April 15 Thursday – The New York Sun, “Ragged Edge in Earnest,” reported on Sam attending the Beecher trial of the previous day:

Mark Twain shambled in loose of coat and joints and got a seat near the plaintiff’s table. He closely resembled Mr. Moulton, and was mistaken by many for that much-watched attendant.

Twichell’s journal:

“This was a good joke on M.T. who has been greatly disappointed in Moulton’s appearance and disliked his looks exceedingly.” Note: Francis D. Moulton, Attorney for Tilton. Francis Moulton was a principal witness at Henry Ward Beecher’s trial for adultery with Elizabeth Tilton, a married parishioner. Moulton was a go-between for Beecher and Mr. Tilton during the four years between the time the charges were brought and the trial. As Mr. Tilton’s agent, Moulton received large sums of money from Beecher, who later denied it was blackmail.

Sam, Joe Twichell, Dean Sage, John Hay, and William Seaver went to lunch at Delmonico’s in New York [MTL 6: 449]. That evening Sam and Joe returned to Hartford. “On the way back we fell in with Prof. Fisher and had much talk about the Beecher case” [Yale, Twichell’s diaries 87].

Waiting at home for Sam was a letter and telegram from Howells, asking the Clemenses to come visit for the Lexington Centennial; the telegram requested the 6th installment of the Atlantic articles [MTL 6: 449].