The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1875-04-05
Tho Crisis In the BcCchcr Trial.

Tho Crisis In the BeccIler Trial.
Sofar Us regards The direct examination
Of the Rev. Henry Ward BeechOr he may
be said to have passed the crucial point
on Friday last when he Swore in the pres
ence Of "the everything God" md before
all tho world, that he had never been
guilty Of criminal intimacy with Mrs.
Tilton. In Wow Of the Alibi ut Peekskill,
lately proven for the afternoon Of the I'd
day Of June, 1873, lin the forenoon Of
which day Mrs, Moulton swore he made
his confession to her), and in view also Of
the impeachment Of Mrs CareyS credi'
bility as q witness, this solemn Assevera-
tion Of Mr.. Beechcr will carry great
weight with 1t. The conjunction Of cir
Cumstanccs just now Is such az TO give
such a statement, under the dread re-
sponsibility Of All oath, decided effect.
There Is, in addition to tho facts we have
named, the fact that a number Of wit
ncsses have sworn that MOulton told
them lat the frat blush Of the scandaD that
Mr.. BOechCr was innocent Of the crime
laid to hiA charge, and also tho still
greater fact that Tiltont general charac-
ter has been eAGcLually broken down, all
Of which facts conspire to create on OPP
portunity for the greatest possible effect
to Mr. BeOcher's emphatic and unheSi.
tating denial Of guilt. The reporter Of
the New York Herald notes the effect Of
this denial IN The court room. AS the
supreme question Of guilt or innocence
was approached he says that Tilton's
lawyers, Fullerton, Beach and Morris,
kept their eyes on Beecher to see how he
would pass the awful ordeal. When lie
met the question without the slightest
perceptible ilinching, the reporter could
"rcad In their looks ScnSe Of bailled ex.
pectatiOns." As for Moulton and Tilton,
they "scemed disconnected" It seems
that "Tilton had confidently predicted
that Bcecher would not dare 10 deny tho
charge Of adultery on tho witness stand.
Yet he did, and Tilton grow older by tho
hour"
According to the Tribune reporter, the
scene attending this supreme moment In
the trial was very dramatic. Mr.. EvartS,
with great skill, led Mr.. Beecher by slow
degrees to the eliminating point, and
the effect OF the final declaration Of limo.
cCnce was thereby heightened. He was
first questioned as to the scene described
by the nurse. Mrs. Carey, wherein Mrs.
Tilton was represented as sitting on Mr..
IIcechcr's kee, and "a calling him "Dear
Father" lie gave a brief and emphatic
denial 10 that statement. Again, as to
Mr.. Richards meeting them Under suspi.
cious circumstances, he declared that he
could not recollect ever having seen Mr..
Richards while on visit to Mr.. Tilton's
house. Mr.. Braslicr might have seeil
him on tile aloop Of Nj. Tillon's house
at an early hour Of The morning; butif 80,
tho witness had no recollection Of tho
visit. lie denied the truth Of Mr. Til.
ton'a allegations concerning hia acts on
the 10th and l7th Of October, 1903. Then
Mr.. EvartS, slowly and with marked de.
liberation, put the following questions.
Q. During your entire acquaintance
with Mrs. Tilton, Mr., Beechet, and up Ia
this month OF December, 1870, had there
ever been any undue personal familiarity
between yourself and herr A. Never
Q. Had you at any time, directly or In.
directly, solicited improper favOts from
her "a a wOman2 A. Neveti
@. Had you ever received improper IA.
yofs from het2 A. 1LWas thing impoa.
sible to her-Neyer2
Between each Of the three questions
there was long pause, as II Mf. Evafts
wished the jury to take in the whole force
and meaning Of the emphatic denials
which came in response to each. The
last was given with increased emphasis,
and the long pause between II and the
next question was broken by the loudest
and most general applause yet heard dur
ing the trial. This demonstration was so
positive that Judge Neilson gave orders
to the police to eject any person detected
in repetition Of the offence.
OF course this statement Of Mr.. Beech.
ets does not dispose Of the question Of his
guilt or innocence. Having reached the
crisis where II was necessary for him to
perform his part OF abandon everything,
he could do no less than perform IL He
has YET to 90 through the hery furnace Of
FuliertOn's etoss.examination, and II ID
too soon 10 speculate upon the characters