The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1874-08-24
statement of Francis ID. Moulton.

statement 0f Francis ID. MouIton.
Gentlemen of the Committed need |
not repeat to you my great, very great
sorrow to feel obliged to answer your invi- |
tation and, with the permission of the par
ties, to put before you the facts which have
come to my knowledge in the unhappy
affair under investigation. In so dong
shall use no words of Characterization of
any of them of inculpation of the parties,
nor shall | attempt to ascribe motives, save
when necessary to exactly state the fact,
leaving the occurrences, their acts of
omission and commission, TO be interpreted
by themselves
In giving conversations or narrative !, of
course, can in most cases give only the sub
stance of the first, and will attempt to give
words only when they so Impressed them.
selves upon my mind as to remain in my
memory, and of the latter only so much as
seems to me material
have known Mr. Theodore Titon since
1850 intimately, in the kindest relations of
social and personal friendship, | have
known Rev. Henry Ward Beecher since
1869, and then casually as an acquaintance
and an attendent upon his minstrations up
to the beginning of the occurrences of
which | shall speak. Seeing Mr. Tiltons
valedictory, as editor of the independent
on the 22nd day of December, 1870, in
ferred that there had been some differences
between himself and Mr.. Henry G. Bowen,
the proprietor, but learning that Titon had
been retained as contributor to that paper
and editor of the Brooklyn Union, of
which Bowen was also proprietor, i sup
posed that the differences were not personal
or unkind. Up to that time, although
had been a frequent visitor at Tilton's
house, and had seen himself and Mrs. Til
ton under all the phases of social inter-
course, had never heard or known of the
slightest disagreement existing between
them, but had believed their marital rela-
tons were almost exceptionally pleasant.
On the Goth day of December. 1870, be-
ing at Mr.. Tilton's house, he came home
from an interview with Mr.. Bowen, and
told me with some excitement of manner
that he had Just had a conference with Bow
en-, and that in that interview Bowen had
made certain accusations against Beecher,
and had challenged him (Tilton), as mat
ter of duty to the public, to write an open
letter, which Bowen was to take to Beecher,
of which he showed me the original draft,
which is as follows:
The following is a continuation of the
statement from Mrs. Hooker's letter pub
lished in Saturdays GLOBE:
Read the letters from John and Mary in
the order l have placed them. will send
these now and the other doeumentsI havo
mentioned another day, waiting till know
whether you will meet me.
On the 3D. of the same month Mrs.
Hooker addressed a letter to her brother,
Rev. Thomas X. Beecher, which | pro-
duce, marked IN g.:
MRS. HOOKER TO REV. THOMAS X. BEECHER.
Please return this letter to me when
you have done with it.
Hartford, Sunday, Nov. 3, 1872.
Dear Brother Tom.-Thc blow has
fallen, and hope you are better prepared
for it than you might have been but fol-
our interview. | wrote ii. single line
last week thus, "Can | help your and
here is his reply:
"lf you still believe in that woman you
cannot help me. If you think of her as
do you can perhaps, though | do not need
much help. tread the falsehoods into the
dirt from whence they spring, and go on
my way rejoicing. My people are thus
far heroic, and would give their lives fol
me. Their love and confidence would
make me willing to bear far more than
have. Meanwhile the Lord has pavilion
in which he hides me until the storm be
oyerpast | abide in peace, committing
myself to him who gave himself for me.
trust you give neither countenance mol
credence to the abominable coinage that
has been put afloat The specks of truth
are mere spangles upon garment of false
hood N r,,th itcolf 10 mazda IN 1ia
Thank you for love and truth and silence
but think of the barbarity of dragging 0
poor, dear child of woman into this
slough. Yours truly"
Now, Tom, so far as l can see it is he
who has dragged the dear child into the
| slough and left her there, and who is now
sending another woman to prison who is
| innocent of all crime but fanaticism fol
| the truth as revealed to her. and, and |, by
my silence, am consenting unto her death
Read the little note that she sent mt
long ago, when in a burst of enthusiasm
over public letter of hers which seemed
wonderful to me told her how it affected
me, and mark its prophetic words:
New York, Aug. s, 1871.
My Dear, Dear Friend--I was never
more happy in all my life than am this
morning, and made SO by you whom have
learned to love so much. From you, from
whom / had expected censure, | receIv,
the first deep, pure words of approval ant
| love. know my course has often beer
contrary to your wishes, and it has been my
greatest grief that it was so, since you have
so nobly been my defender. But all tho
time knew it was not | for whom yol
spoke, but all womanhood, and was til,
more proud of you that your love wa
general and not personal.
/ am often compelled to do things flon
which my sensitive soul shrnks, and 70
which | endure the censure of most Of m,
| friends. But obey n power which know
better than they or can know, and whicl
has never left me stranded and withou
hope. ] should be failhless servant In
deed were to falter pow when required Il
do what | cannot fully understand, yet il
the issue of which have full faith. Non
of the scenes in which have enacted
part were what would have selfishly cho
sen for my own happiness. love my home
my children, my husband, and could liv
a sanctlfed life with them and never de
such is not to be my mission. | know
what is to come, though / cannot ye
divulge it. My daily prayer is that Ileaye
may vouchsafe me strength TO meet every
thing which l know must be encounters
and overcome.
My heart is. however, too tull to writ
you all / wish. see the near approach O
the grandest revelation the world has We
known, and for, the part you shall play i
il thousands will rise up and call yo
blessed 1t was not for nothing that yo
and met so singularly. Let us watch an
pray, that we faint not by the wayside be
fore we reach the consummation. w
shall then look back with exceeding grea
10y to all we have been called upon /
suffer for the sake of cause more 0hol
than has yet come upon earth. Again
bless you for your letter. Affectionate
and faithfully yours,
VICTORIA &. Woodruff"
Oh, my dear brother, fear the awfr
struggle to live according to law ha
wrought an absolute Generalization as I
truthfulness, and so he can talk abou
"spangles on garment Of falschood, "whe