Litchfield enquirer., 1875-05-06
rmroM vs. REgoHgFs5

alt fN A friend of Mfr. Beechar deairdD lafere- ; publish from the Brooklgh Of enril IS, the following opinio of Professor Re- maud, of Heidelberg University aaFany, regarding the Beecher Case: .svs.as Professor A. Renaud, Of tho Heidelberg University, and one of the most eminent jurists of Germany, publishes in the Archives Modern 0f. .J,trisprstdeysce, the leading law journal of Germany, an ex- haustive review of the Beecher Hilton case. From this paper we translate, for the Eagle, the following passages: Having carefully examined the opening address of plaintiffs counsel, the evidence of the plaintiffs witnesses, and the, open- ing address of the defendants counsel, cannot but arrive at one conclusion, and from conversation with many of my pro- fessional brethren, who take an equal in- terest with myself iE this great trial, I | herewith deliberately contend that. it is the conviction of the legal minds of Ger many, Austria and France, that the plain tiff Hilton has no case whatever; and to us it is matter of surprise that, under the laws of America, he should not have been non-suited after his evidence was in, In actions of this kind character should always weigh more than anything else. 1 The plaintiff, from his own words, stands convicted of having told different stories on the subject. His charges against the defendant grew more serious as 1 his animosity against him. from heanses 1 disconnected with the case, increased. First it was alternating his Hife's af- ections he accused the defendant of. Then improper proposals, then adul- | tery. And, oddly enough, while he pre- l fers this terrible charge against the de- fendant, he speaks with maudlin tender ness of the, if his story be true, infamous wife. ... ~. .,.......-r. I WHITE soULKD TwADD1E. 'scg | From his twaddle about the whiteness of the soul of this alleged adulteress alone, impartial minds would justly infer that the plaintiffs mind is singularly unbalanc- ed. His moral perception, from the way he judges her, would seem to be diseased. And this is proved by the disgusting let ters, of which American journals have published with his consent and it appears at his instigation-an avalanche abound ing in the most preposterous sentimental ism, such as would be 1nexcusable in love-sick boy, and which render full l grown man-moreover, one who lays claim to refinement and intelligence unfit to mingle in decent society. 7 g Y.1 l But this is not all. The plaintiff is tain ted with the worst social doctrines. He wrote and gloried in g biography of an American free love she wolf. Hepublish ed poetry, weak minded and shallow, but intended to be sensual and amorous. He seems to have plunged head-long into the worst heresies of the age-even the Paris Commune found an ardent admirer in him and @ gift of gab, as they call it in Amer ica, caused his constant obtruding of his ridiculous notions upon the public. He | was public lecturer, and with sunblosh
 ing effrontery discoursed on loveand mar riage, as we understood by the undeEmin- CTS of domestic life in America, before audiences largely composed of youths and young girls
 To us it seems absolutely o incompre-
 hensible that so mischievous "a spirit should have been permitted to occupy Q conspicuous place in American journalism | and equally inexplicable that his complaint against a feeble minded wife should ihave been readily entertained on the ground of an ambiguously worded confession when confronted by the defendant. THE CONFESSION rr7eH vg 1 The confession, moreover, was, accord ing to her statement, wrung fr0miher at a l time of great physical presentation. 3 Such declaration by a wife in the interest of her husband should always be treated with the utmost distrust, even if she were
 in the best of health, and not, as the plaintiffs wife seems to have been, imbu-
 ed with romantic notions about love- reli
 zion, &c. In no German or French court,
 I venture the assertion, would this con
 fession have been treated with the slight
 est consideration. 'iah Nl'"'i'oI eAA
 The defendants conduct may have been
 indiscreet. But he is acknowledged to be
 confding, warm hearted man, fond or given to extravagant language-a defect
 into which gifted persons, especially those
 who write and speak in public a great deal, readily fall. Consequently it would
 be extremely unjust to interpret with lit- eral rigor those letters of his, which the plaintiff uses to strengthen ahis case against him. To be sure. the unfortunate position ill which the defendant found
 himself in consequence of the affection for him arising in an enthusiastic woman without his fault, while he ,helped to de- prive. as we think very justly and sensi- ply, her husband of lucrative journalis- tic position, was harassing to him, and, hence, he wrote those letters. .undoubted | fection, and while strong influences were brought to bear upon his hearty which it
 seems, was only too easily softened and touched. But the principal letter, the so- called ''letter of contrition, addressed to the witness Moulton, who says the aefend-
 ant dictated it to him, cannot possibly have been so dictated by Mir. Beecher, The lat. ter is a man of genius, a master of concise language, and, as his wfiSiHgse super abundantly prove, accustomed to express his thoughts coherently, sensibly and log ically. But, this letter, as a piece of composition, is not even respectable. The defendant could not have written Ordietat- ed it in that shape even while aiprey to the most intense agitation. nn.v aoitibpOo
 .z@7 MB. AND. MRss lMoULlFohsBoos
 There remain, then, the PlaintfHy wit nesses. One is the mysterious Moulton. l He is described as 2 smart husinegs man practical, energetic, and endowed with hard, common sense. What drew Hzm in- to this maelstfoms of bad passions Friendship for the plaintiff he eayss How can this cool, calculating, money. making man have conceived any liking for the vain, puffed up, shallow minded US0pist? Fire and water do gnotn Ininglezib There must have been some hidden motive for Monlton's Anxiety to participatsCjn the quarrel between the plaintiff and defend ant It is one of the mysteries of this strange affair, and it is not quite clear if the defendants counsel, in his opening address, hit the nail Ion the head in regard to the aims Moulton had in view. A court. however, would take the singularitS of his conduct, and, above alL his nndiseuised exasperation against the defendant into consideration, and attach but very little importance to his evidence. 1 And, as regards Moulton's wffe-well, 1 she is his wife, and had the most powerful | incentive in the world to corroborate her l husbands testimony against the defend I ant. The acquittaI of the latter would be