Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1874-07-30

home was unbroken till Mr.. Beecher en-
tered ii as frequent guest and friend is
lamentable satire upon the household
where he himself, years before, laid
the cornerstone of free love and desc
Grated its sacred affairs up to the time
of my departure, SO that the atmosphere
was not only goddess, but impure for my
children, and in this effort and throe OF
agony | would fain lift my daughters and
all womanhood from ths insidious and
diabolical teaching of these latter days,
His frequent efforts to prove me insane,
weak minded, insignificant and of mean
presence all rank in the category of
heartlessnesS, scltishness and falSehood,
having its climax in his present endeavor
20 convince the world that am or ever
have been unable to distinguish between
an innocent or n guilty love. In sum-
ming up the whole matter, | affirm my.
self before God to be innocent of the
crimes laid upon me; that never have
been guilty of adultery with Henry
Ward BeeCher in thought or deed, nor
has he ever offered to me IN indeCorouS
or improper proposal.
To the further charge that | was led
away from my home by Mr. Beecher's
friends and by the advice OF a lawyer
whom Mr. Beecher had sent to me- who
in advance of my appearing before the
committee arranged with me the Ques-
tions and answers which were to consti-
tute my testimony'in Mr.. Beeeher's be
half, | answer that this is again untrue,
having never seen the lawyer until intro
duced TO him few moments before the
arrival of the committee, 10y my step
father, Judge Morse; and in further re
ply | submit the following statement of
my action before the committee and my
separation from my husband:
5. The publication of Mr.. Tilton's
letter in answer to DR.. Bacon |
had not known nor suspected
when ON Wednesday evening he
brought home the GoldsH Age, handing it
TO me to read Looking down its col.
umns | saw well nigh with binding eyes
that he had put into execution the al
most daily threat of his lie-that he
lived to crush out Mr.. Beechcr; that the
God of battles was with him; he had
always been Mr. Beecher's superior, and
all that lay in his path--wifc, children or
reputation, if need be-should fall before
this purpose" / did not read it, | saw
enough without reading My spirit rose
within me as never before. Theodore, -
said, "tcll me what means this quota
ton from Nh Beechery Two years ago
YOU came TO me at midnight saying:
Elizabeth, all letters and papers con
corning my difficulties with Mr. Beccher
and Mr.. Bowen are burned destroyed.
Now don't you betray me, for | have
nothing to defend myself with" did
you believe all that said he 81 GER
tainly did, implicitly ] said Well,
let me tell you they all live Not one is
destroyed"
If this was said to intimidatc me it
had quite the contrary effect; had
never been so fearless nor seen SO clear
ly before with whom | was dealing
Coming to me little later: II want you
to read it, You win find Naturalization
of yourself. You have not stood before
the community for five years as you now
do
6 Reused still further by the wicked
ness hid behind so false a mask, | re-
Piled: "Theodorc, understand me. This
is the last time you call me publicly to
walk through this filth. My character
needs no vindiCatOn, at this late hour,
from you. There was Il time, had you
spoken out clearly, truthfully and man
fully for me, had been grateful but now
| shall speak and act for myself Know,
also, that if in the future | see a scrap OF
paper referring TO any human being,
however remote, which it seems To me
you might use or pervcrt for your own
ends, | will destroy it, This means
battle on your part. then" he said. Just
so far" | replied.
T. | write this because these words OF
mine he has since used to my harm The
next morning ! went to my brother and
told him that now had decided to act
in this matter; that | had been treated
by my husband as a noncntity from the
beginnings plaything to be used or let
alone AT will that it had always seemed
to me | was a party not a little con
cerned | then showed him a card had
made for publication. lie respected the
motive but still advised silence on my
part. | yielded thus far as to not ap
pear in the public prints, but, counsellng
with myself and no other, il occurred TO
me that among the brethren of my own
communion | might be heard Not
knowing Of any church committee,
asked the privilege Of such an interview
in the parlors of those who had always
been our mutual friends Mr.. and Mrs.
Ovington then learned for the first time
that the committee would meet that
night, and advised me to see those gen
tcmen as perhaps the COOLEST persons |
could select This ! accordingly did.
There alone pleaded the cause OF my
husband and my children, the result be-
ing that their hearts were moved in sym.
pathy for my family, feeling their pas
tor had shared for years and for which
he was now suffering On going home !
found my husband reading in bed !
told him where had been and that did
not conceal anything from him. as his
4 - - l.-..u- u.n IL .-l-nl who tho