Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1874-10-05
Beecher-TiIton.

Rev. Henryward Beecher appeared in the PAL
pit Of Plymouth church yesterday for the first
time since his vacation, and preached 10 a large
and sympathetic congregation. at the close OF
the service a large number of the congregation
waited TO shake hands with Mr.. Beecher, aud in
about half an hour he managed to work his WAY
to the dosr and step away. In the afternoon
he visited the church and mission schools.
MIR. Beecher was before the grand jury Satur-
day morning, and after answering TO a number
OF questions he certified to the correctness OF
the Indictment for libel against Mr.. Tilton. The
document sets forth that Theodore TiltDu.
Wickedly and msliciously. with intent II injure
and scsndslize the Rev. Henry Ward BeecAer
in his good name, fame and character, subject
ing him To contempt and disgrace. and to pro
woke him and his friends to commit breach of
the peace, published on or about September Is.
or caused to be pdbshed, in the ID Daily Graphic,
and circulated in the city OF Booklyn and else
where, a false, scandalous, aud malicious libel
concerning him. The grand jury also read To
Mr.. Beecher second indictment against Frank
D. Moulton, which is wOrded similar 20 u a.
found against Mr. Tilton, charging him with
libeiing Mr.. Beecher by causing the publiCa-
ton OF false, malicious and slanderous reports
in the Daily Graphic. MOultOn and Tilton 90
INTO court this morning TO answer to the indlct-
meDt.
MR.. TILToN's REPLY TO Mr.. BRRCHKR
No. 17i LIVINGSTON STREET.
BRooKLyN. SATURDAY NIGHT, Oct. 3, ls74.S
To the Editor Of the IN. p H,rGId.
have just learned from the BROOKLYN paners
lbut not as yet in any other way) that Mr.. ,J5hn
Winslow, district attorney, member of the "
a
author of their untrue and unjust report, tas
used his Official prerogatiye to procure against
me criminal Indictment for libelling his client
the Rev. Henry Ward Beecher. The public
will recOllect that in the spring OF 1858 Mr. Will
ham L. West, member Of Plymouth church
formulated and propounded against me the
charge Of slandering Mr.. Beecher, specifically
In this-that had accused him of " Criminal
intimacy with Mrs. Elizabeth r. TiIton" Mr
Beecher had then an opportunity and invitation
70 convict me OF libel if was guilty; but in
stead o arGpntinp ri ha
10 his assembled congregation that he " had no
charge TO make against me-" Again, the
accusation of MIR. Beecher's adultery was re-
Ieated In my "s sworn statement to the inv as-
ugatiDg committee in July last; but it did not
elicit prosecution for libel. Again, last
summer Mr. William j. Gaynor, a stranger
equally 10 MIR. Beecher and myself, form Ally
lodged criminal complaint against me FOR
hbelhng Mr.. Beecher by exposing his guilty
intimacy with Mrs. Tilton; but instead of seiz ng
this occasion 10 test the truth of nv accusation
Mr. Beecher and his District Attorney exerted
themselves TO suppress the uDwelcome prosecu
non. After these successive opportuniti es
church, to prosecute me for libel, / am row
justified in asking the public 10 attribute the
present tardy Indictment against me to the
TACT that the Plymouth committees rspDrt
drawn by Mr.. WinslOw, has failed to command
pcpnIar credence, and that Mr. Beacher and
ms District Attorney have found tn At they ave
DOW no refuge save the desperate attempt to
pace me IN the position OF an apparent cri ni-
nal, and so to discredit me in the trial of nav
case by loading me in advance with the obIoluy
OF an indicted witness In this exigency deern
It my duty, sOlemnly and with a fuIl sensa OF
my responsibility, to reaffirm the literal and
absolute truth of my charge against the Rev
Henry Ward Beecher, and 10 re assert the lit.,ral
and absolute fslsity of the special pleas by
which lie has vainly sought to excuIpatf
hlmselt. promptly accept the issue tlus
reluctantly rendered me, and, to the end that
there may be 10 delsy in the decision of tbf
controversy, demand an immediate trial.
THEODORE TILTOy.
NO LESS THAN ELRV ES LAWSUIT,
nave resulted from the Beecker scandal and
preparations fer trial have begun. The dfsf
was suit by Iilton against Beecher for SfOg. 90.
damages. Following this come the announce
ments that suits tor libel would be brought D,
IIlton against the Brooklyn EaoEe New Torl
World and Tribune he viii sue these paper
Tor s10O GOO each. Next come Henry Q, 30 ven
three suits against the Eagle and one against
reporter OF that paper. The SUM involved in
these four suits is S35O,0o0 Finally comes Mis-
Proctor's suits-one against MOulton and the
other against the Daily Graphic. In each case
damages are sought to the amount of 500 600
subsequently, second suit for libeling Mis-.
Proctor was brought against Moulton. now
under Indictment by the grand iury and to da-
both Dioulton and Tilton were indicted by that
same body. The sum total Of damages aggre-
gates nearly q round million, and there is moth
ing TO warTant the belief that the list of litiya-
tiODs is yet completed. There are rumors OF a
suit for divorce, brought by Mrs. Tilton and
others, and of a suit of Tilton against +. J.
Oytngton for maintaining separation between
himself and wife.