort to have the conversations
between Mr.. Beecher and Mrs. Iilton regarding
Mr.. Tilton's treatment of her admitted in the
defendants testimony. Mr.. Beach objected
strenuousy, and arguments of considerable
length followed on each side. About three
quarters of an hour were occupied with the dis
cusson of this point, but after Judge Nelson had
given his decision ruling out the conversations,
MIR. Beach withdrew his objection, and they were
admitted. Mr.. Beecher WAS discussing this top
ic at the adjournment