New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-01-29
CONCERNING OFFICIAL REPORTS

The lawyers in the Beecher case seem, "a
regards THE TRIBUNE. to be in the position
of the luckless husband who said of his wife
that there was no keeping house with her or
without her. THE TRTBUNE's report of their
proceedings is the only complete and correct
one; they cannot get on without it, and it is
in demand every hour and almost every mo-
ment of the trial. But one or two of them
seem very unhappy because we do not choose
to publish for them this indispensable
report alone,-without giving also such sum-
maries, descriptions, personal incidents, etc.
as go to make up a perfect picture OF the
great trial. Every day or two, they make
fresh protest against what they suppose to be
the popular impression that these descriptions
are official. Let us try to help them. 1t never
occurred to us that any of our readers could
be so dull as to misunderstood so simple a
matter; but, to oblige the lawyers, we will
once more explain.
The matter first appearing in large type
under the general head "Mr. Bcecher's Trial
in brief, by TRIBUNE reporters, Of what hap
pencd We believe 1t to be fair, vivid, and
valuable; and the public evidently think 80 too,
or our presses would not be taxed, as they now
are, almost every morning, to the verge OF
or beyond their capacity. What follows, IN
smaller type under the head "The Proceed
"ings," is just what it purports to bean alb
soluto reproduction of every sentence uttered
by Court, lawyers, CT witnesses in the trlal,-a
sound photograph, so to speak, OF the proceed
ings. There will be an occasional and ine9ita-
BILE displacement of letter, or Misrepresentation
of a sentence; but we believe it to be beyond
comparison the most complete and correct re-
port of trial of such magnitude ever made
in daily newspaper in this or any other
country The lawyers themselves have chosen
to regard this as official, to accept it as such, use
it as SUCH refer to 1t hourly, keep 1t constantly
before them. And so, our readers in remote
cities may congratulate themselves that they
have, o., an absolute record Of the words
used as complete and accurate earring occa-
sional trihing typographical errOrs) as the Court
has and (2), description of the incidents in the
court room, with summary of the progress;
of the trial, as faithful as trained and impair
ta reporters can make it. But will they please
Oblige Mr.. Beach by bearing in mind that this
last (the matter appearing in larger type is
THE TRIBUNEs, not the COurt's1
A reputable firm of law publishers, Messrs
McDiyitt, Campbell g. Co. of No. III Nassau
ST., are issuing verbatim report of the
trial, in large pamphlet parts. They repro
duco TIE TRIBUNE report because it Is the
only full one; and they have given life to the
record by reproducing also THE TRIBUNE'a
daily description of the scenes and summary OF
results. They probably know what the public
want, and they ought to be much obliged to
the lawyers for advertising their course in Sc
promptly meeting the public demand. But the
publication is their own, not THE TRIBUNE's
We confne ourselves to printing, on this as
on all other topics of current interest, all the
news, in the best shape. once day.