Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1874-08-19
Beecher's Case.

Beecler7S Ease.
Mr.. Z. ID. Mouton, instead of telling all
h knew on tn. 10 h about the case, con
tinel himself to producing before the com
mittee copies If the Beecher letters thal
Elton hal q1o,ed from and to explaining
what Il sacred depository such u mutual
f.'icni is himself should be- and how on
his honor he can't be otherwise. And now
comes Gath, George Alfred Townshend
in Il letter to The Chic g, Tribune and tell
how, two days before this, this locked and
sealed caSket. Moulion, opened itself to
him, ami said Btechcr hal confessed hi,
adultery t. him. &c. Moulton hal lone
statement written but concluded to refuse
to come out with what h knew.
Mr.. Beecher has been before The commit
tee, ami his statement makes nineteen
newspaper columns. 1t is in substance
this:
Theo lore Tilton was his friend; his re-
lations 10 Tilton's family We're those of an
honorable pastor; Tilton went into free
love and got into trouble with Bowen,
whose paper he edited by letting his new
sentiments into its columns; Mrs Tilton
came to Beecher with tales of Thee
dore's INF elity and abuse; Beecher ad-
vi>ed u separation; B .echcr also had Il
ttlA with Bowen aho 1t Tlton's bad course
Elton then, on now famous evening, nj
MoIlton', house charge Beecher with hi,
rain and with having made improper pro-
p sails 10 Mrs. Tlton; B tccher was asSur-
ignel. an Beether then believed he had
done Theo lore great injustice, had ruined
his prospects with Bowen and had also adj
visel the separation of his family; Beechcr
was also led to believe that he had further
been the cause Of trouble to Tilton through
IN affection which it was represented Mrs.
Elton hal come to have for him; fearing
effects of the scandal if public charges
were made. and feeling that he had really
wrongad Tilton, Beecher entered into the
vain endeavor to keep the accusation quiet,
IN The various agreements and the like
have resulted
The blacklist part of the case. is the
charge of Matchmaking which Beerher
brings. He says he has paid Tillon through
Moulton 5000 This don't help Beecher
| if true. because, it shows him weak if not
guilty. but it dImns not only Tilton but
Plymouth church of his innocence. Pnb,
lie opinion is divided. The better iudg-
ment seems to be that, while his action as
told by himself is SO strange that he has
not been able to prove his innocence, he
has put his assailant upon further proof
The state of the case is now such that ht
is at least entitled to have the charge.
against him ju lge'l as not proved" If his
enemies have told their whole case, if there
is nothing to Glth statement, OF if Moul
ton is II liar as well as II black mailer, Mr.
Beecher may be adjudged innocent. Time
will tell. Meantime he is certainly not We
proven guilty of adultery.
Mr.. Beecher does not deny the authen
icitv of his letters, but in justice to hin
it should be stated that their full tex
makes them much more amenable to hi
Interpretation than do the quotations from
them made by Tilton. As we have giver
rilton's statement we give such of Mr.
Beecher's us describes the great outbreal
and the construction Of the apology whicl
is II sample of tie whole.
In the later part OF July, 1870, Mrs. Til
ton was sick; ut her request visited her
She seemed much depressed, but gave nj,
no hint Of any trouble having reference Il
ME. | cheered her us best / could, ant
prayed With her just before leaving. Thi
was our last interview before the troubl,
broke out in the flmily. l describe it be
cause it was the last, and its character h;l
Il bearing upon IL later part of my story
Concerning all my other visits it is suffi
cient to say that at no interview whicl
ever took place between Mrs. TIlton ant
myself did anything occur which nigh
not have occurred with perfect proprie:,
between brother and sister, between
father and child, or between IL man of hon
or and the wife of his dearest friend; no
did anything ever happen which she or
sought to conceal from her husband.
After giving the reasons for the remova
of Tilton from the editorial chair of the In
dependent, Mr.. Beecher proceeded: Ate
Mrs. Tilton returned from the West il
December. 1870, IA young girl whom Mrs
Tilton had taken into the family, educated
and treated like her own child-her test
mony understand is before the commit
tee-was sent to me with an urgent re
qnest that would visit Mrs Tilton at hel