Knoxville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1875, 1875-01-27
Further Explanations of Beecher's
Letter Of COutrItton,''

DdTlN 10 lulS iTlal.
Further Explanations of Beechcr's
Letter OF COntriti
Special Telesrau to the Cincinnati Commercial
BROOKLYN, January 2l.-Moulton
has gone through trying and excl
ting ordeal to-day in Tracy's continued
REORGANIZATION, which, though it
has been kept up since it was begun
last week, does not appear to APP
preaching its close. The witness has
again displayed all those peculiar quail
tiles by which he has won distinction.
He retained control of his forces all
day, through cross examination COW
ering years of time, scores of incidents,
and very complicated relations; hut,
strange to say, after the breakdown OF
Porter, his first cross-examiner, Tracy
also had to-day the appearance of a
breRking-down man, and tonight
looked as though he were almost on
the verge of physical collapse.
Each of the three groups of promi~
nent figures to-day consisted of three
persons-Beecher, with his wife and
son f.; Tilton, with Moulton and Car
penter, and Mrs. Tilton, with her two
lady companions. AS yesterday, so
| to-day.
BEECHER WAS IN RATHER POOR CON-
DlTIoN,
| Aud il seemed to me somewhat pa
| thetic 10 behold this modern Buauer-
| yes, this seXagenarian grandfather,
coming into Court day after day, with
| family, to undergo trial on the charge
of adultery The day has been one of
absorbing Interest, the cross eXamina-
ton having been carried on continu-
ou-ly and with great intensity, and
with but few Interruptions of any
kind, and having related to 40 many
of the features of the great American
scandal. AT the opening of the Court,
| Err. Tracy at once rOse-tall, stalwart,
| full-bearded, grim aud cross-eyed-e
| looked Moulton full in the face and be-
gam How long was that interview
which you had with Mr.. Beecher on
Jauury lst?" The reply was prompt,
and tue examination at once proceed
ed into the details of what transpired
| in Beecher's house on the famous
| night of Beecher's alleged
LETTER OF CoNTRITIoN."
To which so much importance is at
| tached by the plaintiff. The witness
was examined about the circumstances
under which he (Mouton) wrote from
/ Beecher's alleged dictatiOn, this letter
Of contritiun or confession, the evil
dence in regard to which was exceed
| ingly curious. Then came the evidence
/ bearing upon Mr.. Tilton's personal
/ character, and the witness was exam
/ ined about the Bowen story of
Triton AND A CERTAIN WOMAN
| AT Winsted about his first memories
OF Bessie Turner, and her alleged
| stories concerning TiltOn's attempt to
! outrage her; about TiltOn's relations
with another woman, unnamed about
a story connecting Tilton with lady
| the name Of whom was here mentions
ed in Court for the first time by wit
ness, and who turned out to be well
known and wealthy literary lady of
New York and about the memory of
witness concerning Mrs. Beecher ia
king the side of Mrs. Tilton in her
troubles. Then Beecher's letter of con-
triton was again brought up, and wit
ness was examined about how much
of the letter was actually dictated to
him by Mr.. Beecher; about the uses
he made of that letter in connection
with TiltOn about the place and the
way in which he kept it; about the
means by which Tilton got a copy of
it for publication about his familiar
ity with literary composition about
the handwriting of this Beecher letter
which was here again read, so as to
give some parts Of il sense said to be
different from that usually attributed
to 1t; about the kinds Of ink in which
certain amendments were made about
the peculiarties Of Mr.. Beecher's die.
tatiOn of certain passages; aud here
the witness was required 10 read the
whole letter aloud, sentence by sens
tence, and about the photographic ap.
pearance of the matter of this let
ter which was exhibited. He
was then examined about his inter-
view with Beecher, in Beecher's house,
on the "a of January, 1871 about his
! knowledge of Beecher's reply to Bow
en- about his knowledge Of TiltOn's
/ letter 10 Beecher; about certain things
he told General Butler, which Butler
| incorporated in the scandal statements
! published under MOulton's name;
about his talk with Beecher and Bowen
concerning the employment Of TillOn
after his separation from the Lndcpead-
| cHt, and about his possession OF two
/ letters of Bessie Turner, which be had
| once shown tOTiltOu. Here Mr.. Tracy
[ called for the production Of these let-
| teIs, which he desired 20 offer i'm evil
dcnce but az this point there was an
angry scene between opposing counsel,
accompanied by trouble in finding the
. letters, aud debate as TO their submits
sion. But, after awhile, they were
| found, when they were read in ring-
. ing tones by Mr.. Sherman, They
proved 10 BE-
BESSIE TURNER'S DENIAL
Ofths story that Tilton had attempted
10 outrage her, and were introduced by
F, Eescher'- counsel 10 show that Bessie
had not been got rid Of on Beecher's
account, boz because OF these stories.