The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1874-08-27

the public We had been together in the great
controversies Of the day, until aficrward our
social intercourse had been Intimate. 1t Is true
that his nature always exaggerated his own
eellences, but as boy he looked up to me with
atrcctionate admiration. After sumo years he
felt himself my cqual, and was very companlona.
Bile, and when he had Outsrown me and reached
the position OF the first man OF the age he sill!
was kind and patrOniZing. had always smiled
at these weaknesses Of vanity, and had believed
that with a larger experience, some knocks among
strong men, and by sorrows that temper the soul,
he would yet fulfll a useful and brilliant career
But now all looked dark He was to be cast forth
from his eminent position and his affairs did not
promise that sympathy and strength which makes
one = house, as mine has been in times of ad
vcrslty, refuge from the storm and Il tower of
defense.
Besides generous suflc.in: should have had
selfish reason for such if had recalled that
Tilt0n meant to fight his way back to the pros
perity which he had forfeited. 1t now appears
that on the 2:'h of December, 1870. Mr.. iiltnn
having learned that had replied to his thr a;cn
ing letter by expressing such All opinion ~ to
set MIR Bowen finally against him, aud bring him
face to face with immediate ruin, extorttcl from
his WIFE, then suffering from severe illness
document eliminating me, and prepared an c!a'-
crate attack upon me. On Tuesday evening,
December 1870, about : o'clock. Franci. d.
| ca.crnc.s said: ~ wish you to go with me to
see Mr.. Til,on.'' replied that could hot then,
az was just going to my prayer-mcc,ing. With
go. Somebody else will take care of he meet
| Ing" went with him, not knowing what
1 h,, had S'''sa him. n" va, Sas"cy hinli";
| The recent threatening letter. On the
way ! asked what was the reason of
is visit i;,, to which he replied 'ha, Mr.
effect. On entering his house. Mr.. Muuton
locked the door, saying something about no, he
| III: interrupted. lie requested me to 20 Into the
| front chamber over the parlor was under the
| impression that Mr. Tilton was going to pour on,
| upon me- his anger for colleaguny with fowcn.
fart D.:
| | wished Mr. Moul.on to be with us as a witness.
but he insisted that should go by myself. Mr.
| Tilton received me colGy but calmly. After a
word or two. standing iii front of me with a mem
| "randum in his hand, he b":ran an Grafton. lie
declared in an uniricndly spirit that had sought
| his downfall; had spread injurious rumors about
| him; usin., my place and influence to under
mine him; had advised MIR. Bowen I" dismiss
| him. and much more that cannot remember. lie
y relations; had joined with hi. mother in law
in producing. discnrd in his house: had advised
separation; had alicnatcd his wif"'s affections
from him; had led her to love me more
than any other being: had corrupted her
moral nature, and taught her TO be insinccr. ~
in" and hyp"criiical. aud ended by charging that
| hal made wicked proposals TO her. Until he
reached this had listened with seine contempt,
under the impression that he was attempting to
bully me; but with the last charge he prmGccd
! paper, purp"rting to b" cert tcd statement Of
| previous confession mace To him by his wife of
t"r love for me and that had made proposals to
her OF an improper nature. He said that this con-
i,s'; on had been made I" him in July. six months
precious: that his sense Of homer and affection
| would not perm it any such document TO remain
| in existence: that he lad burned the nr"iuwI
and should now DESTROY the only copy. ard he
then tore the paper into small pieces. If had
| been shocked at such a statement. was abso-
lutely thunderstruck when he closed the in
house, where he said Elizabeth waiting for
me, and learn from her lips the truth Of his
stories in go far as they concerned her This fe;l
| that his wife, whom | regarded as the type of
| moral goodness. should have made such false and
atrocious statements: And yet if she had net
| how would he dare to send me to her for
| frmation of his charges? l went forth like
slecp-walker, while the clouds were flying in the
,ky There had been a snow-storm: which I'M; was
| through leafcss trees, but all this was peace
compared to the mood within. believe That
Moulton went with me to the door OF I!it"n
whom Mrs. Tilton had complained, seemed I"
have been instructed by him, for she evidently
expected me and showed me at once to Mrs. Ill
toms room. Mrs. Tilton lay upon her bed. white
| as marble, with closed eyes, as i'll trance. and
with her hands upon her bosom: palm t" PAIN,
like one in prayer. As LOOK back upon it, the
| picture is like some form carved in marble tina,
had seen upon monuments in Europe. She
made no motion, and gave IL" sign OF
