orality. Mr. and Mrs. Tilton
were subjected to a most thorough examination and cross-examination, and
then Mr. Francis D. Moulton, the famous mutual friend, came into the
matter with his story of a most remarkable series of confessions and
letters. The committee reported its findings at the weekly
prayer-meeting, August 28th. Mr. Beecher was acquitted, and Mr. Moulton
was most vigorously denounced, and when he left the meeting it was under
police protection, because of the fury of the friends of the pastor.
Before this Mr. Tilton had concluded to go to the courts, and on August
19th opened a suit for $100,000 against Mr. Beecher. It was not until
October 17th that Judge Neilson granted an order for a bill of
particulars against the plaintiff, and William M. Evarts, for Mr.
Beecher, and Roger A. Pryor for Mr. Tilton, carried the case up to the
Court of Appeals, where the decision of the general term was reversed,
and on December 7th, the new motion for a bill was granted.

It was on January 4th, 1875, that the case was taken up in the City
Court of Brooklyn. For Mr. Tilton appeared General Pryor, ex-Judge
Fullerton, William A. Beach and S. D. Morris; while on the other side
were William M. Evarts, General Benjamin F. Tracy and Thomas G.
Shearman. The first witness was Editor Maverick, who testified on the
13th of January to the Tilton marriage. Mr. Tilton took the stand on
January 29th, and Mr. Evarts objected to his being sworn, and took
several days to state his objections. From February 2nd to February
17th, Mr. Tilton was on the stand, and the case for the defense opened
on February 25th, and the first witness took the stand March 2nd. Mr.
Beecher took the stand April 1st, and affirmed his testimony. He kept
the stand until April 21st, and on May 13th the testimony on both sides
closed after the examination of one hundred and eleven witnesses, and
the consumption of four and one-half months of time. Mr. Evarts took
eight days for his summing up, and other counsel for the defense six
more. Mr. Beach talked for nine days, and Judge Neilson, on June 24th,
charged the jury, which, after a consultation of eight days, reported on
July 2nd, that they were unable to agree. All through the trial Mrs.
Beecher sat beside her husband in court. The court was packed day after
day, and in the daily papers thousands of columns were consumed in
reporting every word uttered. It was never tried again.

The enormous expense of the defe