Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1874-09-03

quently informed him his wife had destroyed, and
she also confirmed the statement. Some time af-
| ter this Mr.. Moulton learned from Mr. Beecher
that Mrs. 1ilton had told him that when she
made her confession to her husband of her inf
deity with him (Beecher) her husband had made
Ike confession TO her of infideities ON his
ing heard Mrs. T. claim that her husband had
made any such confession, although she had
ireely admitted her own transgressions with Mr..
Is; brought; the matter to the attention of Mr..
I1lton, who promptly denied that he had
ever made any such confession, that
his wife ever claimed that he had. They
then had an interview with Mrs, Tilton,
who then, in the presence of MIR. Moulton alone,
acknowledged that she had told Mr.. Beecher that
her husband had made the alleged confession of
lnndelity on his part. Then in the presence of Mr..
Illton, imediately afterward, she said she could
| not have understood Mr. Moulton's question re-
latlng to this matter, adding: : Because it isn't
| true that Theodore ever made such confession,
and didn't state 1t TO Beecher because it is not
| true
| The next morning Mr.. Moulton received the
| following letter from Mrs Tilton, without date,
| but II was after the tripartite covenant:
DEAR FRANcIs-l did tell You two falsehoods
at your last visit. At first l entirely misunder-
| stood your question, thinking You had reference
| TO the Interview at your house the day before;
but when intelligently replied to you replied
falsely. will now put myself on record truth
fully told Mr.. Bcecher that, at the time of my
confession, t. had made similar confessions TO
me of himself, but no developments TO per
| sons. When you then asked for your own salts
| faction, Was it soy told my second lie. After
| was obliged to lie 70 Frank and
now say, rather than make others
suffer as now do must lie, for II is physical
| impossibilty for me TO tell the truth: yet | do
| think, Francis, had not It's angry, troubled face
been before me, would have told you the truth.
am perfect coward i'll his presence, not from
any fault of his, perhaps, but from long years of
timidity impore you, as this is side-issue, TO
be careful not to lead me into further temptation
Iou may show this to T. or Mr.. b. or any one as
| an effort made for truth. Wretchedly,
(SignedD "ELrzABETH"
| After the publication on the I'd of November
| ~ in WO0dhuk6 Ciafin's Weekly of the story
| of Tilton's and Beechers conduct I'm relation To
| Mrs. Tilton, Mr.. Moulton was continually asked
| II such story was true, and he found 1t quite diff
| hcult in making an answer. In SEINE
| truth of the charge, but upon that point he was
very careful not directly to commit himself
| Finding that his silence was working injury TO
| the cause of the suppression of the scandal, he
told Tilton that he wished to be authorized by his
| wife TO deny It. Soon, after he received paper
without date from Mrs. Titon, In which she said :
| For my husbands sake and my children's, |
| hereby testify with all my woman's soul that
| am innocent Of the crime of impure conduct al
| legged against me- l have been to my husband u
| true wife in his love | wish to live and die. My
early affection for him still burns with its maiden
| flame, all the more for what he has borne for my
| sake, both private and public wrongs. Having
|
to use il, and allowed himself TO be injured in
| stead. / bless him every day for his faith in me,
| which swerves not, and for standing my cham
| pion against all my accusers."
| Upon the strength of this paper he then after
| ward said Mrs Tilton denied the story.
| About the 10th of December, 1872, Mr. Carpcn-
| ter and DR.. Storrs undertook TO look up the re-
ports with the intention of advising some public
statement, or as being concerned in some inyesti-
| CATION of the matter, and Mrs. Tilton wrote for
them the paper bearing that date, as follows;
| "DECEMBER 16, 1872.
formed my husband ao that Mr. f. ". BeecRcr, my
friend and pastor, had solicited me TO be wife to
him together win all that this i'm Implied SIX
| by the circumstance of conspiracy against
| him, IN which Mrs. Beecher had taken
| part, to have an interview with Mr.. Beechcr, in
order that Mr., b. might know exactly what had
! said to my husband. wrote Il brief statement,
| ] have forgotten in what words, which my hus-
band showed TO Mr.. Bcecher. Late the the same
| evening Mr.. j. came 10 me- lying very sick at the
| time, and filed with distress, saying | had
| ruined him, and wanting to know II meant to
appear against him. This | certainly did not
mean 10 do, and the thought was agOniZing To me.
| | then signed paper which he wrote to clear
| him in case Of trial. In this instance, as In
most Others when absorbed by one great interest
| or feeling, the harmony of my mind was entirely
disturbed, and | found on reflection that this
paper was so drawn as TO place me most Unjusuy
| against my husband and on the side of Mr.
