The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1874-08-05

ment in the interest of peace, and have n,
disposition at present to abandon that attitude
nave Tor Years past been honored with tn,
friendship and confidence of both Beecher ant
IHtoh. trouble arose between them, and as
gentleman and friend, undertook to serve botf
oy bringing about recOnc.l alton. l looked
| upon their families, certainly innocent of any
wrong, out sure to suffer by any open hospital
lties, ana felt that for their sake it for ne
| Qthef reason the Ieace ought to be preserved
was also convinced that, irrespective of rieh
OF wrong IN the matter, both Beecher and Til
Ton would OF necessity suffer, and could not by
any possibility to me visible, gain by having
tneir differences dragged before the public fol
al dp ~ at. On these beliefs have endeayor
| Gu 10 act In the past aud upon them shall as
Lar as IN me los shape my policy in the future.
Reporter-Have you been invited to appear
| oeiGte the investigating commttee2
| =, Mouiton-Yes, l found on my arrival here
| .nis morning two communications from the
| CHAIRMAN of the committee dated respectively
July 18th and July 29th.
MIep0rter-What did they say?
Moulton-They request me to appear at the
| eafi!est practicable time before the commit
al 81 Monroe place and bring with me the orig
mas OF all letters and papers referred to in Til
'or statement which are in my possession.
heporter-Will you appear as requested?
ouiton-That, let me say is in an especial
sense, s my own business.
h-Ihe Invitation appears to assume that
lne originals OF all the letters and papers refer
reu to by hr. Tilton are in your possession.
Are they?
M In view of the fact that have been in
Vited TO appear before the committee, and in
view OF the further fact that l have not indi-
o.eu whether shall accept or decline the in
s;itatloh' would rather not discuss the ques-
ZION you present / shall make no revelation
70 tnae committee unless invited by both Beech
er and IIlton. The position / occupy towards
.nese ecu Ieineh Is one of mutual confidence,
ana ana that confidence will not be violated. Be-
lOre sna at all feel justified in speaking,
Theodore Tilton and MIR. Beecher.
k-Would yon tell all you know then?
Nj should then feel called upon to consld.
er seriously the propriety of telling what L
be silent.
R-Have you not received a letter from Mr..
Beecher requesting you to speak?
MI have not.
R.-The Eagle was informed on good author
ity that Beecher had written such a letter and
that special messenger had been despatched
to deliver it to you.
M.--Ehat may be all true, I prestms it is best
the letter has not reached me yet.
Rim view of the fact that all letters of i'm
porIance III the case which go to cast suspicion
on Beecher have passed through your hands,
uon you feel that the request of the gentlemen
who wrote them places you under an obiga-
ton to tell how you got them, and to tell how
you came to turn them over to Tilton.
M.-Without discussing the point, L answer
IN tho negative. am conscious cf having done
no wrong of which a man of honor should he
ashamed of, and l know it is dishonorable to
make public secrets of two men by the request
of one. In short, l shall avoid speaking as
long as possible, but if Beecher and Tilton in
sist upon it | shall go forward and speak the
truth.
R1Will your testimony injure Mr.. Tilton's
Met us close the interview right here.
Not until have testified shall it be known Who
my testimony shall help or hinder.
A Rnmor Denied
The Graphic has rumor which the Eagle says
is an exploded one, that Beecher will present
no formal statement to the Investigating COM
mittee, but will submit to their cross exaliiina-
ton, and further, that it is his intention to re
tire from the ministry aud assume the editor
ship of a new Republican paper about to be
started here.
Mrs. TiIton's Observation-Disclosures.
Mrs. Tilton's cross-examinaton by the
Plymouth church Investigating Committee will
be printed in the morning. She starts out with
the following statement
II wish these gentlemen to understand that
to Il very large extent | take the blame upou
myself of the indifference my husband has
shown to me in all my life. At first l under
stood very well that l was not to have the
attention that many wives had. l realized
that his talent and genius MUST not be mar
rowed down to myself That i made him
understand. Also to very large extent
attribute to that the later sorrows Of my life.
gave him to..understand what might be regard
ed as neglect, under the circumstances, would
not be regarded by me as neglect in him, owing
to his business and to his desire to make a
name for himself and to rise before the world.
