The Beecher trial Author:Henry Ward Beecher Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: THE BEECHER TRIAL. The jury in the Beecher case, after deliberating eight days, came into court with the announcement that they were unable to agree upon a ve... more »rdict. The conflicting views which prevailed among twelve men who had the advantage of hearing all the witnesses examined and cross-examined have been shared by the public at large. But as we pass beyond the reach of those potent local influences which necessarily pressed heavily oh the jury—for a man was under trial who in Brooklyn had been treated almost as a god—the divisions of opinion are found to be more strongly marked. There are many who will always hold that the plaintiff's case was fully proved. A second class will continue to believe Mr. Beecher innocent; while a third will consider that the Scotch verdict of " not proven " would have been the only just conclusion to reach. And there are comparatively few who will not in their hearts be compelled to acknowledge that Mr. Beecher's management of his private friendships and affairs has been entirely unworthy of his name, position, and sacred calling. The evidence in the case has been so voluminous that we should ill discharge our duty if, before taking leave of the trial, we neglected to review it with some little care. The case naturally divides itself into four parts. There is, first, the charge itself, and the train of circumstances surrounding it. This must be considered, secondly, in connection with Mr. Beecher's acknowledged relations towards all the parties. Thirdly, it willbe necessary to recall the manner in which Mr. Beecher met the charge. Lastly, we shall have to examine the answers to the charge. We shall endeavor to present a connected narrative of the case observing strictly the order of events ; and in doing this we propose to confine ourselves e...« less