BceCher; So in order TO repair cruel "A blow %
| my lOng-suflcring husband, | wrote al eXplana.
ton OF the first paper over my signature. Mr.
Moulton procured from Mr.: Bcecher the state
| mcnt which ! gave 20 him in my agitation and
| excitement, and now holds it. This ends my con
| nectiOn with the case.
| (Signed) ''ELzABETH r. TILToS.
] "P S.-This statement IL made at the rcqsles
| Of Mr.. Carpenter, that 1t may be shown conhden
TALLY to DIR. Storrs and other friends with whom
my husband and are consulting"
This paper was delivered TO Mr., Moulton, ant
the theory OF the confession then was that Mr.
| and Mrs. Tilton should admit no more than the
| solicitation, but that endeayOr TO make an cxpla
nation of the business fell through aud after
| IL was shown to those Interested, AZ | was told
| the paper remained with me. Mr. MOultOn
| received no further communication from Mrs
Tilton until the 18th OF June of this
| year, 1874 and that communication came
to him in this wise: When Mr.. Tilton
| showed him his DIR. BaconsJ letter, he most
strongly and earnestly advised against its publ.
| cation, and said TO Mr. r. in substance that
| while he admitted the wrong and injustice Of DR.
| Bacon's charge, that he (Mr. r. had lived by the
magnanimity of Beecher, and that he was dog
and knave when he (MoultOn) believed he had
acted proper and manly part in endeaVoring 70
shield his family, yet that Its publication would
80 stir the public mind that an in,
| yestigation would be forced upon him and
! Beecher in soIsc manner, and that the truth
| would in all probability have to come out, or 70
much Of II that Mrs. Tilton aud Mr.. BeecheF
| would be dishonored and destroyed, and Mr.. Til.
ton himself be subjected TO the seyerest criticism.
Mr.. Tilton insisted upon the publication
Of the letter. the s,,o only m nc, Rdi9n
| that, whereas the letter originally read that
| Mr. Beecher had committed against Mr.. TiltOn
| and his family a revolving crime, as published
| il said an Offense committed against me- Mr..
Moulton secured this change in the letter in hopes
| that reconciliation might yet be effected be-
| tween all the parties concerned, and All exposure
1 be thus avoided.
| After giving brief note from Mrs. Tilton In
which she asks bIs forgiveness for having coupled
/ his name with Mr.. Carpenters as having advised
| the publication of the Bacon letter Mr.. MOulton
| says that having now placed before the committee
his statement OF facts concerning Mrs. IitOn, and
| documentary evidence that he had to support
1 them and az they are Numerically opposed 10
nearly all that Mrs. TiltOn appears to dec are in
her published statement, he deems IL his duty to
! himself and TO his position In this terrible bust.
ness to say that during this affair Mrs. Titon nag
| more than once admitted to him and to another
| person whom he does not care to bring into this
| controversy, the fact Of her infdelitcs with Mr..
| Beecher and that she never has denied them
\ other than In written papers prepared for pur-
! pose which he had already exhibited.
| Mr. Mouton here gives portion Of the history
| of the connection Of Mrs. Woodruff with this
/ case after the fall Of 1871. He produces a letter
| from Mrs. w. 10 Mr. Beecher, 10 the effect that
| two of his (Mr Be- sisters were assailing her
character and that he (Beecher) knew that II WAS
! in her power 10 strike back in very disastrous
| way and demanding an interview. The interview
| was held at which Mrs. Woodruff desired Mr..
Beecher to preside at her meeting in Stenway
4 Hall and Mr. Tiiton also urged him to do so. Mr..