The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1874-08-24

were tne TlctlmS or the same slanderer.
Mr.. Mouton continues: meanwhile Mrs.
Morse, the mother-in-law Of Mrs. Tilton, who
was from time to time an inmate of his family |
in Livingstone street, had, as was informed |
both by Mr.. and Mrs. Tilton learned from her |
daughter the criminal relationship heretofore |
existing between Beecher and herself and who |
could not understand why that matter had been |
settled. and who had not been told how it had |
been adjusted, and who had had a most bitter
quarrel with Tilton accusing him OF not hav-
ing so carried his affairs as to keep what for |
tune he had, and who had called upon Beecher
about the relations between Tilton and Mrs. |
Tilton and who had as Beecher had informed |
me- filled the minds of Mrs. Beecher and HIM
self with stories of Tiltons infidelity and i'm
proper conduct to his wife, wrote the following
letter to Beecher, under date of Jan. q, 1871,
which he delivered to me the next day, as ap-
pears by my memorandum thereon, together
with the draft of an answer which he said he
proposed to send to Mrs. Morse.
The following is Mrs. Morse's letter:
Mr.. Beecher:-As you have not seen fit to
pay any attention to the request left at your
house now oyer two weeks since, l will take
this method to inform you of the state of things
in Livingston street. The remark you made to
me at your own door was an enigma at the
time, and every day adds to the mystery: Mrs.
Beecher has adopted the child" What
child?" 1 asked. You replied, Elizabeth
Now, l ask what earthly sense was there in
that remark? Neither Mrs. b, yourself, nor
can have done anything to ameliorate her con-
diton. She has been for the last three weeks
with one very Indifferent girl. Thas sent =
with the others away, leaving my sick and dis
tracted child to care for all four children night
and day, without fire in the furnace or any,
thing like comfort or nourshment in the house,
She has not seen any one. lie says, 'She is
mourning for her sim" If this be So one
enough to atone for lifelong sin, however
heinous. / know that any change in his
affairs would bring more trouble upon her and
more suffering. / did not think for moment
when asked Mrs. b. as TO your call there, sup
posing she knew it, of course, as she said you
would not go there without her.
1 was innocent of making any misunder-
standing, if there was any. You say keep
quiet; have all through her married life done
so, and we now see our error 1t has
brought him 70 destruction, made me utterly
miserable, turned me from comfortable home,
and brought his own family to beggary. don't
believe if his honest debts were paid he would
have enough to buy their breakfast. This she
could endure and thrive under, but the publicity
he has given to this recent and most crushing Of
all trouble, is what's taken the life out of her. |
know of twelve persons whom he has told, and
they in turn have told others. [ had thought
we had as much as we could live under from his
neglect and ungOvernable temper. But this is
the death blow to us both, and l doubt not
Florence has hers. Do you know when 1 hear
of your cracking your jokes from Sunday to
Sunday, and think of the misery you have
brought upon us, think with the Psalmist:
be the invention of his half drunken brain, still
the effect upon us is the same, for all he's told
believe it, Now he's nothing to do, he makes
a target of her night and day. l am driven to
suffering by Gods taking her himself, for if
there's heaven know she'll go there.
The last time she was in this house she said
"Here feel have no home, but ON the other
side know shall be more than welcome"
Oh my precious child! how my heart bleeds
over you in thinking Of your s1ifferings Can
you do anything in the matter?
Mr.. Moulton continues: 1t will be observed
that in the letter of Mrs. Morse she says Tilton
has sent --- with the others away. / pur
posely omit the name of this young girl.
There was a reason why it was desirable that
she should be away from Brooklyn. That
reason, as given me by Mr.. and Mrs. Tilton,
was this. She had overheard conversations by
them concerning Mrs. Tilton's criminal init
macy with Beecher, and she had reported these
conversations to several friends of the family.
