The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1875-06-10
An IdoIairOUs Devotion TO Henry
Ward RpecIIer

Ward Reecher
and his cause. If there was any cause
| that led her to this conduct, she might
be forgiven, but when and where had 1t
been shown that Tilton hinchcd from
| fidelity to his wife and family. There
had not been any evidence given 50 far
( 10 show that. Both OF my learned friends
said Mr. Beach thought they found some
! contradiction between somebody ana
Theodore Tllton, which led them to eA-
patiate on his grey hairs and Mr.. Porter
commented on it as most striking proof
of his deprayty. 1t was remarkable that
two such gentlemen rs Mr., Evarts and
! Mr.. Porter should remark al such length
! upon the subject. The truth was really
that Mr.. Tilton had no grey hairs, and
the latter did not say that he had any.
Mr.. Tlton, said the counsel imputed to
! Bcechcr the character of Il BIZ boy, ana
in that light Mr.. Porter imputed to Ill
ton crafty nature. In this cXnmIna-
ton, said Mr.. Beach, both my lrHrned
friends are cndcavoring to show T!iJ"n
as having malignant hatred OF Bcrs!cr
| Counsel did not mean 10
say that Titon loves Henry
Ward Beccher, or did love him Al in
stant after that July in 1870, when Mrs.
Tiiton made her confession and she
thought it supernatural that the injured
man should not harbor feelings Of hatred
or revenge and the heart beats not after
receiving such blow, that would not
! bound with angry animo>ity. The coun-
| sci granted that Tilton harhnrcd these
feelings, and when not restrained by his
wife and children, they broke out with
force, and the counsel would be ashamed
to stand here tor him, If this
were not the case. Talk about
unlricndliy and hate of Tlton to
Beecher. Why, if it were true that
Beecher, the chosen friend ofthe house,
! if he debauchcd this mans wife and de-.
filed his hcarthstUnc, nothing that Il court
and jury would do could satisfy that re-
venge. 1t would exist so long a. both
men would breathe. yet with all this pas
sion he strengthened by the love tor hiS
wife and children, had withheld his hand
! from being stained with the blood of his
injurer. Porter also said Beach touched
on the arrogance, Us he alleged, exhibited
by Mr. Tilton rs To the distribution Of
the church missionary funds. But all this
was for the purpose OF making the
jury believe that TIlton wa, pulled
with his own cgotism. Mr.. Tilton says
| he overmatchcd Beechcr in that contrO-
versy because he (BccchcrJ was wrong,
and the truth always prevailed. That,
/ surely, said counsel, was not -clt.glorIiica.
tion, rs Mr.. Porter says. The learned
counsel, said Mr.. Beach, dwcIt at some
! length on what i called the true story,
and stated that Theodore Tiltou called it
| first by that name to Rcdpath, and that
afterwards he lTiItonI had pronounced
this false. Mr.. Bracn argued that this
| testimony had been miSquotrd by Porter,
/ and read from the evidence Of TIlton TO
/ disprovc the assertion made by the coun-
! sci for the defence Why then, SAID couu-
sci, did John X. Porter make Use of the
/ quotation that truth is mighty and will!
| prevail?' Counsel here read from Til.
tons testimony in regard to the occasion
which called for the production Of the
letter to complaining friend.
The next accusation against Tiltor
was that he quoted in the Bacon letter Il
garblcd edition Of the letter OF "contri-
tion" or apology and failed to give
that portion Of 1t that was favorable to
Bcccher; and this was Il serious imputn
tiun, and required to be examined to scc
if they d. d di-provcd Tiltoh integrity or
any of ;..n witncsse, produced for him.
Mr.. Be. II then read portion oI the
letter referred to, and sad that TiltOn
had not put in word or suggestion in
that document imputing an offence to
Bccchcr. On the contrary it shields and
defends both But Bacon had charac-
tcri2ed Tllton rs
4 Knayc and Dog.
and said that he was living OIL Brrcher
Was this imputation TO rest and not be
denied? How was this to be- rcncdied
but bv simple relation of facts in re-
gard to his dealings with the church and
the "Wcst charges, and therefore TiItoE
quoted from Bccchrrs letter, and what
part did he omit? Mr.. Porter says hr
omitted that portion Of it most favorable
to Bcccher. Counsel read the portion
which was not quoted, and appealed to
the jury if there wa anything IN 1t which
was favorable to Bocrirr.
Both these learned counsel had mis-
represented another fact. Both had
said that Titon, in the summer of 1874,
had sent word to Brechor 10y Rcdpath
that he was going to change his tactics.
Mr.. Tilton did send word that be- was
going to charge adultery. Why did he
do it? Why, up to this time these men
had been working with the motive
of shielding Mrs Tilton. 1t was
the policy OF silence, and TiIton, up To
that period, in pursuance OF that policy,
had said the charges were of improper
proposals on the part of Bcccncr towards
his wife. 1t was true that TIIton d"rl"r5
ed that his wife was a. pure "a an "ngr"
and that the charges were improper pro-
poSals. and it was in this vein that these
papers were prepared which reused the
hostility of Bcccher. What was th"r" III
the letter to DIR. Bacon, except the
quotation from his own letter to Til
ton, that forced Bccchcr into the angry
mood only, that question which "t all
the better "contrItIon. lie ,"cars on
the stand it is true The opposing
counsel next say that Mrs. MouIton on
the stand pronounced TiIton "a, tr"arher-
Gus, and they charge her with beng II
conspirator against Brcchcr. acting un-
der the influence uf her husband. w hat
were the circumstances under winch Mrs.
Muulton made us" of these expressions
asked the counsel. after which he read TO
. l.. = . a. IF