New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-04-14
,cyosr OF THE DIRECT EXAMINATION.

CyOSE OF THE DIRECT EXAMINATION.
,,. dismal day had its effect on the number in at
,sy ance and the humOr of the audience and actors
NJ Beecher was somewhat disposed to be gloomy,
y his temper could be Judged by his manner. MI.
aGyarts was late. and the proceedings were delayed
for a quarter of an hour. When they were opened IT
WAS soon apparent that Mr.. Beecher's direct exam
nation had been virtually concluded the day before
A number of questions were asked him about mat
ters in relation to which Mr.. TiltOn and Mr. Mouiton
had testified. BY one series of questions and answers
il appeared according TO Mr.. Beecher, that Mr..
Mouton had expressed anxiety that no mention
should be made of the s., 900 given by MIR. Beecher
for the benefit of The Golden A0e, and had said
that if mention were made OF 1t he should
deny having had it. Mr. Beecher denied that his
card in the papers, calling on any person who had
letters of his to publish them, was written at the
suggestion of Mr.. MOuton, and he affirmed that the
original which was intrusted to Mr.. Moulton for
publication had been altered. Mr.. Beecher, by an
other answer, intimated that Mr. Moulton had not
produced in court all the letters which had been
written to him by the defendant intrused to him.
This was received by the plaintiff counsel with IN
difference as little Importance was attached to It,
Mr. Beecher also explained, and Mr.. Evarts insisted
on his material that he had never read the
Younger Dumas's novels, but had read in the sum-
rer of 1874 the series of the Elder Dumas beginning
with the Three Guardsmen.'
As has been his habit since Mr. Beecher has been
on the stand Nj Eyarts framed climax; but as his
final questions were repetitOns of Others asked at
the beginning and as the could be foreseen,
the effect was rather tame. Mr.. Evartss art, how
ever was fully displayed even in this, for by
his manner Of putting the questions he secured Their
repeition in the hearing of the jury which seemed
10 he his aim The questions We're those which were
asked on the second day OF his examination as to
lhether Mr. Beecher had ever improperly solicited
u Obtained any improper favOrs from Mrs Illtoa or
committed adultery with her. After emphatic de-
mails by Mr. Beecher Mr. Evarts paused, as II to let
the jury take il all in and meantime glanced along
the jury-box. Possibly he observed that the ques-
tons had been lost one or more OF the jury for
again turning 10 the witness he asked,
As if preliminarily to another question,
that The TRIBUNE stenOgrapher would read the
oueston The reporter began with the last of them,
but Mr.. Evarts insisted upon his going back again,
and the whole series was again read to the jury
Then Mr.. Evarts in a more rapid manner than he
had previously displayed, closed with series OF
questions, the answers to which were denlals OF
adultery at any time denias of confessions of adu
terry or criminaity, and denias Of participation IN
conversations in which adultery was charged.
"That is all,' said Mr.. Evarts, nodding to Mr.
Roach and his colleagues. and the direct cxamina-
tion of Mr. Beecher which had lasted ZIG days, was
concluded.
MR.. BEECIIER UNDER CROSS-E&AMlNATlON.
There was lust the slightest stir of interest to lndl-
cate the close of the friendly inquiry and the open
ing of the hostile dissection of the defendant. All
eyes were of course turned upon Mr.. Beecher, and
there were signs Of anxiety in some faces, and OF III
terest in nearly all to know what effect the change
in his relations to the examiner would make III MI
Beecher 1t would be untrue 10 say that Mr.
Roecber opDeored AS unmoved when the cross-exam
nation began a. he had under Hr. Evarts's coach
ing" for however confident he may have felt the
sims of nervousness were manifest. 1t may nave
been nothing more than the nervousness natural to
q change of positions-to the knowledge that in
stead of being led 10 the development OF all that
WIS favorable to his view of the case he was now to
be drawn into expressions detrimental, into admis-
siops which might be construed to his dsad vantage,
into explanations of the compromising passages
in his correspondence and if possible INTO vexed
state of mind which would leave him incompetent
70 hear correctly, analyze promptly, and answer
rv-hfuIv the intricate questions which were to be
leveled at him. Whatever may have been It's extent
M can-e the nervousness was evident at the begin
ming of the crOss-examination. though little re-
NAMED of it at the close when Mr. Beecher had had
an opportunity to warm up in describing the scenes
of December 1870, with Mr.. Bowen and Alr
Beecber III is more difficult to describe these indica-
ons of nervousness positively than negatively There
was no trembn hands or fingers Mr. Beecher once
asked for his memorandum and opened and held
II without the slightest agitation or tTemulOusness
his bouquet was tenderly handled ~ ever and as
frequently carried TO his Frequent hesitation
in answering, occasionally "a guarded answer as II
the witness suspected hidden meaning in the
question a gloomy and reserved manner. these were
the chief and most marked indications that AlT
Beecher dreaded ia some degree at least an ordeal
which he admitted new to him. III did not con-
tnue lOng-at least not 10 the close OF the examna-
ton-and when he had left the witneSs-char at
o'clock he said loosely that he did not feel that
his hide had been taken off," -thOu yh Y he added.
there's no telling what will come tomorrow"
The cross-examination by Mr.. Fullerton took
wide range and fer the first two hours rather
rambling and confusing the audience If not to the
witness His first determined effort was an elabo-
rate attempt TO draw Mr. Beecher into an unqualified
condemnation of Mr. TiltOn's teachings editor of
lie independent and an admission that knowing that
M. TiltOn denied the divinity of Christ and was
otherwise Loose in his views orthodox doctrines,
: and had indeed foreshadowed his views marriage
aud divorce, the witness held bun unfit to
he the head of the paper. This was done
with the intention, subsequently developed, of
asking AFR. Beecher how he had come to place and
ssstain slch person at the head of paper of which
he was himself the nominal and responsible editor
LOi Mr.. Beecher evsded the point by saying that he
10 sksd upon Mr.. Iutons = crude mind passing
thipsgh the state natural to adj young reflective
natuns when traditional religious beliefs give way
to personal beliefs. Heidi not tek that Mr. Tilton
was an unit person to conduct suck IA paper as The
Indepeadest, which he described in dry, humorous
way, as a secular, and " in sense a religious
! paurrn M Fullerton paSsed TO another tonic