Wilmington daily commercial., 1874-07-27
FIRST EDITION.
The Reecher Inquiry.

PROGRESS AND RESULTS OF THE COMMITTEE
LABoRs.
The Plymouth Church Committee of Inyesti
CATION held an informal meeting on Saturday t,
consider the propriety Of at once giving to tn,
public the testimony taken in Mr.. Tilton's cross
examination before the Committee. 1t was de
cided, in view of the fact that Mr.. Tilton's char
| ges have been published and have been renew
| ed from time to time, to have the testimony il
| question ready for Mondays morning papers
| The lady who appeared before the Committee
Friday night was Mrs Morse, Mrs. Tilton,
mother, whose testimony concerned Mr.. Tiltop',
i'll treatment Of his wife. Mr.. Beecher lef
Brooklyn on Saturday morning for Peekslsil
where he spent Sunday.
This morning, the New York Tribune publish
es the oross-examination testimony Of Tilton
making ten columns of that paper. In this tes
timony Iilton stated his wife had confessed hel
guilt to her mother, Mrs. Judge Morse, as wei
rs to himself. Mrs. Morse has appeared before
the Committee and sworn to the contrary, stat
ing that her daughter had come to her only with
representations of her sufferings in consequence
Of the iIreligious character Of her husbands
chosen associates. Mr.. Tilton, it appears, has
suggested mode Of settlement OF the difficulty
even at its present stage, but the Committee
reasserting their purpose to unearth the whole
truth, declare that there can be no settlement
not predicted on the withdrawal of all the
ton. 1t is intimated that by the advice of his
counsel, Gen Butler, Mr. Moulton, who is in
possession OF many important letters of MIR.
6eecher will decline to testify.
SUMMARY OF THE MORE IMPORTANT POINTS OF
THE CROSS EXAMINATION.
MIR. Tilton was crosse xamined at three ses
sions Of the Investigating Committee. The first
session was devoted mainly to explanations of
his business troubles with Mr.. Bowen, CONSUL
tation with the Rev. Dr. Storrs and the crcum-
stances under which the apology was made by
MIR. Beecher, and the 'stripartite compact" was
signed. On the second day the examination
WAS more pointed, and covered all the esscnt al
allegations in his statement At the third ses
sion the letters from Mrs Tilton, which had
been quoted in his statement, were examined
The other letters which he has cited are, as he
claims, in the hands Of Mr.. Moulton.
The examination in reference to the library
and bed-chamber scenes we're extremely severe.
In the former instance the single improperly
was MIR. Beechers touching Mrs Tilton's ankle
as they were sitting on the floor looking at en-
cravings. 1t WAS merely a suspicion that was
soon blotted out of his mind and he did not at
tach any Importance to it after an explanation
had been made. The apartment which he
found his wife and MIR. Beecher with the door
locked communicated with sitting room by sill
ding doors. For aught he knew they had gone
into the sitting room from the hall and thence
into the bed room. Mrs. Tlton explained that
door. He was satisfied with the explanation,
which he thought was entirely reasonable. In
the sitting room intimate friends of the family
were always received and he should not have
thought anything of the circumstance il the
door had not been locked, and indeed it was
opened without any hesitation.
He claims to have had no personal knowledge
of the truth OF the criminal charges which he
makes, save from her own lips. Six months af-
ter she had made the confession he remarked to
Mr.. Bowen that Mr. Beecher "had been unhand-
some in his approaches to Mrs. Tilton." Just
before this Mrs. Titon had intimated to him
that Mrs. Beecher and Mrs. Morse were conspir-
ing to injure his business prospects, and he
knew that Mr.. Bowen wished to make change
in the edtorship of his papers. Mrs. Tiltou was
hastily summoned from her mothers house, and
as she was afraid that s'the collision would ex-
tend to Mr.. Beecher," she wished to make peace
with him. Hence she wrote letter to
him and the interview was brought about
at Mr.. Moulton's house, and Mr.. Beeoher
was informed that Mrs Tilton had made con-
fesson duplicating him. At this interview Mr..
Moulton was not present. MIR. Tilton told Mr..
Beecher what Mrs. Iilton had confessed, and
only few words passed between the three men
No stress seems 10 be laid upon the paper con-
tanning the points of her confession. The apol-
ogy which Mr.. Beecher gave to Mr.. Moulton was
written on several sheets of legal cap, and the
last sentence and the signature in Mr.. Beechers
hand are at the bottom, apart from the body OF
the retraction. One of the other letters from
Mr. Beecher quoted in his statements, he admits,
is not given in full, and all OF them are given
from shorthand notes taken by himself while
Mr.. Moulton was reading them to him.