The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1874-08-21
BEECRER'S DEFENCE.

DEbChLh - DEHEACE.
Beecher has at length spoken, and
upon reading his statement, one cannot
but regret that he did not speak sooner.
1t is in time now, however, to put an en-
tirely new phase on the matter, and to
place Messrs. Tilton and Moulton on the
defensive. These persons must now
look to their own records. Before the tes-
timony Of the latter can be admitted in
evidence against Beecher, he must clear
his skirts of the charge brought against
him by Beecher, of being black mailer
and a conspirator, and before the for
mer can further ask credence of the pub
lie, he must likewise explain certain
matters which materially affect his cred
ibility as a witness, and his honor as a
man.
Mr.. Beecher's statement is in substance
this: He was intimately associated with
Mr.. Tilton in business, both being at the
same time, writers on the Independent.
He was also as intimately associated
with him and his family socially, they
being members of Plymouth Church.
The downfall of TiltOn, and his dis
charge from the service of Bowen, on ac-
count of his social and religious vagaries,
was precipitated-if not caused-by a
conversation between Beecher and Bow
en-, in which a mutual discussion of Til
tons moral lapse was discussed. Pre-
vious to this, however, a young girl who
had been adopted as a member of Mr.
Tilton's family, came to Mr. Beecher and
asked him to go and see Mrs. Tilton,
who was then at her mothers. Upon
calling upon her she gave him dreadful
account of the cruelty of Mr.. Tilton,
and asked his advice. Mr.. Beecber sent
his wife to her, and afterwards through
his wife advised separation. 1t was
not charged at the time that he had any
thing TO do with the domestic trouble in
the family. This was an afterthought
with Mr. Tilton, and it was not till De-
cember 1870, that Mr.. Tilton extorted
from his wife, who was then in weak
health, a statement to the effect that
Beecher had made improper proposals
70 her.
And now comes Mr.. Moulton upon the
stage. He came to Mr.. Beecher as a
friend Of Tilton, representing that the
latter was ruined in purse, reputation,
and in his family prospects, and that he
(Beecher) was the cause innocent or
otherwiSe) of it all. He assured Mr.
Beecher that, of his own personal knowl-
edge, the stories of Tilton's bad conduct
were false. and that, by repeating these
stories to Bowen he CBeecher) had been
the cause of his downfall. Moulton
further stated that Mrs. Tilton regarded
Beecher with great affection. by reason
of which TiltoR's home had been made
desolate and his peace of mind destroy
ed. So artfully was this web of soph-
istry wove by MoultOn that Beecher was
filed with grief and dismay at the con
temptation of the ruin he had uninten-
tionaIly wrought in his former friends
fortunes and family. He freely gave
vent TO the poignancy of his grief His
broken sentences of remorse and self
condemnation were taken down by Moul
ton TO be shown to TiltOn, under the as
surance that if Tilton knew the state of
Beecher's mind on the subject. a recon-
ciliation could be easily affected. Moul-
ton urged upon Beecher that he should
give his aid and influence to helm TiIton
to regain his lost standing. lie was led
TO place the whole matter in the hands
of Moulton, and Beeeher, upon the pre-
tence of requiting Tilton for the wrong
which he was led TO believe he had done
him, paid at different times, money to
the amount of seven thousand dollars
80 help him in his business enterprises.
4n evidence that this was merely an act
r1f gooc fellowship, and was not regard
ed as black-nlail, we have the statement
of Tilton himself that several persons
contributed to aid hia to sustain the
Golden Age
Meantime Beeeher's offence had reach
ed the third stage in Tilton's mind.
First, it consisted only in alternating
(unintentionally) his wife's affections