The Republican journal., 1872-11-07
The Woodruff CIafIin Libel.

Woodhull & Callin's Weekly. Il publ
cation by the two wel-known New York
women brokers, has recently been reviv-
ed. The number of November 25th, con-
tanS a revelation charging Rev. Henry
Ward Beecher with the grossest immor-
atty among members of his church, stat
ing that he preached every Sabbath to
twenty OF his mistresses. Mrs. Woodruff
goes into the particulars OF one case. She
says that after she had alluded to these
matters in Il public speech, Il reporter
called upon her to get the particulars,
which she gave him, and that he was
bribed TO suppress them. Among the
revelations which she claims were made
TO this reporter were the following:
She told this reporter that at an interview be.
tween Mrs. Pauline Wright Davis,-an intimate
friend and co-worker with Tilton in the wo-
mans rights movement-Mrs. Tilton spoke
freely OF a long series of intimate and ''so-call-
ed criminal relations on her part with the Rev
Henry Ward lieecher; of the discovery of the
facts by Mr.. Tilton; of the abuse she had suf-
frred from him in consequence and of her heart
broken condition. She was, as she stated at the
time, recovering from the effects Of a miscarri-
age of 4 child of six months. The miscarriage
was induced by the ill-treatment of Mr.. Tilton
in his rage at the discovery of her criminal init
macy with Mr.. Beecher and, as he believed,
the great probability that she was e1aciente by
Mr.. Beecher instead of himself. Mrs. Triton
confessed to Mrs. Davis the intimacy with Mr..
Beecher and that it had been of years standing.
She also said that she had loved MI. Beecher
before she married Mr.. Tilton, and that now the
burden OF her sorrow was greatly augmented
by the know Hedge that Mr.. Beecher was untrue
to her. She had not only to endure the rupture
with her husband, but also the certainty that,
notwithstanding his repeated assurances of
athtulness to her, Mr.. Beecher had recently
had llllct intercourse, under most extraordinary
circumstances, with another person. Said Mrs.
Davis. II came away from that house, my soul
bowed with grief at the hedrt-broken condition
of that poor woman, and felt that ought not
to leave BROOKLYN until had stripped the mask
from that Infamous, hypocrilical scoundrel
Reecher.'
Mrs Woodruff says she next heard the whole
story from Mrs, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, who,
she also says, knew the facts from Mr.. Tilton
himself and, according to Mrs. Stanton, he
seemed upon the verge of insanity as he made
the revelation. Afterward Mr.. Triton confided
the same story TO Mrs. Woodruff, and she
thinks he Will be glad that the skeleton in his
posnre he had told Mrs. w oodhull that he had
allowed THAT rascal (Beecher) to 90 unscathed
for the sake of his wife. and begged her to de-
lay the threatened revelation on account of her
feeble health.
Mr.. Tilton, says Mrs. Woodruff first began
to have suspicious of Mr.. Beecher on his return
iron a long lecturng tour in the West He
questioned his little daughter, privately, in his
study, regarding what had TRANSFERRED in his
absence. The tale of iniquitOus horror re-
yealed to me-" he said was enough to turn
the heart of a stranger to stone, to say nothing
of a husband and father" There had been not
only ntimacies but terrible orgies IN the pres
encr of his children.
OF course this story made sensation,
not only in New York, but all over the
country. On Saturday Mrs. Woodruff
and Miss Claflin were arrested by order
of an U. 5. Commissioner, for circulating
obscene publications through the mails,
and committed to Jail. The printer Of the
paper was also sent to jail on charge of
libel preferred by Mr. Challis, who was
similarly alluded to in the paper. Mr.
ChalllS states that a copy of the article
was sent to him with the demand that he
pay $500, on it would he printed. This
stamps the whole business as 4 blackmail-
ing transaction the dirtiest business that
any man or woman can be engaged in.
The verdict Of the public is, and we doubt
not that of u Jury will be, that the whole
pretended revelation is monstrous in
vention for the basest of purposes.