The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1885-04-10
Stories ofDssehsr and Grant

YAH IN mo Now xOFk VrlDuA6
In the Filth avenue Hotel recently I
met ex-Judge John X. Porter, looking
much grayer, but not nearly 20 old and
careworn as he looked during the Gui-
teau trial, nor any older. I thought. than
when he appeared in the Tilton and
Beecher suit eight years ago. Ire.
marked his improved appearance, and
he explained it by saying that since the
trial of the assassin of President Gar
field he had retired from his profession
and was resting, living in the summer
at his place on Schroon Lake in the
spring and fall at Waterford near Sara
toga Springs. and in the winter at the
Fifth avenue Hotel,-three pleasant re-
sorts in their seasons.
It has been the peculiar experience Of
Judge Porter to be engaged in many
suits which occupied great deal Of
time in their trials and involved many
new and complex questions of law. He
was in the Beecher case for six months;
his health broke down under the strain.
The Guiteau trial lasted several weeks.
He was referee in the famous Navarro
suit against the city, the hearing of tes-
timony in which occupied nearly year.
and the various appeals in which took
up quite ten years. The Judge was in
excellent humor over the decision Of
the highest court in the Navarro case.
The general term overruled his decision
as referee, and the Court of Appeals
reversed the general term ruling.
We naturally talked of the Beecher
case. asked him what he thought the
most dramatic incident in that extraor-
binary trial. "The taking the oath by
Mr.. Bsecher, {" he replied. Without in
tending to compliment the Judge said
that his own sudden and unexpected de-
nunciation of Moulton as q false witness
and false friend was the finest instance
of crushing invective had ever heard.
That led to the curious revelation that
in the first consultations of Mr.. Beech
er's counsel Mr.. Evarts, senior counsel,
favored an amiable policy in defense,
taking the ground that all persons con-
cerned misunderstood each other. But
Judge Porter held that there was con-
spiracy to blackmail, and that Tilton
must be put on his defense, and tho de.
tense of Mr.. Beecher finally assumed
the shape of q vigorous attack on the
complainant and principal witness.
Drifting off to other matters, this
curious and believed, new story about
General Grant came out. Grant had
just been appointed to the command
Of all the armies in the West. In the
East he was not 90 we'll known an af-
terwar1, and men began to make close
inquiries about him. Judge Porter
asked an old friend who had been made
a pension agent what he knew about
him. "Only this, )" was the reply, land
1t has singularly impressed me. An old
gentleman came to my Office about his
pension whose name proved to be Jesse
Grant. asked him if he knew this
new General. He asked, You mean
"Lis?" And then he told me that he
was his son and he had Just received q
letter from HIM which he showed me.
It read something like this: tYou are
perfectly r1ghtin thinking that I rec
ognize my unfitness to command this
great army. But look around me and
wonder who is more fit. I may not
succeed. But if I am beaten it will be
so badly that I will never be heard of
again." That certainly sounds like
Grant.