Being young, and not knowing the conse-
quences of her prattng, it seemed proper for
the safety of the two families that she should
be sent to distance to school, which was
accordingly done. She was put at a boarding
school at the West. and the expenses of her
stay there were privately paid through me by
Beecher, to whom l had stated the difficulty Of
| having the girl remain in Brooklyn; and he
| agreed with US that it was best that she should
be removed, and offered to be at the cost of her
| schooling. The bills were sent to me from
| time to time as they became due, part of
| them through Mrs. Tilton. Previous to her
| going away she wrote the following letters TO
| Mrs. Tilton:
My Dear Mrs. Tlton-I want to tell you
something. Your mother, Mrs. Morse, has re-
peatedly attempted to hire me by offering me
dresses and presents, to go to certain persons
ard tell them stories injurious to the character
| of your husband. have been persuaded that
| the kind attentions shown me by Mr.. Tilton
for years were dishonorable demonstrations. 1
never at the time thought that Mr.. Tiltons
caresses were for such purpose. do not
want to be made use of by Mrs. Morse or auy
one else to bring trouble on my two best
friends, you and your husband. Bye bye.
January ~.
My Dear Mrs. Tilton-The story that Mr..
Tilton once lifted me from my bed and carried
me screaming to his own and attempted to yio-
late my person is wicked lie. Yours truly.
These notes are in Mrs. Tilton's handwriting,
says Mr. Moulton, who continues:
While this young lady was at school she did
inform friend of Mrs. Titon, Mrs. p, of the
stories of the family relations These stories
were writer to Brooklyn, and came to the
knowledge of my friends, creating an impress
sion upon their minds unfavorable to Mr.. Til
ton, and might possibly lead to the reopening
of the scandal | therefore took pains to trace
them back, and found that they came from
Mrs. p, to whom the schoolgirl had told
them. | therefore called upon Tilton and
asked if these stories could not be stopped.
Soon afterwards he produced to me letter
dated the eighth of November, 1872, written
by Mrs. Tilton, with a note to me on the back
thereof, to disabuse Mrs. P.'s mind as to the
girls disclosures.
BROOKLYN November 8, 1872
My dear Mrs P-I come to you in this fear
full extremity, burdened by my misfortunes to
claim your promised sympathy and love. -. Il
have mistakenly felt obliged to deceive
these two years, and my husband had made
false accusations against me, which he never
has to her or any one.
In order that he may not appear on his de-
fence, thus adding the terrible exposure of
law suit, will you implere silence on her part
against any Indignation which she may feel
against him; for the one only ray of light ard
hopei in this midnight gloom is his entire SYM
pathy and cooperation in my behalf
A word from you to Mr.. D-will change
any unfriendlyspirit which dear mother may
have given him against my husband.
You know have no mothers heart, that will
look charitably upon all, save you. Affection
atelv, your Child. ELIZABETH.
Of course you will destroy this letter.
Following the letters are accounts of the
payment of the girls school bills in part, by
Mr. Moulton, as-he says, for Mr.. Beecher1
From this time, February, 1871, Mr.. Moul-
ton says that everything was quiet. He had
never heard that Mrs. Tilton charged her hus.
band with any nidelities. Hearing by Mr..
Beecher (Jan. l. 1917 that Mrs. Titon had
expressed to several persons separation from
Tilton because of his infideity to his marriage
vows, he called upon her as a mediator to
learn if such was the case. Mrs. Tton denied
that she desired any such thing, or had ex-
pressed such a purpose, but that her mother
MRS. Morse) on her own responsibility had
made such representation to Mr.. Beecher.
In addition to heryerbal denial, Moulton OBJ
tanned from her letter, which is given, stat
ing in the most pronounced terms that the
story is deliberate ialsehood. Moulton also
publishes letter from Mrs. I. to the woman
with whom Bowen alleged that Titon had i'm
proper relations, which indicates that these
women are warm and gushing friends.
Mr.. Mouton proceeds to state that Mrs. Til
tonw was the only party who attempted to vio-
late the promise of non intercourse during the
spring aud summer of 1871 and gives two or
three silly though harmless letters which Mrs.
had written to Mr.. b., who gave them to
Moulton.
About this time January, 1921 Moulton
learned that Mrs. Tlton was making state
ments sullying the reputation of her husband.
and that her home was not happy. He thought
it proper to caution her lest her indseretiion