Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1874-08-26

nun - uAA OfNA ANAN ~ AAAA
V at the contemplation Of Mr..
'ilton's impending disaster. had
)ved him much, and at one time
Ie seemed like son 10 me. Ny
influence had come just at the
ime Of his first unfolding, and had
much 70 DO with his early develop
nent. had aided him externally
10 bring him before the public.
We had been together il the great
controversies OF the day, until az
our social intercourse had
been intimate. II i true that his
nature always exaggerated his own
excellencies. When he was but a
boy he looked up TO me with alice
tionate admiration. After some
years he felt himself my equal, and
was very cOmpauiOnable, and when
be had outgrown me and reached
the position Of the first man Of the
age he still was kind and pa:Toniz-
ing. / had always smiled az these
weaknesses Of vanity and had be-
lieved that a larger experience.
with some knocks among strong
men, and by sorrOws that temper
the soul, he would yet fulfil use
ful and brilliant career. Bot now
all looked dark. He was % be
cast forth from his eminent posi-
ton. aud hi, affairs ala not prom
ise that sympathy and strength
which makes ones house a. mine
has been IN times o. adversely, q
refuge from the storm and a tower
OF defense. Besides a generous
sutferil-, / should have had a sell
fish reason for such If had dream
ed that was about 70 become the
instrument by which Mr.. Elton
meant to fight his way back 10 the
prosperity which be had forfeited.
II now appears that on the 29th
Of December, 1870, Mr.. Ti.tOn,
having learned that / had re-
piled to his threatening letter by
expressing such an opinion Of him
a 10 set Mr.. Bowen finally against
him and bring him face 10 face
with immediate ruin, extorted from
his wife, then suffering from Sc
we're illness, a document incrimin- (
atiug m, and prepared an elabor-
ate attack on me.
On Tuesday evening, December,
1870, about I o'clock, Francis ID.
Moulton called at my house and
with intense earnestness said, 81
wish you TO 90 with me 20 see Mr..
Tilton." | replied that | could not
then, as / was just going to my
prayer meeting. With most pos
tive manner be- said, 'you must 20.
Somebody else will take care Of the
! went with him, not
knowing what trouble he agitatcd
him, bat vaguely thinking that ]
might now learn the solution Of the
recent threatening letter. On the
way asked what was the reason
OF this visit. 20 which he replied
that Mr.. Tilton would inform me,
or words 10 that effect. On enter
ing his house Mr.. Moulton locked
the door, saying something about
not biing interrupted. He re-
questcd me 70 90 into the front
over the parior. was
under tho impression that Mr.. IT,
ton was going TO pour out upon me
biz anger for collcaguing with Bo-
wen, and for the advice Of scpara-
ton given 10 his wife. | wished
Mr.. Moulton to be with me as a
witness, but he insisted that |
should 90 by myself. Mr.. Tilton
received Inc coldly, but calmly.
After a word or two, standing in
front Of me with a memorandum in
his hand, he began an Grafton in an
unfriendly spirit, that | sought his .
downfall had spread injurious ru-
mors about him was using my
place and influence to undermine
him, and much more ] cannot re-
member. He then declared that
had injured him in his family rela-
tions, had Joined with his mother
in-law in producing discord in his
house had advised a separation
had alienatcd his wife's affections
from him and led her to love me
more than any living being; had
corrupted her moral nature and
taught her TO be insincere, lying and
hypocritical, and ended by charg-
ing that / had made wicked propo-
sails to her. Until he reached this
] had listened with some contempt,
under the impression that he was
trying to bully me, but with the
last charge he produced paper
purportiug 10 be n certified state
ment Of n previous confession made
to him by his wife Of her love for
me, and that ! had made proposal
to her of an improper nature. He
said that this confession had been
made to him in July, six months
previous that his sense of honor
and affection would not permit any
such document to remain in exis-
tence that he had burned the
original and should now destroy
the only copy, and he then tore the
paper into small pieces. If | had
been shocked at such statement
was absolutely thunderstrucl
when he closed the interview by re-
questing me to repair at once to
his house, where he said Elizabeth
was waiting for me, and learn from