Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1874-08-01


his house, found his wife weeping
and in great distress, saving that
what she had meant for peace had
only given pain and anguish; that
Mr.. Beeeher had just called on her,
declaring that she had slain him, and
he would probably be tried before a
council of ministers unless she
would give him written paper for
his protection. Whereupon he die
tated to her, and she copied in her
own handwriting suitable paper
for him to use to clear himself before
a council of ministers.
Mrs. Tilton having kept no copy
of this paper, her husband asked her
to make distinct statement in writ
ing of her design and meaning in
giving it, whereupon she wrote as
follows:
DEcEMBER 80, 1s7O-Midnight.
MY DEAR HUSBAND:
desire to leave with you, before
going to bed, a statement that Mr..
Henry Ward Beecher called upon
me this evening and asked me if
would defend him against any accu-
sation in Council of Ministers; and
replied, solemnly that 1 would, in
case the aecuser was any other per-
son than my husband. He (H. W.
b. dictated letter, which copied
as my own, to be used by him as
against any other accuser except my
husband. This letter was designed
to vindicate Mr.. Beecher against all
other persons save only yourself. 1
was ready to give him this letter be-
cause he said with pain that my let
ter in your hands addressed to him,
dated Dec. 29, chad struck him dead,
and ended his usefulness. You and
are pledged to do our best to avoid
publicity. God grant speedy end
to all further anxieties.
Affectionately,
On the next day, namely, Dec. 81,
1870, Mr.. MOulton, on being inform
ed by Mr.. Tilton of the above trans
action of Mr.. Beecher, called on him
(Mr. Beecher) at his residence, and
told him that reconciliation SEEM
ed suddenly made impossible by Mr..
Beecher's nefarious act in procuring
the letter which Mrs. Tilton had
thus been improperly persuaded to
make falsely. Mr. Beecher prompt
ly, through Mr.. Moulton, returned
the letter to Tilton, with an ex-
preston of shame and sorrow for
having procured it in the manner he
did. The letter read as follows
DEC. 80. 1870.
Wearied with importantly and
weakened by sickness, gave let
ter duplicating my friend Henry
Ward Beecher, under assurances
that that would remove all Difficult
ties between me and my husband.
That letter I now revoke. was
persuaded to it-almost forced
when l was in a weakened state of
mind.
regret it and recall all its state
ments.
r. TILToN.
1 desire to say explicitly, Beecher
has never offered any improper So
licitation, but has always treated me
in a manner becoming a Christian
and a gentleman.
ELIZABETH R. TILToN.
At the time of Beecher's returning
the above document to Tilton
through Moulton, Beecher requested
Moulton to call at his residence in
Columbia street next day, which he
did on the evening of Jan, l, 1871.
A long interview then ensued, in
which Beecher expressed to Moulton
great contrition and remorse for his
previous criminality with Mrs Tilton
taking to himself shame for having
misused his sacred Office as a clergy
man to corrupt her mind; expressing
determination to kill himself in case
of exposure, and begging Moulton
to take pen and receive from his
(Beecher's) lips an apology TO be
conveyed to Tilton, in the hope that
such an appeal would secure Tilton's
forgiveness.
The apology which Beecher dicta-
ted to MoultOn was as follows:
MR.. BEECHER's APOLOGY.
Qn trust with F. D. Moulton.l
MI DEAR FRIEND MoULToN:
1 ask, through you, Theodore Til
toms forgiveness, and | humble my
self before him as I do before my
God. He would have been better
man in my circumstances than ]
have been. / can ask nothing,
except that he will remember all the |
other breasts that would ache.
will not plead for myself. l even
wish that were dead. But others
must live to suffer. l will die be- !
fore any one but myself shall be in
culpated. All my thoughts are run
ming out toward my friends, and to-
ward the poor child lying there,
and praying, with her folded hands. |
She is guiltless, sinned against, bear
ing the transgression of another.
Her forgiveness have. l humbly |
pray to God to put it into the heart |
of her husband to forgive me. !
I have trusted this to Moulton, in |
confidence. /
Nv. BEECHER.
In the above document, the last
sentence and the signature are in the
handwriting of Rev. Henry Ward
Beecher. i
H. That Mrs. Tilton wrote the fol-
lowing letter to friend
No. 174 Livingston Street, Brooklyn JAN 3 iS'i'
DEAR FRIEND:
A cruel conspiracy has been form
ed against my husband, in which my
mother and Mrs. Beecher are the
chief actors.
Yours, truly,
ELIZABETH R. TILTON.
XII. That the following month
Moulton, wishing to bind 1ilton and
Beeoher by mutual expressions of
good spirit, elicited from them the
following correspondence:
Brooklyn. Feb. I, 1871.
MI DEAR FRTEND:
In several conversations with Won