New-York tribune., 1874-08-19
NATURE OF THE COMPROMISE.

MR. KINGsLEY's INTERVENTION IN THE CAsE-TIIE
OBJECT TO SAVE MR.. MoULroN AND NOT MR..
BHECIIER-TIIE EFFORT NOT COUNIENANCED BY
ANY OF MIR. BEECHER's FRIENDS.
When Francis ID. Moulton presented his second
statement to the Committee on the 10th inst. many
rumors went abroad that the matter had been COM
promised. The only evideuce of this came from Mr.
Tilton and his friends. Mr. Moulton himself had
given out that he could submit document which
would fully establish Mr. Tiltons case. Mr.. Iiiton
declared that 0veBtures had been made to him III
Mr. Beecher's interest and that he had been offered
money by friends Of Mr.. Beecher. A friend OF Mr.
Tlton was also credited with the statement that
be knew exactly the sum of msney which had been
agreed upon as a settlement. Inquiry was made
at the time and all the facts in the compromise y
were learned by TRIBUNE reporters, but at that time
they could not be stated. Mr Iilton stated yester-
day that the amount offered him was $4,000 and the
person Offering it was William c. Kngsley of Brook
lyn Bridge notorety. Since all confidence in the
matter has thus been violated it may be proper to
state all the facts of the alleged compromise. No
friend or counsel of Mr.. Beecher in any way author
lied or counenanced the efforts of Mr. Kingsley in
this direction 1t was purely voluntary inter
ference on his part and designed mainly tor the
protection of Mr.. Mouton, who is one of Mr.. Kings
leys friends in the Bridge Directory The following
are the facts:
On returning to Brooklyn Mr. MoultoR. under the
provocation of being referred to as blackmailer,
did prepare long statement which was designed
to crush Mr.. Beecher 1t was composed mainly of
his own recollectoDs of the various events of
the scandal his own assertions that Mr.. Beecher and
Mrs. Tlton had made confessions of adultery to
him, but unsupported by any documents other than
those which he subsequently submitted to the Com
mittee and one other which has been described by
Mr. Beechers lawyer as manufactured" He simply
corroborated Mr.. Tilton by his unsupported word.
When he prepared this statement Mr. Moulton de-
nounced Mr.. Beecher to the correspondent OF The
Chicago Tribune who next day teegraphed his state
ments to his paper, where they were published on
Monday, Aug. TO- the very day on which Mr. Moulton
submitted his shsrt statement containing none OF
the gravest illusions.
Mr.. Kingsley had wrought this sudden change in
Mr.. Moultoa's purpose during the Sunday which in
tervened between his talk with The Chicago Iiib-
une correspondent and his informal talk with the
Committee Mr. Kingsley met at Mr.. Moultons
house on Sunday, Aug. 0, Mr.. Moulton himself, his
father, Severn ID. Moulton. Tax Commissioner of
this city, Franklin Woodruff, and two or three
OF her persons Mr.. Kingsley communicated to the
assembled friends of Mr.. MoultOn that the latter
own safety was at stake. it was finally de-
cided that Mr.. Mouton should not attack Mr..
Beecher or confirm Mr.. Tilton further than by the
submission of the papers called for. Gen. Butler
read the long statement the same night and advised
it's suppression for future As Q consequence Of
Mr. Kingsey's information and Gen. Buffers advice
Mr. Moulton changed his statement, but forgot to
alter the Chicago correspondents letter.
Mr. Kingsley's only suggestion Of paying money
TO Mr.. Tilton was remark made publicly by him in