AT the birth of the first three children, had
very severe and. prolonged sickness, but when
he saw me he never felt that was sick, be-
cause on seeing him | always tried to feel well.
felt so desirous of his presence. 1t was
charged upon me many a time by my mother
and my brother: When Theodore and the DIR.
comes you are never sick They said of me:
She has never genius of being sick.
Question-Wll you state just what attention
your husbaad bestowed upon you in case of
sickness, during your confinement or any other
illness if you had them?
Answer-Well, l had no attention whatever.
| may truthfully say from him any more than
than a stranger would give. do not think it
was from neglect SO much as from an inability
on blS part to understand that was sick and
suffering, though, in fact, was very serious y
i'll.
In continuation Mrs Titon stated that she
was frequently sick and her physician said
there was care and trouble on her mind which
he could not cure with medicine.
Q-What was the trouble 10 point OF fact?
A-Well, any one of ycu gentlemen,
think, would have cared for my family as much
as Theodore did. l was left entirely with my
servants, and they were poor servants. L would
hot have my mother with me because it was
impossible for her to live with us on account of
disagreement with Mr.. Tton. Tilton was dis
satisfied with his home and with his wfe's
management, and was harsh in his criticisms.
Q-When did he begin to talk to You, if at
all, in regard to your association and friendship
for Mr.. Beecher?
Al think had no visits from Mr.. Beecher
before 1866. That is the first L remember see
ing him very much
Q-What was the criticisms in regard to
Mr.. Beecher and yourself which Mr.. Tilton
made?
Al would like to go back little here for
think it will show my manner with Mr.
Beecher. When lived in Oxford street that
was the first of this with which Mr.. = filed
my husbands mind as early as 1865 Theodore
then used to begin to talk to me about Mr..
Beechers wrong donss with ladies which he
had heard from Mr.. -, aud night after night
and day after day he talked about Mr. Beech
er. He seemed to be worried on that subject
So that when Mr.. Beecher came to see me Mr..
rilton Immediately began to have suspicious.
but in order that L might be perfectly trans
parent to my husband with res ect to my iuteI-
views with Mr.. Beecher, whenever | was alone
with him, used to make memorandum and
charge my mind with all the details of the con-
necton that passed between us that might re
peat it to Mr. Ilton. 1t was so in regard to
every gentleman who came to see me and with
whom | sat alone. was very closely watched
and questioned, but especially IN regard to Mr..
Beecher. l attributed those criticisms from
Theodore to Mr.. IS criticisms / never had
visit from Mr. Beecher that | was not ques.
toned. Theodore would question me till
| thought had told him we talked about, ind
perhaps a day or two afterwards 1 would throw
out remark which Mr. Beecher made and
| Theodore would say, "You did not tell me that
yesterday" Would say. Il forgot it, "You
| lie,'' no would say. "You didn't mean to tell
me- For two or three years 1 tried faithfully
| to repeat 70 my husband everything that said
| and did until found it made him more suspic
| ious than ever He believed l left out many
| things purposely while was conscious of never
meaningly emitting anything. l wanted The
| odore to know everything that passed between
us. l often said that if he would only CONT
home and be there and know all.
Q-When did his complaints against you
| change from the form of criticism to that OF
| accusation, or something more than criticism
| AIN the latter part of the winter and early
spring of 1869 and 1870, he began TO talk to MT
| assuming had done wrong
| Q.-ln what respect?
| A.-With Mr.. Beecher.
| Q-Cfnninally?
| A.-Yes, l have been with him days ant
! nights talking tie matter over, but would
| like to have you know that these conversation:
| lasted tor years and the change of his thoughts
| from the old to the new, as he called 1t, wa