The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1874-08-06

she would give him written paper for
his protection; whereupon she said he
dictated to her, and she copied in her
own handwriting, q suitable paper for
him to use to clear himself before a
council of ministers. Mrs. Tilton hav-
ing kept no copy of this paper her hus-
band asked her to make distinct state
ment in writing of her design and mean
ing in giving it; she then wrote letter
detailing the circumstances under which
It was written. That subsequently Mr.
Beecher returned the paper given him
by Mrs. Tilton, and on the following day
gave to Mr.. Moulton. a tried friend, the
celebrated letter of apology asking Til
toms forgiveness and wishing that he
were dead.
II. Gives letter from Mrs. Tilton
stating that q cruel conspiracy had been
found against her husband in which Mrs
Beecher and her mother were the chief
| actors.
IL. Gives letters from both Tilton and
Beecher showing mutual expressions of
good spirit, and also a letter from
Beecher to Mrs. Tilton commencing
Noulton for his efforts to heal the differ
ences between them.
| b. That about a year after Mrs. Til
tons confession her mind remained in
the fixed opinion that her criminal rela-
tons with Beecher had not been morally
wrong, SO strongly had he impressed her
to the contrary, but at length change
took place in her conviction upon this
subject, and she wrote to he: husband
saying that new light had dawned upon
her mind, and she had become thoroughly
convinced of her sinfulness.
IA. That about this time Mrs. Woodruff
detailed the wicked and injurious story
which she published year after. Mean
while Tilton, desiring to guard against
any temptation to Mrs. Woodruff to pub
lish the grossly distorted version which
she gave to Tilton, and which she after
ward attributed to him, sought by many
personal services and kindly attentions
to influence her to such goodwill toward
himself and family as would remove all
disposition or desire in her to afflict him
with such publication. Tilton's efforts
and association with Mrs. Woodruff
ceased in April, 1872, and six months
afterward, namely, Nov. 2, 1872, she
published the scandal which he had
labored to suppress.
Is. That after it's publication Rev.
Thomas K. Beecher wrote of the affair:
Mrs. Woodruff only carries out Henry's
philosophy, against which recorded my
protest twenty years ago."
16. That in May, 1873, the famous tri-
partite agreement between Bowen,
Beecher and Tilton, surreptitiously
printed, led the press of thecountry to
charge that TiltOn had committed some
heinOus wrong against Beecher, whereas
directly the contrary was the case. To
remove this impression Mr.. Moulton
Oh Mr. tn
reassure Mr. Tilton. Mr.. Beecher COM
piled, and ended his letter thus: There
is no use in trying further. l have a
strong feeling upon me, and it brings me
peace, that am spending my last Sun
day and preaching my last sermon"
Other letters were written to Mr.. Tilton
similar in tenor, and he concluded to
rest awhile longer under public odium
rather than further bring trouble upon
Mr. Beecher.
H. Recounts the love of Mrs. Tilton
for her husband until he was supplanted
in her affections by Mr. Beecher, and
gives several of her letters written at this
time to show that love.
18. That the story purporting to ex-
plain Beecher's apology as having been
written because he had offended Mr.. Til
ton by engaging his wife in the project
of separation from her husband was false,
as appeared by letter written by Mrs.
Tilton only three days after the date of
the apology and published with the state
ment.
10. That Beecher offered in substance
to send Tilton and family to Europe, and
share with him his fame, fortune and
everything he possessed. That the
charge that Tilton ever attempted to
levy blackmail on Beecher was false; on
the contrary, Tilton had always resented
every attempt by Beecher to put him
under pecuniary obligations.
20. That not long after the scandal be-
came public, Mrs. Tilton wrote on a slip
of paper and left on her husbands writ
ing-desk the following words: F." Now that
volts to join with you or standing with
YOU" Through the influence of Beech
er's friends the opinion had long been
diligently propagated that the scandal
was due to Tilton, and that
Mrs. Tilton and Mr.. Beecher had
falsely endeavored to make him appear
to the world as slanderer, and
that Tilton would not have communicated
to the committee the facts contained in
this statement except for the perverse
course of the Rev. Henry Ward Beecher
and Mrs. Elizabeth r. Tilton to degrade
and destroy him in public estimation.
Fl. That Mrs. Tilton had appeared be-
fore the Investigating Committee and
given untrue testimony, and that on the
next day she spent many hours of ex-
IRENE suffering from pangs of conscience
at having testified falsely. She expressed
to her husband the hope that God would
forgive her perjury, but that the motive
was to save Beecher and her husband,
and also to remove all reprOach from the
cause of religion. She had also ex-
pressed similar contrition to one of her
intimate friends.
22. The last specification is in the ma
ture of recapitulation, and is given in
full: Finally, that in addition to the fore
going facts and evidences other confirma-
lions could be adduced, if needed, to
prove the following recapitulated state
ment, namely: That the Rev. Henry
Ward Beecher, as pastor and friend Of
Mr.. Tilton and his family, trespassed
upon the sanctity of friendship and hos
pitality in a long endeavor to seduce
Mrs. Elizabeth r. Tilton; that by the
artful use of his priestly authority with
her, she being his pupil in religion, he
accomplished this seduction; that for a
peFlOO Oh year ana naII, or tnerea-
bouts, he maintained criminal intercourse
with her, overcoming her previous mod
est scruples against such conduct by in
toned by love and religion; that he par
ticipated in q conspiracy to degrade The
odore Tilton before the public by loss of
place, business and repute; that he
abused Mr.. Tilton's forgiveness and
pledge of protection by thereafter author
izing series of measures by Plymouth
Church having for their object the put
ting of stigma upon Tilton before
the church, and also before an Eccle-
siastical Council, insomuch that the
Moderator of that council, interpret
ing these acts by Beecher and his church,
declared publicly that they showed
Beecher to be the most magnanimous of
men, and Tilton to be knave and dog;