Wilmington daily commercial., 1875-02-24

TIFY-AND SOME OTHER MATTERS.
Special Correspondence ofthe Commercial
New YORK, Feb. 49,
| Yesterday being legal holiday, the Court wal
| compelled to adjourn over until to-day. The
defence would have willingly gone on. There
was nothing to gain by a three days recess in the
CROSS examination of Mrs. Mouton, which wai
almost completed But to the plaintiff counsel
now near the close OF their case, the leisure thu
afforded for perfccting it was an advantage which
could be read in the twinkle of Mr. Fullarton's
eye.
Tho new epigram contributed by Mr. Beechei
through Mrs. Moulton. to the literature of the
scandal. Calling that remarkable woman
"a SECTION OF THE DAY OF JUDGMENT"
found application in everybo1y's mouth, to the
developments of the last three days testimony
AT no other part of the trial has there been
scene of such breathleas interest as during the
| unlocked for testimony Of the last four Witness
es. Mrs. Tilton's wetnursD and her brother
Mr.. Beecher's chief pillar and admirer, Mr. Bell
and his lady confident and conscience, Mrs.
Moulton.
Again / am compelled to say that the tactics
of the defence are damaging, and also to revise
my judgement Of Mr. Evarts personally, His
generally urbane demeanor toward Mr. Tilton,
whom everybody expected him to attack, with
their more or less cordial support, msled me
into an encomium on the refinement of his ma
ture which his aggression onthe first lady OK
posed to his crosse examination (Mrs. Moulton)
and on the first gentleman in the same situation
whose painful circumstances appealed to the
special sympatbies of every person of ordinary
humauity-Mr. Richards-now requires me to
retract with all possible emphasis. And the
policy of these attacks was no less reprehensible
than their spirit They did for the plaintiff moro
than any dramatic skill of his counsel could do
exciting strong sympathy for his witness and in
dignation against their assaants
MR.. RICHARDS POSITION
demands word from me, as have had oppor-
tunity to understand it. Never was witness
more reluctantly forced into such position al
though when compelled to answer, he gave his
answer out and out, instead of sullenly waiting
to have it dragged out by sylabes. But there
is no doubt of the fact that he had buried the
painful circumstance witnessed by him, in the
confidence of his two nearest friehds-wife and
brother-who never betrayed it, and that the
eventual extraction of it from him in court was
equally unexpected to himself, to the plaintiff
Tilton, and to the counsel. Tllton never heard
of it until he heard it from the witness stand.
Counsel had no idea of it when they subpgnaed
him.
THE SOLE CLUE
that drew linn into the case was cautious hint
he had let drop for his brotber-in-law, long ago,
prior to any discoveries, III the form of an in
quiry whether he (Tilton) was aware how fire.
quenty Mr.. Bsecher was visiting his wife, and
whether he was satisfied that his visits were al
together OF pastoral character. This crcnm.
stance recalled to mind, led to his summons to
testify.
THE POLICY OF THE DEFENCE,
which is an assumption, not merely of inno-
cence, but of unimpeached innocence for Mrs.
Tlton, required that lady on account of her
brothers testimony to appear on the following
Sunday at his residence at Mount Clair. She at
tended there the Congregational church, and
held almost leoee after service.
cannot be mistaken in public opinion when l
say that the case is already gone against Mr..
Beecher 1t would be premature, with respect
to all fair and judicial minds, to say this at the
present stage if the defence, among it's several
errors had not committed the cardinal one of
giving itself to the public in advance of trial.
Otherwise, men would say to themselves and
each other. "wait until you have heard him. "
AS it is, they can only say, 1--WE hare heard him"
and 80 they make up their conclusion at once
confident from the nature of the case, that moth
ing of great Importance can have been omitted
in the testimony on Mr.. Beecher's behalf before
the Churcn Committee and the public, last Sum-
mer