Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1875-04-30
The Scandal Trial.
Mr.. BEEcHER's cRoss-ExAMINATIoN.
Mr.. Fullerton read from Mr.. Beecher',
etter TO Moulton Of July 1th. 1871:

My trust in you IS implicit You nave also prove
, yourself Theodore's friend and Elzabeth's. Doe
. | God ever look down from heaven upon three IN
. happy creatures that more need a friend tina
thesel Is it not an intinaton OF Gods intent o
mercy to all that each OF these has in you
tried and proved friend : But only in you are in
three united. Would to God, who orders all hearts
that by your aid and mediation Theodore, Eliza
beth, and could be made friends again. Thee
dore would have the haide task in such a case blu
has he not proved himself -apabie OF the mobiles
things,
} Now, Mr.. Beecher, at that time was thi
charge OF improper solicitations still restin;
upon you, or was it off? A.-No, Sir, d.
not think it was it certainly was no
urged
Q-I did not ask that. Had Mr.. Theo
dore Tilton taken it back? Al did no
know by any formal act that he had taken i
back.
Q.-Answer my question. Had he taker
that charge back?
The Witness-It was taken back by hi
wife.
Q.-Had he taken it back ? | am no
talking about his wife. Ale had moi
made it.
Odd he not make it on the night oi
the .30th OF December? Ale made it a.
statement from his wife.
Ole did not make it on his own ac-
count then? Ale made it on her au-
thority.
Odd you regard it simply as a charge
made by Mrs. Tilton? A. Certainly
did
Q.-And not as charge by Theodore Til
ton? A.-As charge that he represented
he made from her.
Odd you not understand him as max
ing that charge on his own behalf against
you? Al had no doubt that he supposed
the charge to be as she had written it to him
at that time.
Q.-And on the 7th of February, lS7l
did yod then suppose that he believed in the
charge? Al could not tell about that
he certainly did not by word or conduct.
Q.-One moment am not talking about
what he did by word or conduct. Did you
believe on the 9TH of February, 1871, when
you wrote that letter that he still believed
in the charge? Al
Q.-Now, it is yes or no, Mr. Beecher t
Is either you believed or you did not? A
Well, do not think it is yes or no.
Mr.. Fullerton-Well, it does not seem to
be yet. Did you not suppose that he rested
under the belief that you had made improper
advances to his wife? Al doubted wheth-
er he believed any such thing as that
Q.-lt was merely matter Of doubt was
it? A.-All that was matter of doubt
and fluctuatiOn.
Q.-One moment do not mean - all
that Did you believe, at that time, that
he believed You had made improper advances
to his wife
Mr.. Evarts-Ile has answered you.
! The Witness-I IN nor think that he ii /
believe so.
Q.-At that time? A-At that time
Q.-liow did YOU suppose at that time
that it had been remoyed-the impression or
the belief removed from his mind A.
That did not reason upon. suppose. by
the good Offices of Mr.. Moulton.
Ole had not told you that he did not
/ believe it, A.-No, Sir: he had not.
Q.-Mr. Moulton had not told you that he
did not believe it, had he? Al do not
recollect that he ever made a specific denial
OF it.
Q.-Upon what, then, did you conclude
that he did 10. believe it? A.-Because he
and Mr.. Moulton were willing to 20 into an
arrangement with me that would imply in
fanny on their part if they did believe it.
Q.-Was that the only reason? A.-That
is all knew.
Q.-And YOU did not say anything about
il? A--Of course did not
Q.-lou did not ask Mr.. Tiltou if be be
lieyed it A.-Of course did not
Q.-And without knowing really whether
the impression was removed from Mr. Til
tons mind or not, you wrote that letter A.
l wrote that letter.
Q.-And without knowing whether the
impression had been removed from Mr. Til
tons mind? A.-Without knowing in any
such sense as knowing philosophical pro-
position or a mathematical proposition.
Q-On the 1th Of February ,lS7l when YOU
wrote this letter, did you then suppose that
the original charge Of improper advances
that Mr.. Tilton had made against YOU had
been made in good faith? Al do not
know that il came into nv mind at all in
writing the letter.
Q.-And you were in doubt at that time
whether he still believed the charges A
! do not think that was subject matter of
consideration
Q.--lou did not think of it, then. at that
time ? Al cannot say that | did at that
time
Odd You care at that time whether
the charge was made in good faith A
OF course did, when the subject had been
broached to me.
Odd you not take interest enough in it
to hroach it yourself? A.-Not an interest
that led me every time wrote letter to 20
into all that.
Q.-lam not speaking of the particular
moment that you indited that letter, but at
that period Of time did you believe that Mr..
Tilt0n had made those charges against You
in good faith? A.-Mr Tilton had made
his charge against INC
Q.-l won't have any such answer. ask
for the operation Of your own mind at that
time? Al am trying to give it to You.
Q.-Well, give it to me-whether you
believed at that time that the original charge
by Mr.. Tilton Of improper advances had
been made in good faith &?
hlr. Beecher-My general recollection is
that at that time, Sir, thought the charges
had gone undergone down.
The Court-Ihe inquiry is whether you
believed that the charge had been made by
Mr.. Tilton in good faith?
Mr.. Beecher-Well, the charge of improp-
er advances originally believed that he
originally made it in good faith.
Mr.. Fullerton-About the time of writing
this letter, how was it? AT the time
of writing this letter | supposed that he was
disabused of that impression.
Odd you believe at the time you wrote
the letter that he had made the original
charge in good faith? Al believed at
the time of writing that letter. believed
that he made it in good faith, when he made
it.
Mr.. Fullerton Ito the witness)-Now, will
You state to this jury what Mr. Tilton had
done up to that time which caused you to
say that he had been-had proved himself
capable OF the noblest things? Alt was
the representation made to me by Mr.. Moul-
ton of his state of mind toward Mr. Bowen,
toward his own prospects, his pluck and de-
termination to work, toward me and toward
his own household.
Q.-Yes, Sir. Al did think that Mr.
Tilton was acting or endeavoring to act
heroic part.
Q-And you thought that he would have
the hardest task, did you, if you three peo-
pie were made friends again? Al GER
tainly did.
Q-And without ascertaining directly
from him whether or what evidence he had
that you had made improper advances to his
wife? A.-That is predicated on the ground
that we were to be made friends again.
Q.-Yes? A.-To be made friends again
implies a state of facts that is totally incom-
patible with his continuing to believe in the
charge.
HAD NOT TILToN CHARGED HIN WITH IMPROPER
ADVANCES, PRIOR TO FEBRUARY, 1871?
ask you whether, prior to February, 1871,
Mr.. Tilton had not made a charge against
you of improper advances toward his wife
Ale had never made such charge
against me.
Q.-Did he charge you with making i'm
proper proposals to his wife? Ale never
made such charge to me he read, in my
hearing, what purported to be a copy of
charge made by his wife.
Q.-We will settle that question now.