her and i'e said: "Eiizabc.h. Theodore has irrn
making very serious charges against me and
reply or sign yet it was plain tina, she was con
scious and listening. | repeated some of his
| statements: that / had brought discurd To the
| family; had alcnatcd her from him: had sought
to break up the family. and usurped his influence
and then, as we'll ~ l could. added that he
said that made improper suggestions to her and
/ l said, Elizabeth. have you made such state
| ment to him. She made no answer. l repeat
cd the question. Tears ran down her ci.'ea>
and she very slightly bowed her head in acIurs-
ccncc. l said, "iou cannot mean that yea have
stated all he has chargcd:' She opened her eyes
and began in slow and feeble way to explain
had ..pi.,
| portunity; that he had confessed his own alien
loves, and said that he could not bear to think
| that she was better than he; that she might in
| him to reformation if she would confess that she
| had loved me more than him. and that they would
| repent and go on with future concord cannot
give her language, but only the tenor of her rep
| RESERVATIONS. l received them impaiicnly. |
| spoke to her in the strongest language. Of her
course. said to her: Lave ever made any
Then asked: "Why did You say 70 t" Your has,
band:' She seemed deeply distressed. My
friend (by that designation she almost always
What can do told her She could state in
| writing what she had now told me. She bcckoncd
| for her writing materials. which | handed her
| from her secretary standing near by. aud she sat
| up in he'd and wrote IA brict counter statement.
In a sort of postscript she denied explicitly
| that had ever offered any improper solicitation
| to her, that being the only charge made against
| me by Mr.. TiltOn or sustained by the stat
| about the confession which he had read TO mel
dreamed of no worse charge at that timc-that
was horrible enough. The mere thought that he
| could make it. and could have cxtortcd any evil
| dcncc on which to base 1t. was enough to take
| away my senses. Neither my consciousness Of
its utter falschood, nor Mrs. Tiiton rcracion of
her part in it, could remove the shock from my
| heart. Indeed, her admission to ne that she had
| stated, under any circumstances. 50 wicked a
falschood, was the crowning blow of al 1t
seemed to me as ii she was going to die: that her
| mind was ovcrthrown. and that was in some
dreadful way mixed up with it, and might he let
| I rntu ned NO in IN
Mr. MuultOn's house. where l said very little, and
soon went home 1t has been said that J CON
| tcrly false Is it likely that with Mrs. Ti,on's
rctraction in my pocket should have thus s.ulti
fed myself? On the next day, at evening, Mr..
| Moulton called at my house and came up TO my
| bedroom. He SAID that Mrs. Triton. on her hns
bands return to her after our interview. had in
formed him what she had done. and that had
| SAID that rctractiOn under the circumstances
| would not mend matters. but only awaken fresh
discord between husband and wife, and do great
injury to Mrs. TiltOn without hclpin. me. Mrs.
| Tilton he said, had already rccan,rd in writ
| ing the rctraction made to me- and of
there mHn lie nH fn% to s
his wifc's first letter acknowledging. the COMICS
| sion, and Mr. Moulton claimed that had taken
mean advantage and made dishonorahlc use OF
tanning from her written contradiction t" doc
| umcnt not in existence; he said that all dihcul:
ties could be settled without any such paper and
1
threats, but he opened his ovcrcoat and with
some cmphat' cal remark showed pistol. which
afcrward he took out and laid on the bureau
hear which he stood; l gave the paper to linn
and after a few moments talk he left: within
day or two after this Mr. Moulton made the third
visit and this time repaired to my study in
the third story Of my house.
Before speaking of this interview 1t is right
that should alln de to the suffering through
| which had gone during the previous day, the
cause of which was the strange change in Mrs.
Triton. Nothing had seemed more certain during
all my acquaintance with her than that she was
singularly simple, truthful and honorable. De-
ceit seemed absolutely foreign to her nature and
yet she had stated to her husband those strange
and awful falsehocds. She had not when daily
called and prayed with her, given me the
slightest hint, will not say of such accusations,
but even that there was any serious family dim;
Guilty. She had suddenly, in December, called
me and my wife to consultation az to possible
separation from her husband, still leaving me
ignorant that she had put into his hands such a
weapon against me. 1 was bewildered with
the double consciousness Of a sanity
woman committing a very needless treach.
cry to her friend and pastor. did
not for a moment feel, however. that she
was blamewOrthy, as would ordinarily be