Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1874-08-23

business going on in earnest. / will be here
/ on Monday, at ten O'Clock in the morning
ann my dear HsHRy ETSS qy WEyRb 51s BEEoHER EE5onHeEsPRy
had seen and known Mrs. Tilton
well and kindly on my part, and | be-
lieved wholly so on hers, and Ihad
never known, or suspected or seen any
exhibition Of inhRrmOny between her
and her husband, and, of course, l had
no suspicion of infidelity upon the part
of either toward the other. The first
| intimation of it which came to me was
in the exhibition of her original coofes-
sion. The first communication had
from Mrs. Tilton, after 1 had read her
confession, was on the next morning,
December 81, 1870, and was as follows:
MRS. TILToN TO AIoULTOE.
SATURDAY MORNING.
MY DEAR FRIEND FRANK-I want you 10 do
me the greatest pos ibie favor. NY letter
! which you have and the one gave Mr. Beech
er, at his dictation last evening. ought both to
be destroyed. Please bring both 10 me- and
viii burn them up. Show this note 20 Theo-
dOre and Mrs. Beeeher. They VIII see tho pro-
| priety of this request. Yours, truly,
E. 4. TILToN.
could not sccede to her request, be-
cause had pledged myself to Beecher
| that her Tetraetion on the one side and
| her confession to Tilton on the other,
which are the papers she refers TO as
My letter which you have and the one
/ gave Mr.. Beecher n-should not be
| given up, but should be held for the pro-
! lection of either against the other. l
| learned in my interview with Beecher
on the first of January, 1871, that he had
been told by his wife and others that
Mrs. Tilton desired a separation from
! her husband, on the ground of his sup
| posed infidelity to her, and that Mrs.
| Tilton had applied to Mrs. Beecher for
advice upon the subject; this being the
first 1 had heard Of any asserted infidel-
ity OF Tilton to his marriage vows.
Either the next day, or second day after,
Iasked Mrs. Tilton ifit were so, and If she
had ever desired q separation from her
husband, on that day or any other. On
account of wishing to assure myself OF
the facts upon which I was to act as
mediator and arbitrator between the
parties, she stated to me that she had
not desired a separation from her nus
band, but that application had been
made to Mr.. and Mrs. Beecher, through
her mother, upon her own responsibility,
to bring it about, and, on the fourth OF
January she sent me the following let
1870, was actually written January 4th,
1871, and dated 1870, as it is a common
enough mistake by most persons at the
beginning or end Of the year.
MRS. TILToN TO MoULToN.
IVA LIVINGSTON STREET,
BRoOKLrH, January II, 1870 I
Ny DEAR FRIEND-In regard to your ques-
from my husband, 1 Indignantly deny that
such ever was the fact, as L have denied
hundred times before. The story that want
ed a separation was dell Derate Ialsenood,
caused by my poor mother, who said she
would bear the responsibility OF this and other
statements she might make, and communi
Gated TO my husbands enemy, Mrs. II. W.
Bsecher and by her communicated 10 Mr..
Bowen. l feel outraged by the whole proceed
ings, and am now suffering in consequence
more than can bear. l am yours truly,
ELIZABETH Il. TIL1ON.
AS bearing upon this topic of her hus-
bands iDfidelity, and her desire for
separation, a letter from Mrs. Tilton,
dated January 13, 1871, is published.
The pertinent part OF the letter is as fol-
lows:
Ny husband has suffered much with me in
a cruel consI Tracy, made b. my poor suffering
mother, with an energy worthy OF better
cause, 10 divorce us by saying that was seek
ing 1t because of TheodOre's inhdelity,
making her feeling mine. These ISLANDERS
have been sOWn broadcast, and am quoted
everywhere as the author of them. Coming
In this form and way to Mr. Bowen, they
caused his immediate dismissal from the In
dependent and Union. Suffering thus, both or
us, so unGstly, knew nothing of these plans.
Anxiety, night and day, brought on my mis-
carriage anu disappointment; l have never
before known a love that belied its promise.
You know have sOrrOW almost beyond hu-
man capacity, dear (blank). 1t is mother that
will explain volumes to our fllial heart.
Theodore has many secret enemies, find,
besides my mother; but with faithiulness
renewed and strengthened by experience. we
rIous ol SS over t them ali. Nv faith and hose are
very bright, now that l am of the sick bed,
and dear Frank Moulton is friend indeed.
