Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1874-08-01
ouR NEW YORK LErTER.
Rsseher KIdnappiHg-The Poor
and What is being Done for 7heM-Ths
Csts ia. .Summsr-BEsiness.
BEEcHER-TILToE.

lIODR DcIOIG ECldNA ACdOnCo NOu
the telegraph will have brought you the
full text of Theodore Tilton's statement OF
the trouble between himself and Henry
Ward Beecher with Mr. Beecher's reply
thereto. All can give is the effect Ofthese
publications upon the public of New York
and Brooklyn, where both parties are well
known. The statement of Tilton is more
direct and damaging than those closest 10
him supposed it would be. 1t was expec-
ted that he would undertake to show that
Beecher had made an attempt upon Mrs.
Tilton & that he had invaded other homes
all ofwhich he would endeavor to substan-
tiate by circumstantiaI evidence. But his
sworn statement that the great preacher
had actually seduced Mrs. Theodore Ill
ton, struck the community like thunder
bolt from clear sky. And so skilitully
is the statement made, so carefully are all =
the Ioopholes, closed up, that Mr.. Beech
er's best friends are compelled to admit
that he has an ugly look and that Tilton
had cause to do as he has done. vi course
the ouestion is asked, "Why did he
NOT right himself before ? Why did he
not cast off this unfaithful wife and drag
down the seducer at the time he made
the discovery ?" Ifaskers of these ques-
tions knew Tilton and his wife the ques-
ton would not be asked at all. Mrs. Til
g., - =, ,,-or,ar of q most infapca ra1iuiCuo
nature-a woman, in short, who lives in
a morbid, unhealthy world, which is peo-
pied by Imagination with all sorts of an
gels and demons. A sweet, spiritUeIie wo-
man is Elizabeth Tilton, but her nature is
so intense. so morbidly religious, that she
precisely the woman that a bad spiritual
guide could do anything with he chose TO
do. She believed in Henry Ward Beecher
she idolized and wershiped him. He
was her idea of a perfect man-to her he
was more than man, he was a demi-
god. With her nature she could be
made wax, IN the hands of a man like
Beecher
And knowing this-appreciating the
peculiar nature of his wife, Tilton be-
heved he had been outraged, but had that
pity upon his wife that kept the secret
in his own bosom till he was compelled
in self-defenee TO make part of it public.
1t will be remembered that in his first
statement he only limited at the matter,
without going into detail. This was in
tended as his warning to Mr.. Beecher's
friends to keep away from him. Had
they done so, the quarrel would have
stopped there. But these friends believed
they could get possession of Mrs. Tilton
in such way as TO discredit any state
ment he could make, and they defed
him. Mrs. Tilton left his house and 81
ded with his enemies, whereupon TIlton
was driven to the wall, and made des-
perate, made the statemen which is now
before the world.
Beecher, of course, denies everything
and Mrs. Tilton has followed suit. But
the public do and will believe Tilton for
there have been rumors affecting the
character Of Mr.. Beecher in circulation
for years, and the opinion is that these
rumors have a foundation in fact Then
the case has been pettifoggedin in all sorts
of ways by his friends. The Committee
of Investigation was selected by
himself and the Committee, have, from
the beginning, acted more as bis sttor-
neys than as his judges. 1t is safe to
say that Henry Ward Beecher's sun is
sinking and in few months it will go
downtor eyer. 1t is a pity that brain so
large and soul SO all embracing, could
not have been so balanced as tohaYe run
on to the end. Alas for poor humanity.
KIDNAPPING.
An incident occurring Philadelphia
may not seem to be exactly the thing for
New York letter, but this case of kid
mapping in the city of Brotherly Love
is so peculiar that 1 went to in
vestigate it. Some weeks ago, little
Charlie, the son of a merchant residing in
Germantown. named Ross, was missed
from his home. The parents in their ag-
ony tried every possible way to find the
missing child. The police were put on
track and special detectives were employ
ed, but all to no purpose The child was
no where to be found. As last resort,
the newspaper were used, and advertise
ments were inserted offering a reward for
the recovery of the boy, and these
brought no responses. A few days after
the appearance of the first advertise
ment, notice appeared in the Leader, as
follows.
Ross-"We be ready to negotiate"
swers until correspondence was effected
which revealed horror scarcely TO be
credited in this day and age of the world.
The child had been enticed into a wagon
by two men who had driven off and b ad
it safely hidden. The ransom deman ded
was twenty thousandI The kidnapper
informed Mr.. Ross that they knew he
could not of his own means raise twenty
thousand. but they knew he had wealthy
friends who would advance that amount
rather than have the child come to harm,
and that unles their conditions were com
piled with the boy would be destroyed.
The father and mother, in ther terror.
to the terms, and the negotia-
lions for the payment of the money are
now in progress.
Mr.. Ross. the, father, is member of a
large wholesale dry goods house in Phil
adelphia, who lost in the panic last fall
the bulk of his fortune. The payment of
this enormous sum will ruin him, but
love for his child is paramount, and he
will do it.
The question that comes upis, whose
are safe Here is a little four
year old boy taken upon the public street
and spirited away, and so securely hidden
hat the police failed to get any clue to
lis whereabouts.
They cannot even. get a trace of his
sbductors. and the father, to regain pos
session of his child, is compelled to pay
IN enormous rams ON. such things were
lone veara apo in fbo aemi harhous