Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-08-22

Ing at Mr.. TiltOn's house, he came home
from an interview with Bowen, and told
me, with some excitement of manner, that
he had just had conference with Bowen,
= and that in that interview
Bowers
had made certain accusations against Beech
er, ana had challenged him, (Tilton) as
matter of duty to the public, to write an
n open letter which Bowen was TO take 10
Beecher, of which he showed me the origin
al draft, which is as follows;
BRookLYN, Dec. 26, 1870.
Henry Ward Beecher-Sir: demand, that
for the redSofis ichich you explicitly under
stand, YOU Immediately cease from the MN
istry of Plymouth Church, and that you
I quit the city of BROOKLYN as a residence.
lSignedl THEODORE TILTON.
TiltOn explained that the words ''fOr the
reasons which you explicitly understand
were underlined at the request OfsBowen, |
l and he further stated he told Bowen he was |
prepared 10 believe his charges, because
Beecher had made improper advances to
Mrs. Tilton.
Surprised at this, asked him what, when
he replied, HDon't ask me; Ican't tell yOu.n
| then said, "Is it possible you could have
been so foolish as to sign that letter on the
strength of Bowen's assertion and not have
Bowen sign it, too, although, as you say,
he was to carry it to Beecher?" He an
swered, 'SMr. Bowen gave me his word he
would ascertain the charges and adduce
evidence to prove them whenever called
upon" / said, Il fear that you will find
/ yourself mistaken. Has the letter gomez
He answered: sBowen said he would take
it Immediately
Bowen Changes FrOut.
In day or two after that, Tilton called
on me al my house, and said that he had
sent word to Bowen that be was going 10
call on Beecher within half an hour, or
shortly: that Bowen came up into the office
with great anger, and told him if he should
say to Beecher what he (Bowen) had told
him concerning his (Beecher's) adulterieS,
he would dismiss him from the IRdepend-
eilt and Union.
The Scene at MOuItOn's.
| On Friday evening, 30th of Decem-
Der, being the night of the Plymouth
Church prayer-meeting, Tilton came to me
and said in substance that by his wife's re-
quest he had determined to see Beecher, in ,
order to show to Beecher the confession of
his wife of intercourse between them, ! i
which he (Tilton) had never up to that !
time mentioned TO him (Beecher), and the j
fact of the confession of which his wife had ;
told him, that she had never told Beecher, !
although her confession had been made in I
the July previous inwriting, which writing /
he CTilton) had afterwards destroyed, but )
that his wife fearing that if Bowen's ac-
cuSatiOns against Beecher were made pub I
lie the whole matter would be known and 5
| her own conduct with Beecher become ex- I
| posed, had renewed her confession in her \
! own handwriting, which be handed to me I
/ TO read, which was the first knowledge / e
had of its existence. ;
[MoultOn details how he induced
| Beecher to come to his house TO confront
| TiltOn, the details being similar to Beech n
| er'S statement. MoultOn told Beecher: Il b
am hot a Christian, but if you wish viii G
show YOU how heather can serve yOu.1 u
! Beecher said after the interview. with Til Il
| ton: This Will kill me; it is a terrible G
catastrophe. 1t comes upon me as if struck Y
by lightning Beecher said nothing as 70 D
the truth or falsity of the charge. II B
HOuItOn ReeOvers the RecaniafIOn ii
The next morning Tilton came to my "
house and said BeecheT had done mean Il
act; that he had gone from that interview c,
last night TO his house and procured from al
Elizabeth recantatiOn and retractiOn Of II
her confession. He said for that act he'll L
would smite him, that there could be mol IL
peace. He said: You see that what have 81
told you of the meanness of that man is b
now evident TiltOn said that Beecher, | m
at the interview of last night, had asked 81
his permission to 60 and see Elizabeth. and q
he told him he might go, which state "a
ment was confirmed by Beecher. h
and Beecher left hIm for that purpose. W
l said to TiltOn, now don't get angry, Ie, N
us see if even this canno- lie arranged. "
will 20 down and get that retraction from
him | u-ag tl,an trnipgr fo INV brsfraes q, 1
l was unable to go that morning. but went N
that evening, saw Beecher and told him II
that l thought he had been doing 4 very "
mean and treacherOuS act, treacherOus first I n
towards me from whom he wanted HELM. in | ey
that he did not tell me on our way to his | m
house last night, what he had procured | -
from Mrs. TiltOn. and that he could not | ~
expect my friendship in this matter unless / N
he acted truthfully and honor IA
ably towards Inc. further "a
said: Mr.. Beecher YOU have had m
criminal intercourse with Mrs. TitOn. | N
You have done great injury to TiltOn other
wise. Now when you are confronted with II
it, you ask permission Of the man 10 again In
visit his house and you get from that | n,
woman who has confessed You have ruined / or
her, 4 recantation and a retactiOn Of the I a,
truth for yOur mere personal safety. That I si
won't save you. M
Beeeher's Confession 10 MOuIton. N
At that interview he admitted with grief in
and sorrow the fact of his sexual relations | b.
with Mrs. TiltOn; expressed some indigna- 81
tiOn that she had not told him that she had as
told her husband, and that in consequence I
of being in ignorance of that fact he had th
been walking upon a volcano. m
ITO eXOnerate himself from blame for le
BOWen's dismissal of TiltOn, Beecher gave @
Moulton a copy of a, letter written to Bow Of
en- in which Beecher pronOunceS the stories "
about Tilton and Mrs. Bullard as .'exag- 81
gented.'1 W
Mr.. Beecher told me that Mrs. Beecher tr
and himself without knowing Of the con- n
feSsiOn Of Mrs. TitOn to her husband, had oy
been expressing great sympathy towards as
Mrs. TiltOn, and taking active interest with N
her against her husband. JC
TMOulton says nothing of producing a u
pistol to extort Mrs. Tilton's recantation D.
from Beecher. e
The Apology. Sc
Sunday, January l, l went to Beechers g.
house in accordance with engagement
He took me in his study, and then told me Yi
again Of his great surprise that Elizabeth -
should have made the confession of his 50
criminal commerce with her TO her hus- UT
band without letting him know anything W
about il, making his destruction at any mo -
ment possible and without warning to Ohim. 10 10
He expressed his great grief at this wrong ~ ~
which he had done as a minister and friend
to Theodore, and at his request took pen se
and paper and lie dictated to me the paper ~
commonly known as the apology, and all "a "a
of which is in my own handwriting, except vi vi
the words, Il have trusted this TO MOultOn - -
in confidence" and the signature, which w W.
latter areI Mr. Beecber's On
This was inIruSted to ME in confidence, VI
10 be shown only TO Tilton, which, did. II I LL'
had reference to no other fact or act than -
the confession of sexual intercourse be- -
tween Beecher and Mrs. Tilton, which he ~ ~
at that interview confessed, and denied an an
not, but confeSSed-alsO at other inter ~ ~
views in relation to this unfortunate affair vi ",
he unqualitedly confessed that he had been ~
guilty of adultery with Mrs. Tilton, and siS si3S
always in the spirit of grief and sorrow at .l au
the enOrmity of the crime he had commit ~
tad AGAINST Mr. Tiltou-c At slL