The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1874-08-31

tai alteration, brought on by illness and
domestic sorrow and gloom, as to induce
her, at least passively, to make charge
of improper ADVANCES by Mr.. Beecher,
but when her attention was pointedly
called to the great wrong she had done
she quickly took it back in sorrow and
penitence, as follows: '-
DECEMBER 80, 1870.
Wearied with importantly and
weakened by sickness. l gave a
letter duplicating my friend Henry
Ward Beecher, under assurances
that that would remove all difficulties
between him and nv husband. That
letter l now revoke. l was persuaded
to it, almost forced, when l was in a
weakened state of mind 1 regret and
recall all its statements.
(Signed) ELIZABETH r. Triton.
l desire to say explicitly
MIR. Beecher has Never Offered any
Improper solicitation,
but has always treated me in a manner
becoming christian and gentleman
(Signed) E. X. Triton.
There is medical testimony before the
committee given by two eminent ply
sicisns, Doctors Mention and Carey, to
the effect that such cases of mental
power and domination by hus-
band of strong will over wife
weakened by disease and domestic
trouble are not infrequent. DR., Carey,
who is eminent and has had large ex-
perience in mental diseases and phena-
mena, says that snch conduct on the part
of Mrs. TiltOn when subjected to the in
fuence referred to, is even consistent
with an honest mind. We observe that
Mr.. Moulton parades letter pnrporting
to have been written to by Mrs. Tilton to
him, in which it is stated that she is a
perfect coward in his (Tiltons) presence,
and it is physical impossibility to tell
truth. In another letter, same to same,
she says,
with all MY WOman's Soul 1 am In
nOcent
Of the crime of impure conduct alleged
against me In her statement procured
under the direction of Tilton and Car
penter, of December 10Th, 1872, and which
was taken by them to DR.. Storrs, Mrs.
Tilton shows that she was made to be-
licve that conspiracy WAS formed
against her husband.
Her words are: "Six months after
wards. that is after July Sd, 1870, my
husband felt impelled by the circum-
stances of a conspiracy against him, in
which Mr.. Beecher had part to have an
interview with Mr.. Beechcr.' This re-
fers to the interview of Tilton with
Beecher, preceded by Moulton, on the
evening of December Both, 1870, when
Titon produced written charge in two
lines. in the hand writing of Mrs. Tilton.
1t will be seen it was under the influence
of startling statements of conspiracy
against her husband that Mrs. TiltOn was
moved to appear to act on this occasion.
We find her subsequently, in alcttcr asking
Mr.. Bcechcr's forgivncss for the suffer
ings she had caused him. We hear
much from Tilton of confessions made by
his wife to him. We are obliged to hear
his statements on this point, if at ll,with-
out confederation; but on --onc occasion,
when Tilton was assailing his wife We
learn from the testimony of Miss Eliza
beth A. Turner in what manner Tilton :
accusations were met by his wife.
"Bessie's'' Testimony.
Qucstiun-Did he (Tilton) ut any time
on this day say that she had made any
confession to him in regard to Bccchcr?
AnSwcr-Hc said she had confessed t.
him that she had been criminally intlmat"
with Mr., Bccchcr. She Mr.. TiltonJ was
present when he said that, and and She
said, "Oh, Theodore; how can you tell
that child such base lies, and then she
burst out crying.
Q-When was that? A.-ThiS all
occurred on the day that we went back
in the fall of 1870.
This was the day when this witness
testified that II scene of viOlcnc" occurred;
the witness believing that Tilt0n was
about to strike his wife, intcricrcd and
was knocked down by Tilton. This wit
ness is the same lpcrson, who it is said
was sent to boarding school by
Tilton and Moulton to get rid Of her be-
cause she heard Tilton make charges
against Mr.. Bcechcr. 1t is further said
that Bcecher was so ANXIOUS to have her
leave town and stay away, that he paid
$1,000 for her school expenses. There Is no
doubt hut that the $1,000 WAS paid for
quite another purpose. Miss Turner and
Mrs. Tilton both agree in saying that 1t
was Titon'S plan to have her so away
because she had stated to her friends that
Tilton had twice attempted intimate re-
lations with her while in bed and during
the absence of Mrs. TiltOn in the coun-
try.t ,Tilton was fast losing his place and
position because of his social views and
practices, and feared the publicity of this
girls statement, who mt that time was ~
wears of age. The absurdity of suppo-
sing that Bccchcr would invest $1,000
piece u get persons to leave town to
whom Tilt"n had been pcddlimg his
scandal against him, j. transparent.
Persons To whom Tilton'hud talked in
some form of the scandal, sometimes in
one shape and then in another, were too
numerous To- justify an investment OF
fZ,Vb on each oI them DN dH ~ bpdH
whose wealth could not be counted by
millions. 1t should be noted that Just as
Miss Turner was leaving for boarding
school Tilton procured from her
with the aid of his wife Il letter deny
ing the reports of his improper liberties,
there again we find Tilton the manu-
tactarrr of cvidcnccl. 1t is not for Us Ia
pass judgment on Mrs. Tilton uncharita-
bly,. she has suffered unparalleled trials
M"ulton quotes her aS saying in a letter
to him, as we have seem that it was ply
sically impossible for her to tell the truth
in her husbands presence. 1t will he noted
that Inexperienced confession was obtain
81 in that presence; and further, 1t was
when she was away from him and from
home at Schoharic that she stated hcl
sin to be like that of Catherine Gaunt
an undue affection for her pastor. In
this letter to her husband she says, Il
felt unfateringly that the love | felt anc