Year: 1875

the Comspiracy-The GalIOws in Ma ine


New YORK, JUNE %, 1875.


The look of anxious inquiry in every face one
meets shows with what an intensity of impa-
thence all classes of people are ''wating for the
verdict" New York has never seen anything
like it before. Ordinarily, nine days is the
maximum run of every sensation. The cause
celebre has lasted one hundred and sixty six
days, and the public interest in it which has
never tagged during all that time, is now more
absorbing than ever. Speculation is rife as to
the state of the poll in the jury room, and it is
matter about which it is of course impossible
to acquire exact knowledge. My sources of
information are as reliable as any, and they in
spire me to predict that if disagreement be-
come inevitable, it will be found that there
was but one dissentient to verdict for the de-
fendant. Mr.. Beecher's friends feel the most
perfect confidence that the result will be
practical vindication of his integrity-that
of opinion among the jurymen that substan-
TALLY it will amount to an acquittal.


The case however will not end there. There
will be no more law suits, but amateur judges.
juries witnesses aud counsel will be sitting ou
the inquest for years to come. The journalists
will not have done with it until their readers
yawn with WEAKNESS. Innumelable controver-
sizes about it will spring up everywhere, and
the disputants after volumes of excited debate
will adhere to their respective theories as tena-
ciously as ever.


Nevertheless some recent revelations promise
to throw lurid glare of light upon the pro-
ceedings of the conspirators against the great
preacher. The "new evidence" about which
there has been such melo dramatic flourish
turns out, on the confession of frightened ac-
complice, to have been one of the grossest fab
rcatons ever attempted to be palmed off upon
a credulous public. 1t is not necessary in this
connection to recall the affidavits of Loader and
Price, as your readers doubtless recolect of
their swearing to being at Tilton's house in the
fall of 1869 and witnessing scenes between Mr..
Beecher and Mrs. Tilton which, if their story
was true, would leave little doubt of guilty in
timacy between them. 1t is not at all improb-
able that these statements made under the So
lemnity of the oaths of two men, produced
profound solicitude among the friends of good
morals throughout the country who naturally
sympathize with Mr. Beecher. But those who
are nearer the scene of action have grown so
accustomed to manufactured stories and highly
wrought dramatic effects, in this Brooklyn af-
fair that they have quite lost their capacity to
be startled or humbugged, and contemptuously
reject all Statements" as absolutely worthless
whether they emanate from Bowen or Carpen-
ter or Loader-or Price, or anybody else under
the sun.


However, it seems that the father of Price
became alarmed when he found that his son
had committed perjury, and after obtaining the
best assurances he could get that the youth
would be dealt leniently with if he told the
truth, disclosed the whole plot, the particulars
of which will form part of the criminal rec
ords of Kings county before the week is over.


Jno 1. Price, the SOD, is about % years of
age, English by birth and arrived in this coun-
try August 10th 1869. He never saw Loader
until two years after that time In 1871 he
worked for him for a while, and after that
there was more or less acquaintance between
them. In April last Price called at Leaders,
shop and Loader asked him "if he wouldn't
| Ike to get into the Beecher case" Price told
him he knew nothing about it. 81 can get you
in" says Loader, "and it is thing that will
pay" As Price manifested no inclination to
engage in the hopeful enterprise, the negotia-
ton was not then pursued. Three or four
weeks ago they met again and Loader renewed
the subject, and they agreed to meet on a sub
sequent evening for farther deliberation about
- D.; IN
the 10th inst. newspaper reporter went
to the house Of the senior Price, in
Brooklyn, and asked to see his son. He
was not in. The reporter then became COM
municative and friendly, and after sufficient
stay to enable him to get on familiar terms
with his host, invited him out 10 a neghboring
saloon to take that Dick Swveler would call
a "modest quencher." They went out, ndulg-
ed in the insidious fluid, grew more and more
attached to each other. and the imbibitions
were repeated frequently. Finally abe father
suggested that he thought he knew where he
could find his son and the two went in pursuit of
him. They found him at billiard saloon
which was evidently favorite resort of his.
There the three staid till after 2 o'clock in the
morning, mellowing rapidly under the influence
of their deep potations. But still young Price
whenever the Beecher case was led up to. no
matter how adroitly, persisted in his decartion
that he knew nothing about it. And so they
parted.


On the 22d inst his new friend came 10 him
with subpoena, and under pretence of getting
change for dollar bill, so as to pay him the
so cents witness-fee, enticed him into drink
ing saloon, and regaled him with as much lib
erality as on the evening of their previous rev.
ell. When he had become suitably fuddled he
was put in communication with Mr.. Morris the
counsel for Tilton. Here he found assembled
Morris, Titon, Moulton, Pryor and Loader. As
he entered they inquired of Loader ''is this
your man?'' and on Loader replying in the
affirmative, they all shook hands with their
new visitor Then the affidavit was drawn up
which has since been published, and he signed
and swore to it. He says he was pretty far
gone in liquor but not SO completely oblivious
but that he hesitated about perjuring himself,
and compromised with his conscience by hold
ing up his left hand instead of his right and
emitting to kiss the bible. By way of 'cram-
ming" him so that he might be able to answer
questions, they showed him diagram OF the
house, describing minutely the situation of the
door, hall, staircase, dining room, back and
front parlors, mantel piece and sofa. Mr.. Til
ton was at some pains to impress upon him the
shade and figure of the carpet and particularly
enjoned upon him to remember that Mrs. Til
ton was small woman. Mr.. Morris told him
he would be summoned as witness, but he
need have no fear of being called upon to test-
fly for while they were bound to apply to the
court to admit the "new evidence" they had
every confidence that the Judge would rule
against reopening the trial. Having given him
his instructions Mr.. Morris handed him a ten
dollar bill, and said, "here Price you go and
have good time' Price did go and have q
good time if getting on lordly drunk, can be
described in that phrase, and his affidavit to-
gether with that of his principal was scattered