, 1874-08-20

ICoNcLusInN.1


aged her as best I could and prayed with
her. 1t is sufficient to say that in no
interview which occurred between Mrs.
Tilton did anything occur which might
not have occurred with perfect proprie~
y between brother and sister, father
and child, or between a man of honor
and the wife of his dearest friend; nor
did anything happen which she or I
sought to conceal from TiIton.
In -ecember. 1870. young girl who
Mr.. Tilton had educated came to me
with request to visit Mrs. Tilton at
her mothers house. She said Mrs.
Tilton had gone to her mother in conse-
quence of ill-treatment from her hus-
band, and told me, with downcast looks,
how Mr.. Tilton had entered her cham
ber and sought her consent to his wish
es. Mrs. Tilton gave me accounts of
her husbands despotism, and question
ed whether she should return or separ-
ate from her husband. I asked my wife
to see and advise her, and she declared
that no consideration would induce her
to return to him but she reserved her
advice till next day, when, being de-
tanned at home she wrote that no con-
sideration would induce her to return
to such man and her advice was to
separate and settle the matter o. sup
port.
In December, 1870, Mr.. Bowen left
at my house letter from Tilton, OF
which the following is the substance:
Henry Ward Beecher-For reasons
which you explicitly know and which
I forbsar to state, I demand that you
withdraw from the pulpit anu gait
Brooklyn as residence. I read the
letter twice. unable to comprehend its
meaning and handed 1t to Bowen, ,and a
conversation issued about the reason
for reducing Tilton to subordinate po-
ition on the Independent. Accounts of
Tilton's loose private life came pouring
in, and Bowen weighed the consistency
of his remaining even as contributor.
I spoke under this great provocation,
and told of my previous relations COM
cerning his domestic life. Bowen ridi-
culed the letter and said I might rely
on him if trouble came of it.
have no doubt my influence decided
Tilton's final overthrow, and thinking
thus became very unhappy over Til>
toms misfortune. Tilton, hearing that
nay influence had brought about his
discredit with Bowen, extorted from his
wife, then ill, a document criminat-
ing me, and prepared an elaborate at
tack on me.
In December, 1870. Moulton came to
my house in an excited manner, and
asked me to see Tilton at once, and be-
heving that 1 might obtain information
concerning his letter to me, I complied
Moulton accompanied me to the house,
but refused to enter the chamber where
Tilton was. Tilton received me coldly
and began to upbraid me for seeking his
downfall. He said that I had spread
injurious reports concerning him and
had advised Bowen to dismiss him; thai
had injured him in his family rela.
tions and had alienated his wife's af-
fection, leading her to love me more
than himself, and had corrupted hel
moral nature, had made wicked propos
ais to her. Finally he produced cer-
tilted statement of previous confession
made by his wife to that effect six months
previous, and asked me to go to the house
where Elizabeth was waiting for me and
learn from her the truth of his stories.
We went at once to Mrs. Tilton's room.
She lay as one in a trance, and gave nc
sign of recognition. said, - Elizabeth,
Theodore has been making serious
charges and sends me to you for con.
firmation. She did not reply. ard re.
peated some of his allegations. She be
gan to weep and told feebly how sick
she had been and how she had been i'm
portuned to make confession. She
said Tilton had confessed his alien loves
and she could not bear to think herself
better than him, and hoped to win hin
back by this course. She then deniee
to me all the charges made by Tilton
expressed contrition for wrong. ano
made, at my suggestion, brief counter
statement to her husband. The mex
day Moulton informed me that Mrs. Til
ton had told her husband of what she
did in our interview, ard he, Moulton
expostulated and claimed that had tax
en- advantage of the permission to visit
Mrs. Tilton. He was greatly excited
and opening his overcoat, with some
emphatic remarks, showed me pistol
1 did not blame Mrs. Tilton, for whose
condition made the greatest allowance
es, and yet I believed that this story, In
vented by him and substantiated by hel
statement, would be Immediately pub
lished. and against which could onl,
oppose my word of honor; that disas.
ters would result from its publication
and the great interests with which wa.
identified wonld be ruined, and ths
name which I had hoped would live af.
ter me be cause for reproash. M,
mind was in most distressed condi
ton. Moulton found me thus and in 8
sincere and kindly manner, convinced
that had accomplished Tilton's ruin
depicted the wrong done Tilton in sucl
strong characters that l become full,