Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1874-10-01
THE BROOKLYN SCANDAL.

The long-expected statement OF Theodore
Tilton was published simultaneously in the
New York Graphic and Chicago Tribune on
the 18th Of September, and fills twenty-eight
columns of the lattsr paper. The statement
contains large mass OF new documentary
evidence to sustain Tilton's indictment against
Mr.. Beecher. 1t starts out by showing the
kindly relations existing between the author
and Mr.. B. down to the period of 1870, in
which year public and fraternal CORE
pondence passed between them in New York
in their capacity as Presidents of two suffrage
societies holding their meetings in that city.
These evidences of the uniform friendliness
of Tilton toward Beecher down 70 the time
when the alleged discovery. was made
by the former of Beecher's fatal as
sault on the honor of his house are given
to disprove Mrs. 1ilton's charge that for ten
years her husband had made an almost daily
threat that he lived to crush out Mr.. Beecher.
This charge of Mrs. T. of malice on his part
toward Beecher, Tilton declares was pure
invention.
Mr. Tllton next gives copious extracts from
his wife's letter showings the harmonious re-
latiOns existing between them up to July.
1870. And to threw side-light on the happy
domestic relations which this correspondence
portrays, the appended letter from Oliver
Johnson, at present one OF the editors OF Mr..
Beecher's paper, is given:
"MY DEAR THEODORE: wonder what yo-.
would give for chance to kiss the lit g
woman who only an hour since kissed ne
"Ah, ny dear fellow, it is great sacrifice
you make in leaving such home as yours.
y was delighted this morning on receiving
Wait from vour wife and hearing her saw
what beautiful love-letters she gets from you.
She seemed well, and smiled on me through
her tears as she spoke Of you and the long
season of separation that is before you.
Yours, lovingly, OLIVER JOHNSON
The following extract from written state
ment of Mr.. 1ilton's father and mother il
slso given to prove that the relations OF hus-
band and wife were harmonious:
"KEYPoRT, N. j., Aug. 80, 1874.
Also we further testify that we
never heard of any ill-feeling between our
/ son Theodore and his wife, or any complaint
of ill-treatment by him towards her, until we
lately heard of it for the first time in Eliza
beth's published testimony, which We believe
| to be untrue.
(Signed) SILAs TILToN.
'EUsELIA TILTON."
Tilton then narrates with great minuteness
| the circumstances attending Mrs. It's confess
sion of adultery with Mr.. Beecher. 1t was, as
he alleges, after her return to the city after
several weeks absence in the country. Be-
fore disclosing the secret she extracted from
her husband solemn pledge that he would
not injure the person Of whom she was about
to speak, nor communicate to him the fact of
her making such revelation.
This confession, Mr.. I. says, was made vol
unfairly, and not in response to any accuse
| ton frc1n the husband, for he had never sus-
pected her of any wroDg-doing. A letter
4 ID 20 AIra hell
Hooker "a sister of Mr.. Beecher) is quoted in
proof that Mrs. Tilton confessed her conduct
with the Plymouth pastor.
Tlton gives the following letter from Mrs.
! Elizabeth Cady Stanton to Francis ID. Moul-
| ton, dated as late as the I'd Ct September
| last
DEAR FRIEND: In your forthcoming state
ment, whatever you ay or fail to say, do not
forget as brave knight to bring your steel
on the head Of The Great Preacher for the
base charge that Elizabeth Tilon thrust her
lOue on him urlsOught.
You know, better than Suean or do. the
time and arguments by which he achieved his
purpose.
..Alss. alas how little charity, to say moth
ing of common justice, has been shown
woman in this tragedy. Sincerely
yours, ELIZABETH CADy STANTON"
| A considerable portion of the statement is
devoted to refutation OF the charge that
Mrs. Tilton thrust her affections upon him
! Beecher) unsought," and much evidence is
| produced to slow that the pastor rather
sought the affections of Mrs. T. Much space
| is devoted by Tilton to the alleged machina-
tons of Mrs. Morse. his mother-in-law, to
create unhappiness in his family. and a num-
Der of letters are quoted which place her IN
an unenviable light. Tilton charges her with
hiring and bribing the girl Bessie to invent
and propagate false stories about him. Says
Tilton: These are the tales which Bessie re-
ferred to four years SGD, when in a letter to
Mrs. Tilton, she said:
Your mother, Mrs. Morse, has, re-
peatedly attempted to hire me. by offering me
dresses and presents, to go to certain persons
and tell them stories injurious to the charac-
| ter of your husband"
The object for which these tales were told
| is thus described by Mrs. Tilton in a letter to
lady friend, dated June Is. 1874:
my husband has suffered much with me
in a cruel conspiracy made by my poor, suffer
ing mother. with an energy worthy Of better
cause, to divorce us, !" etc:
The stories which Mrs. Morse propayated in
the carrying out of this conspiracy are men-
toned by Mrs Tilton III letter to Mr.. Moul-
ton, as follows:
1.-The story that wanted a separation was
q deliberate falsehood coined by my poor
mother, who said she would take the respon-
sibility of this and other statements che might
In the report Of the Plymouth Church In
vestigation Committee occurs the following;
"Tilton's allegation that she Mrs. I. ) con-
fessed to her mother, Mrs. Morse. is pro-
nounced false by the mother, who testified be-
fore the committee"
To disprove this, and to show that Mrs.
Morse uttered, as Tilton alleges deliberate
falsehood. he quotes a letter from Mrs. Til
ton to Mrs Merse, dated Marietta, Ohio,
November. 1870. Enclosed in this was du-
plicate of a letter addressed at the same time
by Mrs. I. to her husband to chide him for
the supposed recklessness into which she had
been informed by her mother that her hus-
band had lapsed over since the time of her
confession Of adultery. In this letter Mrs.
Tilton says:
Dear mother, 1 will now add line to you.
should mourn greatly il my life was to be
made yet known to father; his head would be
bowed indeed to the grave. love him very
much, and it would soothe my heart could
you be restored to him. / was greatly touched
~ his saying to you that you were stil his
wife,
"You will see that by reading or showing
this letter to any one you discover my secret.
1t is because trust you. dear mother, that l
send you this, that you may know my spirit
completely toward you both.
II have been told, Confide not in your
mother but reply, To whom on earth can
confide?
81 think 1t prominently wise for us to de-
stroy our letters respecting this subject lest
Flory or come one should pick them up."
Mr. TiIton puhli sba IN .ovor~I 1offore fo ebnw