Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-08-23

mon enough mistake made by most per-
sohS on beginning new year;l ai
l74 LIVINGSTON STREET, BROOKLYN,
Ian Il, iS7v.- Mr.. Francis AoultOn-My
Dear Friend: La regard 10 your question
| whether have ever sought a separation
| frOm my husband, Indignantly deny that
such WAS ever the fact, as haze. denied a
hundred times before. The story that L
wanted a separation was deliberate false
hood, coined by IIy poor mother, who said
| she would bear the responsibility OF this
and other Statements she might make, and
communicated to nv husbands enemy,
Mrs. II. ". Beecher, and hy her comnrIIIi-
Gated to Mr.. Bowen. / feel outraged at
the whole proceed. nc, and am now suffer
ing in consequence more than / can bear.
ID | am yOurs very truly,
sas ELIZABETH r. TILToN.
A Breach of the Peace. .
had, as a necessary precaution to the
peace of the family and the parties inter
ested, interdicted all parties from having
communication with each other, except
husband and wife, unless that communi-
cation was known to me, and the letters
sent through me or shown to me. Mr..
Iilton and Beeehsr both faithfully. COM
Piled With their pr mise in that regard, so
far as / know. / was away sick in the
spring of 1871, as before stated, and went
10 Florida. soon after my return, Beeciler
placed ii my hand an unsigned letter from
Ms. T., m her Handwriting, undated, but
lnaiked in his handwriting: Received
March $, iIS7l. .rE-,. rTs.+s
On the third Of May Bee her handed me
a third letter, unsigned. but in Mrs. rs.
handwriting, Of that date. /
Mrs. Hilton 10 Beecher.
BRooKLYN, Sd, 1871. i
"Mr. Beecher-Aiy future, either for life
or death, would be happier could / but feel
that you fOIsaye while YOU forgot me. In
ali the sad complications of the past year,
nav endeavor vas to entirely keep from you
all suffering, 70 bear myself alone, leaving
you Tor ever ignOIant Of il. My weapons
were love, large, untiring generosity, and
'neSt-hidiug That / failed utterly, we
both know; but / ask forgiveness"
The cOnteuts of this letter were so re-
markable that l queried within my own
mind whether / ought not to show it to
TiltOn, but as l was assured by Beeeher
and verify believed, and now believe. that
they were unans Sered by him, 4 thought it
best to retain il i'm my possession, as have
done until now. But from the hour OF re-
option, what rem aimed of Z ith in Mrs. T's
character for truth or prOprieiy of conduct
was wholly lost. and from that time forth
had no thought or care FOR her reputation,
only 50 far as II affected that of her chill
dren. f.r. #.ff. fE.
Sometime after the tripartite alliance, |
learned from Beecher that Mrs. Tilton had
told hin when she made her confession to
her husband Of her infidelity with him
(Beeciser) her husband had made like |
confession TO her, owniDg'his own infideli- |
ties with several other women. This be- |
ing an entirely
New Sta tement Of Facts
TO me, and never having heard Mrs. TiltOn
in all my conversations with her, although |
she had admitted freely her own sexual in |
tercOurSe with Beecher, make any claims |
that her husband had confessed his infidel- |
ity, OF that he had been unfaithful to her, |
| brought it 10 the attention of TiltOn |
TiltOn promptly, and with much feeling, |
denied that he had ever made any such con
fessiOn, and desired me 10 see Mrs. TiltOn
and satisfy myself upon that point. ---
On arriving at the llouse, asked Mrs.
Tilton to step into the front parlOr, where
we two were alone. then put this ques-
tiOn 10 her:
Elizabeth, did you tell Mr.. Beecher that
when you made your confession TO your
husband of your infidelity with Beecher,
y0ur husband at the same time made con
fessiOn to YOU Of his own inGdelity with
other women2n l said, Il want 20 know if
this Is true for my own satisfaction" She
ans sWered, Yes +.-...--
/ then stepped with her into the back par
lor Of the house, where her husband was
waiting, and said TO him, ''Your wife says
she did tell Beecher that you confessed your
with other women at the time she
made her confession to you,"
Elizabeth Immediately said, "Why, 10; /
didn't tell you so. l could not have under
stood your question, for it isn't true that
Theodore ever made any such confession,
and didn't state it to Mr.. Beecher, be
cause il is not true"
1 was very much surprised and shocked
at the denial, but Of course said nothing
more upon that subject, and left and went
home. The next morning | received the
letter from Mrs. Tilton, without
date, but i was alter the triPartite cove
nant:
Mrs TIItOn TO MOuItOn-
Dear Frank did tell YOU two false
hoods at your last visit. At first 1 entirely
your questions, thinking
that you had reference 10 the interview at
your house the day before, but when in-
replied to you, replied falsely.
will now put myself on record trIIthfnlly.
| told Mr.. B. that at the time of my con-
fession, TiltOn had made several cOnfes-
siOns to me Of himself, but no develop
ments as 10 persons, when you then asked
for your own satisfaction was il 50, told
my second lie. After you had left | said TO
T., YOU knew was obliged to lie TO Frank,
and | now say rather than make others suf-
fer as now do, must lie, for it is phys
ical impossibility for me 70 tell the. truth.
do not think, Francis, had not TiltOn's
angry, troubled face been before me, |
would have told you the truth. am
perfect coward in his presence, not from
any fault Of his, perhaps, but from long
years OF timIdity. l implore you, as this
IS a side issue, to be careful not to lead me into
further temptation. You may show this TO
L. or Mr.. B., or any one. An effort made
.Or truth, wTetchedly, ELIZABETH.
This letter was wholly unsatisfactory to
ne, because nothing had occurred the day
1revi'aus to which she could possibly ha
referred.
SAONNs anu NtaI RchAcEs |
About the 16sh Of December, 1872, Mr..
Carpenter and DR.. StOrTs undertook TO look |
lp the reports with the intention, as / un-
ierstOod, ofadvising some publicStatement,
Dr. as being concerned to some investiga-
ion Of the matter, and Mrs. TiltOn wrote
'or them. .rl NJ
son July S, 1870, prompted by my duty,
informed my husband that Mr.. II. w.
BeecheT, my friend and pastor, had solicited
me to be wife 60 him, together with all
his implied
This paper was deliyered to me, and the !
heOTy Of the confession then was that Mr..
and Mrs. Tilton should admit no more
han tie solicitation. This endeavur to
make an explanation of the business fell |
through. .fT ...
DR.. Bacon Stigmas-
| received no further communication from
Mr.. Tilton until the 25th Of June of this
year (lS74), and that communication came
10 me in this wise:
When Ti,ton showed me his DIR. BaeOn'S
letter, 1 most strongly and earnestly advis-
ed against its publication; and said to him
in substance that, while | a1mitse ed the
wrong and injustice ofDr BaeOn's c. arges,
he (Mr. I had lived by the magnanimity
of Beecher, and that he was a dog and
knaYe, When | believed he had acted |
Il 1