The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1874-07-26

Itfllis
That In December, 1870, differences
arose between Theodore Iilton aud
Henry &. Bowen, which we're aug
menled by Henry w. Beecher and
Mrs, Bcecher, In consequence where
of and nc the wish Of Mrs, Elizabeth
h, TlltJn, expressed in writing, In u
piper put into the hands Of Francis y.
Moult0n, with view To pror1re q hnr-
monlOus interview between Tlll0n
aud lieecher, such an Interview
was arranged and carried OUT By Moll-
ton NJ his then residence on Clinton
street, Beecher and Vllton meeting and
speaking then and there for the first
time since MIR, 'rlltons nlrssI0n of
siX months before, The paper In Mr.
MOulton's hands was u statement by
Mrs. Triton OF the substance of thee
lessIOn which she had before made,
and OF her wish aud prayer for RECON-
clintion and peaCe between her pastor
and her husband. This paper furnish
ed 10 Beecher the first knowledge
which he had ms yet received TINT Mrs.
Tllton had made such confession. Al
this interview between Beecher aud
TlltOn, permission was sought by
Beecher 10 consult with Mrs. 'rillon on
that same evening. This permission
being granted, Beecher departed from
Mr.. MOulton's house, and In about half
an hour returned thlther, expressing
his remorsc and shame, and declaring
that his life and work seemed brought
to- sudden end, Later In the same
evening Tllton, on returning 10 his
house, found his wife weeping and In
great distress, saying that what she
had meant for peace had only given
pain and anguish; that Beecher had
lust called on her, declaring that she
had slain him, and that he would prob
ably he tried 10y a council Of ministers
unless she would give him written
paper for his protection, whereupon
she said he dictated to her and she
copied In her own handwriting suit
able paper-ior him to use 10 clear HIM
self before II council of ministers. Mrs.
rilton haying kept no copy Of this
paper, her husband asked her to make
Il distinct statement In writing of her
design andfmeaning In givingit, where
upon she wrote rs follows:
DECEMBER 10, 1870, Midnight.
| My DEAR HusBAND--l desire To
leave with you, before going TO bed, Il
statement that Henry Ward Beecher
called upon me this evening and asked
me If would defend him against any
accusation in u council Of ministers,
and replied solemnly that | would,
| In case the accuser was any other per-
son than my husband. He I'll. w. r.
| dictated q letter which | copied MS my
own, TO he used by him as against any
other accuser than my husband. This
letter was designed To vindicate Mr..
Beechcr against all other persons save
only yourself ! was ready to give him
this letter, because he said, with pain,
that my letter in your hands, addressed
to him, dated December 30, had struck
him dead and ended his usefulness. You
and are pledged to do our best to
avoid publicity. God grant II speedy
end TO all further anXieties
Allectionately,
ELIzABETH.
On the next day, viz: December 81
| 1870, Moulton, on being informed by
Tilton of the above named transaction
by Beecher, called on him (Beecherl
at his residence, and told him that n
reconciliation seem suddenly made inn
possible by Beechers nefariously pro-
curing the letter which Mrs. Tilton had
been improperly persuaded to make,
falsely. Beecher promptly, through
| Moulton, returned the letter to Tilton,
with an expression of shame and sor-
row for having procured it in the man
ner he did.
At the time of Bcecher's returning
the above letter to Tilton through
Moulton, Beecher requested Mouton
| to call at his residence IN Columbia
street on the next day, which he did
on the evening of January |, 1871. A
| long interview then cnsued, in which
Beecher expressed to Mouton great
contrition and remorSc for his previ-
Gus criminality with Mrs. rilton TAX
| ing to himself the shame for having
misuscd his sacred Office as n clergy
man to corrupt her mind, expressing n
determination to kill himself in case OF
exposure, aud begging Moulton to take
Il pen and receive from his (Beechers)
lips an apology to he conveyed to Til
ton, in the hope that such appeal
would secure Tilton's forgiveness. The
apology which Beecher dictated to
Moulton was rs follows:
In trust with L. d. Moulton.
My DEAR FRIEND MouLToN-I ask
through you Theodore Tilton's forgive
ness, and humble myself before him
as do before my God. He would
have been n better man in my circum-
stances than have been. can ask
nothing except that he will remember
the other breasts that would ache. |
will not plead for myself. / even wish
that We're dead, but others must live
TO suffer. | will die before any one but
myself shall be inculpated. All my
thoughts are running out toward my
friends and toward the poor child ly-
ing there and praying with her folded
bands. She is guiltless, sinned against,
bearing the transgression of another.
Her forgiveness l have. | humbly
! pray TO God to put it into the heart of
her husband to forgive me. I have
trusted this To Moulton in confidence.
HENRY WARD BEECIIER.
In the above document the last sen-
tenee and signature are in the hand
writing of the Rev. Henry Ward
Beecher.
Mr.. Moulton asked Tilton i'll he would
permit Beecher to address letter to
Mrs. Tilton, and Tilton replied in the
affirmative, whereupon Beecher wrote
as follows:
BROOKLYN, February |, 1871.
MY DRAR Mrs. rILToN: When saw
you last, | did not expect ever to see
you again or be alive many days. God
was kinder to me than We're my own
thoughts. The friend whom God sent
to me (Moultonl has proved above all
friends that | ever had, able and will
ing to help in this terrible emergency
of my life. His hand II was that tied
up the storm that was ready to burst
on our heads. You have no friend,
Theodore excepted, who has it in his
power to serve you so vitality, and who
will do 1t with such delicacy and honor.
| 1t does my sore heart good to see. i'm