He is managing the case with Mr.. Bowen.
We have weathered the storm, and, believe,
without harm 70 our cause.
had, as necessary precaujon to
the peace of the family and The parties
interested, interdicted all parties from
having communication with each other,
except husband and wife, unless that
communication was known to me, and
the letters sent through me or shown to
me. Tilton and Beecher both faithful
Iy complied with their promise, so far
as know. l was away sick in the
spring Of 1871, as before stated, and went
to Florida. Soon after my return Mr..
Beecher placed in my hands an unsigned
letter from Mrs. Tiiton, in her hand
writing, not dated, but marked in bis
handwriting, Received March s, 1871"
here produce it:
MRS. Triton TO BEECHER.
WEDNESDAY.
toward all as II used SO does mine. am
myself again. l did not dare TO tell you till
WIS sure, but the bird hss sung in my heart
these four weeks. and he has eovenated with
me never again to leave. Spring has come.
1 Because l thought II would gladden.
you to know this, and not TO trouble nor em-
nor yAVI N "
course 1 should like TO share with you my
joy, but can wait for the beyond. When dear
frank says 1 may once again 90 TO old
Plym uth will thank the dear father.
Such communication from Mrs. Til
ton to her pastor, under the circum-
stances, seemed to me to be breach of
good faith; but desirous to have the
peace kept and hoping If unanswered it
might not be repeated, did not show il
to Tilton or inform him of its existence.
On Friday, April 2lst, 1871, Beecher re-
ceived another letter of that date, un-
signed, from Mrs. Tilton which he gave
to me. 1t is as follows:
MRS. Triton TO BEECHER.
FRIDAY. April, l, lS7i.
Mt. BEEcHER-As Mr. Moulton has return
ed, will you use your influence TO have the
papers in his possession destroyed? My heart
6eeds night and day at the injustice of their
existence.
1 could not comply with this request,
I did not show this letter to Tilton, nor
did 1 call Mrs Tilton's attention to it.
On the third of May Beecher handed
me still another letter, unsigned, in
Mrs. Tilton's handwriting OF that date:
MRS. Triton To BEECHER-
BROOKLYN, May Sd, 1871.
Mr.. BEECHEE-My future, either for life or
death, would be happier could fe' l that you
forgave while you forget me. In all the sad
complications of tn. past year my endeavor
was TO entirely keep from you all suffering; to
bear myself alone; leaving you forever
ignorant of it. My weapons were love, alarge,
untiring generosity aha "nest'hiding" That
failed utterly we both know, but now ask
forgiveness.
The contents of this letter were so re-
markable that querried within my own
mind whether l ought not to show it to
Tilton; but as | was assured by Beeeher,
and verify believed and now believe that
that they were unanswered by him, |
thought it best to retain it in my posses
sion, as 1 have done until now; but
from the hour of its reception, what re-
mained OF faith in Mrs. Tilton's charac.
ter for truth and prOpriety of conduct
was wholly lost, and from that time
forth | had no thought or care for her
reputation, only so far as it affected that
other children. After this do not know
that anything occurred between myself
and Mrs. Tilton of pertinence to this
inquiry, or more than the ordinary
courtesies or civilities, when / called at
her house; and received no other COM
munication from her until shortly before
the question of the arbitration of the bus
iness between Bowen aud Beecher was
determined on. / had Learned tnat Mrs.
Tilton had been making declarations
which were sullying the reputation Of
her husband, and giving it TO be under
stood that her home was not happy
one, because of the want Of religious
sympathy between herself and husband,
and because he did not accompany her
to church as regularly and as
often as she thought he ought to do and
as she thought it would be well for the
children to do, and at the same time
speaking of her unhsppiness without de-
filming specially the cause, thus leaving
for the busybodies and intermediates to
infer causes of unhappiness which she
did not state. thought 1t my duty to
| the parties to caution her in that regard,
and said to her, that 1 thought she
ought not in the presence of others
/ to upbraid her husband with their differ
ences in religious feeling or opinions,
/ and that it was otwell for per to make
any statement which showed that her
home was unhappy or that she was un-
| happy, because it might lead to such in
| quiries as might break it up, as well as
] a ,ryl,folD 81, moo an docir.