Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1873-06-06
The Reecher.rlltnn.RoKen scandal.


many-are aware that the notorious Mrs.
Woodruff, over 4 year ago, in public lee
ture in Boston, in the course of general
TRADE against whatever i decent ana oil
good report IN human society, brought
number of foul and filthy charges against
Rev. Henry Ward Beecher, and that shortly
after she resuscitated her defunct Weekly
for the sake of repeating in print the same
indecent accusations 1t was for this pub
LEGATION, and Others like it in the same num-
Der. that Mrs. Woodruff was indicted on
the charge of printing and publishing
obscene literature, and shut up in Ludlow
street Jail for q number of weeks, till she
finally procured bail.
As long as this SANDER was confined 10
the utterances Of a woman whose trade was,
by common report, blackmail, when it was
not something worse, the charges found no
credence among respectable people, and
most Of the decent papers in the country
omitted even any allusion to them. Mr..
Beecher, of course, made no public allusion
to the matter but privete remark Of bis
obtained pretty wide circulation. He said
When a man is unlucky enough, as he
passes along on the sidewalk, 10 be drenched
by a torrent Of dirty water thrown on him
from some upper window by some careless
or mischieyous hand, the best he tan 90 is
Hon'' anu "'i''
no'iii wa"
DC Se''lo'e' anu WIN inc PI''l7' .''''i va ''-'
chiel onenler' II was "oPea tAe S-''llu'rS
WOMB cease DI' 'nes ulu no'' lNeS
were reiterated anu ''''@'s'u "l,"" ~
'a'' anu '''''''''5 ,'.'i' ''''-,,''
Streets III hi"'AiSh' Troy anu oH'y',3'' ! '
brooklyn heg'' charged Mr., Henry -
b'"eh' eal-'T ana F"'liNlef oI Tue ~
"'tptN"'"'' "''A '''is al 'I'' notion o'
the charges against Mr.. Bcecher. and the
statement was mot denied bv Mr.. Bowen.
~, .-;.-;,.,l .l,,..l.- cl.,r,,.1 Az E..cler
,.,
with adultery WIN MIS- lheog"re IH'oh-
whom we believe to bee an upright and e.
,i,r,l1e l,6v -Lo J-,,,.-ir,, If who's, mann.
seems to Us an almost unparalleled outrage.
As the stories orew. tine name oranother
- l..-.-l H. .r.. r,..,,
l"u9 "o"
family, and on whose name, when IN me-
no breath Of suspicion had ever rested, was
dro,-,at in and tban that ora nure and
-, .t..i- ii r
c"l'l'H'ou lH'iuoH 4HuS' 10 ''.'"A Vi
whom Is 10 think that there Is no such
thing as virtue in woman. 1t was very
,,o,,or,ll,, toIiero5 that NJ Tlton vas
largely reSpohSioIe lor the scahual' III elfcu-
lation, and the talk, in public and private,
accustomed nv them was not ouieted by the
.,.a,. L.. -. g ~, c.ll.-,;...
HPi'e"i aii'o' i's' 0"iiu"i9' VI ''i0 'oiio" ''7
private letter iron Mr.. Inton, which was
permitted to be published hv the friend to
,rb,,,, h., ,,,,. =
Ia LIVINGSTON STREET, BRooSLYN,N- L.,
December 27th, lo12.-M My Complaining
Friend; Thanks for your good letter OF bad
advice. You say, How easy to give the |
lie to the wicked story, and thus end II for
ever but stop ana consider Inc story,
Is WhoIe library oil Statement>-a hundred |
ormore'-and II Wonld De strange Il some |
oil them are not correct, though doubt II |
any are, 10 give general denial to such |
an encyclopaedia OF assertions would be a. |
E1agne ana lrreIeSant as 10 take up the |
trations. and saw. This is ali a lie :" So |
extensive a libel requires (if answered at
all) a special denial OF Its several parts and
not nn deIiai - bi NE It,e,l5
buta truthful explanation of other things |
that remain unstated and in mystery. In .
other words. the false story Gf met at alD
should be confronted and confounded by the
true one Now, my friend. YOU urge me to
speak: but when the truth Is a sword
Gods mercy sometimes commands il
sheathed. If Won think do not burn to
defend my wife and little ones. vuu know
not the fiery spirit within me. But my
wife's heart is more a fountain of charity.
and quenehes all reSentments. She saws
Let there be no suffering save to our
selves alone, and forbids a yindication to
the injury Of Others From the beginning
she has stood with her hands on nv lipS. |
saying Hush - So when Won prompt me
to speak for her. YOU countervaii her more
Christian mandate Of silence. Moreover.
after all, the chief victim of the nublic dis
pleasure Is myself alone: and 50 long A.
this l. hqpUiig the case, | shall try with
patience to keep my answer within nv own
bolt through other hearts. Years. truly.
THEODORE Hilton.
So the thing went on, till, a while since
the Chicago AdraHce, the leading Congre-
gational journal of the West, took up the
case As follows. 1t said
Few, II any, intelligent people would
nave heen lound to beheYe the NOOdhull
charges against MI be cher. But recent
pnhIGaIionS show only too plainly that
Ihey did not originate with her, and con-
i!rm tue convictions OF those who have be
iie'ed rom the hTst that 1t was and Is
grave mistake Tor Mr.. Beecher to meet them
win SHen9e' on the ground that his aecuser
l. TOO we Tor recognition. Reputable
papers puollsh only illusions TO the stories
tha' are ahoaI put the .dlsreputableo ones, like
lhe Snicas9 i4HeS sloat over the garnlShed
uetallS' ana industrlously ian the suspicion
tn u' tnele : conspiracy ol the Christian
coinhunily 70 suppress the ldcts- We say
II M; ,'iii'ly' put c9hnIently' mat the
-. De ooni eiIeu 70 9elle'e Inat there
II >o4ii "IonS SolneW here'I lylnouth
onuien' al ledS'' snaiI laAe no acton to
-. - up .uo SC'Iiudl' NHlch Involves It's
.iiIee mos lu portahl i m ana involves
i 1ie.l ~ way tIat VII not allow the pub
~ ~ oeiieNe 'ild' az 'IIee ought 90 ne IN
goou ana regular standing
Mr.. Beecher's friends. tbrouobout the
corr+-,. bo,vo,o~ s+oo5 -. ~. ~,
- Ntu"t0-S ~ n'Hl'
and iound nothlngtto blame IN his course, till
last Friday the following astonishing docu-
mont onneored II, the Now Yo,l, T..
Nv. IL
e tnree men, earnestly desiring to re
lnose al causes existing between us, real !
u lahcleu, anu 10 make christian repara-
Iioh Tor INJURIES done or supposed to be :
iohe' anu 10 enace the disturbed past, and
~ pio'lue c1hGorq, gool WILL ana love Tor
'he iutnre, 90 declare and covenant each to .
Ihe other as follows
l; l. Henry I. Bowen, having given
,reuI, perhaps, without due consideration, :
10 laieS , ana lnnuendoes affecting Henry