, 1874-08-13


New YoEK, Aug. 5.-Following are
letters written by Mr.. Beecher to Mr..
Moulton:
fBrooklyn, July 20.
My Dear Friend-The Committee of
Investigation are waiting mainly for
you before closing their labors. I, too,
earnestly wish you would come and
clear your mind and memory of every-
thing that can bear on my case. pray
you also to bring all letters and papers
relating to it which will throw anv light
upon it. and bring to result this pro-
tracted case. / trust that Mrs. Moulton
has been reinvigorated and that need of
your care will not be so great as to des
tain you. siirl Yours truly, fo
ral HI. w. Beeeher.
Brooklyn, Aug. 4.
F. D. Moulton, Esq: A.5LitI A,A<i +
\ Sir-Your letter bearing date Aug. 4,
1874, is received. Allow ME to express
my regret and astonishment that you
refuse me permission even to see cer-
tain letters and papers in pour posses
sion relating to me and the charges
made against me by The cdors. Tilton,
and at the reasons given for your refus-
al. On your solemn and repeated as
surances of personal friendship, and in
unauestioning confidence with which
you inspired me as to your honor and
fidelity, I placed in your hands for safe
keeping various letters addressed to me
from brother, sister and various other
parties, also memorandum of affairs not
Immediately connected with Mr.. Til
toms matters. I also from time conf
dental notes relating to myself. as one
friend would write to another. These
papers were never placed in your hands
to be held for parties, nor to be used in
any way. They were to be held for me.
I did not wish them to be subject to the
risk of lossaor scattered from careless
habits in matters of preserving docu-
ments. They were to be held for me.
In so far as these papers are concerned,
you were only friendly trustee, hold
ing papers subject to my wishes. Mr..
Tilton has made deadly assault upon
me and has used letters and fragments
of letters purporting to be copies of
these papers. Are these extracts genu-
ince? are they garbled: what are their
dates? what, if anything, has been left
out, and what put in? You refuse my
demand for these papers on various
pleas: that if speak truth in my state
ment, I do not need them; that if I
make successful use of them it will be
injurious to Tilton, ard that you, as a
friend of both parties, are bound not to
aid either in any aim that shall injure
the other. do not desire to injure any
one, but to repel injury attempted upon
me by the use of papers committed sa-
credly to your care. These documents
have been seen and copied, and have
been hawked for sale in New York, in
newspaper offices. What purported to
be my confidential notes to you are on
market, but when I demand sight of pa
pers of which you are only the trustee,
that I may defend myself, you, refuse
because you are friend of both parties.
Mr.. Tilton has access to your deposito-
ry for materials with which to strike,
but 1 am not permitted to use them in
defending myself. I don't ask you to
place before the Committee any papers
which Mr.. Tilton may have given you,
but I do demand tina. you forthwith
place before the Committee every paper
which I have written or deposited witl
you. Yours truly,
H. W. Beeceer.
Moulton's second letter to Beecher
reads: -.--..---=
My DEAR S1R:-In your acquaintance
md friendship I have never received
rom you letter of the tone of yours
if August 4th. It seems unlike your
Ielf,. and to have been inspired by same
II advice, which SO lamentably carried
7our private affairs before Committee
# your own church and thence before
he public. In reply let me remind you
hat during the whole of the past four
,ears all the documents notes and mem
,randa, which you and Mr.. Tilton have
,ntrasted to me, have been entrusted
because they had reference to your
mutual difference, T hold no. papers
,ither Of yours or his except such as
pear on this case. You speak of the j
of affairs not Immediately
with the Tilton matter. You
allude here to, the memoranda
If your difficulties with Mr.. Bowen, but
,hese have a direct reference to your
present case with Mr.. Tilton, and were
deposited with me by you because of
such reference. You speak also of
etter or two from your brother and SIS
er and lam sure you have not forgot
en- the apprehension which we enter
aimed lest Mrs. Hooker should fulfill
he design which she foreshadowed, to
nvade your pulpit and read to your con-
confession of your intima-
y with Mrs. Tilton. You speak of other
papers which [ hold subject to your
wishes. hold no such, nor do l hold
my subject to Mr.. Tilton's wishes. The
papers which I hold. both yours and
lis, were given to me subject to the
wishes of neither party, but the very obs
ect of my holding them has been and
till is, is to prevent the wish of one
,arty being injuriously executed against
he other.
Yoo are incorrect in saying that Mr..
rilton has had access to my depository
or materials. On the contrary l have