The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1874-08-27
THE GREAT SCANDAL.
Btatenaents OF Mr.. Beecher and Mr..
MoultOn.

NM BEECHER'S STATEMENT.
The following statement was submit
ted to the Investigating Committee by
Mr.. Beecher to-day:
GENTLEMEN OF THE CoxM1rrEE-rn the state
mcnt addressed to the public on the I'D of July
last gave an explicit, comprehensive and sol
emn denial to the charges made by Theodore Til
ton against me. That denial now repeat and re-
afrm. l also stated in that communication that
l should appear before your committee with a
more detailed statement and explanation of the
facts in the case.
-Four years ago Theodore Tilton fell from one of
the most prominent cditori NJ positions in Amer
lea, when he represented the cause of religion
humanity and patriotism, and in few months
Thereafter became the associate and representa-
tive Of Victoria Woodruff and friend of her
strange cause. BY his follies he was bankrupt IN
interior history of which am now to yiyc a brief
outline is the history of his attempts to 80 en-
ploy me as to retnstate him in business, restore
inence from which he had fallen. 1t is sad his
tory, to the full meaning of which have but re.
complications. followed, until lately, a false
theory and delusive hope, believing that the
friend who assured me of his determination and
Triton, to restore his household, to rebuild his
fortunes and to vindicatc me, would he equal to
that promise. His self confcssed failure has made
pect-the real motive of MIR. Tilton NY mar
ration does not represent single standpoint
only as regards my opinion of Theodore Triton.
earlier career shows my lamcntation and sor-
the period Of his initial wandcrings from truth
and virtue. 1t describes my repentance over
evils Detailing him, of which was made to be-
lieve myself the cause; my pcrscvcring and
friendly dcspairing, efforts to save him aud his
di*honorabe, and my growing conviction that
his perpetual follies and plumbers rendered his
and has been from the beginning of this difficulty,
selfish and reckless schcmcr, pursuin. a plan
of mingled good and hatred, and weaving about
me a network of suspicious, misundcrst andings,
plots and lies, to which my own innocent words
ard acts. nay, even my thoughts, of kindness to-
ward him, have been made to contribute. These
successive views Of him must be kept in view, to
explain my course through the last four years.
That was blind so long Is 10 the real motive of
intrigue going on around me was due partly to
my own overwhelming public engagements,
partly to my complete surrender of this affair,
and the papers and questions connected with it,
ly confident that he could manage it SUCCESS
fully. l suffered much, but | inquired little.
Mr.. Mouton was chary to me of Mr.. 1iltons CON
a general way Mr.. Tilton's words and outbreaks
on passion only as elements of trouble which he
was able to control, and az additional proofs of
the wist lon of giving it 10 him. His commcat
on the situation seemed to me, at the time, com
plrtc. immersed as was in inccssant cares and
duties, and only too glad TO be relieved from con-
tions. the origin and the fact of which remain,
in spite of all friendly Intervention. perpetual
burden to my soul. would not read i'll the pa
pcrs about it. would not talk about it. made
M"ullon for long period my conilant and my
only channel of informal ion. From time to time
suspicious were aroused in me by indications
that Mr.. Ti!ton was acting The part of an enemy;
but suspicious were rapidly allaycd by his own
behavior toward ne i'll other moods. and by the
assurances OF Mr. M"ult"n. who asciibcd The Cir
cumStances to misunderstanding or to malice
the part of others. 1t is plain to me now that it
was not until Iilton had Hen into disgrace and
had lost his salary that he thought ii necessary to
vi har i,.li Ina Af.n IrI tn
have had in mind Cor six mouths
The domestic cfcnse which he alleged was very
way as to keep my feelings stirred mp in order
that l might, through my friends, be used to
extract from Mr.. Bowen $1,000. the amount Of the
that sum in hand, Mr.. T!lton signed an agreement
of peace and concord, rot drawn by me. but
accepted by me as sincere. The Golden Age had
for awhile. He was sure that he was to
head a great social revolution. With return
nE pTSisPer me- nc 10 bad no
turc 10 the articles of peace. Yet the changes in
that covenant made by him before signing it. and
the no nS
circulated certain old ard shameless ISLANDERS
about me, were really made. as now appears, to
against me: SO long as he was, or thought he
was. on the road to new success, his
conduct toward me me-, was as friendly as he
Of superiority and magnanimity and his
patronfzing manner were trifes at which l
could afford to smile. and which bore with the
greater humility since l still retained the pro-
found impression made upon me, as explained
In the following narrative, that l had been a
cause Of overwhelming disaster to him,
lie standing and household happiness was
reparatOn justly required Of me, and
the only one which ! could make; but, with u
every step, into new complications and difficult
ties, and in every such instance it was his
policy to bring coercion clio, to bear upon my
purpose of procuring his cxtricaton at my
expense: Theodore Tilton knew me well. He
has said again and again to his friends that if
must work upon tine sympathetic side of my
ture: To this he has addressed himself steadily
my attachment to my friends, to my family, to
his own household, and even my old affection for
himself. Not blind to his faults, but resolved TO
look on him favorably and hopefully as posi-
bic, and ignorant of his deeper malice, ahorcd
earnestly. even desperately, for his salvation.
For four years have been trying to feed the in
eatablc egotism, to make the man as great as he
conceived himself to be. to restore to prosperity
and public confidence one who, in the midst of
my efforts in his behalf, patronized disreputable
him TO separate himself from them, and ascribed
to my agency the increasing ruin which he was
pcrsistently bringing upon himself and which
anything for such man. l might as we'll have
tried to fill sieve with water. In the latter
stages of the history he actually melted and Gre
than to drive Ele to fresh cxcrtions. refused tc
tndorsc his wild views and associates. The best
could do was to speak well of him, mention
believe him to possess in his higher moods, and
keeping silence concerning the evil things which
was assured and believed had been greatly ex-
ag:scrated by public report: I could not think
him SO bad as my friends did. l trusted to the
germs of good which thought still lived in him;
to Mr.. Moulton's power over him, and the power
hfr IA Snlf-C crIf
Mr.. Moulton came to me first as schoolmate
and friend of Mr.. Titon, determined to rcnstate
him, always suspected, without regard to my
interests, but, on further acquaintance with me,
undertook and promised to serve his friend with
out doing wrong to me. He said he saw clearly
how this was to be done so as to restore peace
and harmony to Mr. Tilton's home and bring to
happy end all Understandings Many things
which he counseled absolutely refused, but
after the friendship had growL,-p between us,
and whatever he wished me to do did, unless it
seemed to me wrong My confidence in him was
the only element that seemed secure in this con-
wrote freely in this troublous time, while l felt
that secret Vaccinations were going on around
me, and echoes Of the vilcst ISLANDERS concerning
me were heard in unexpected quarters; When
some of my near relations were set against me,
and the tattle of crowd OF malicious
women hostile to me on other grounds was
borne to my ears; when had lost the last rem
nant of faith in Theodore, or hope for him; when
heard with unspeakable rcmOrse that every.
thltIp Hau uOuc W ySy his uCtioH H"u Hauo
matters worse and worse. and that nv ATTEMPT "
keep him from pubic ,iial ln\u.Nin-
flow of scandal as has now been let i""s" had
been used by him to bring up new troubles: tia.
his unhappy wife was. under his dctati"n si:-nin.
papers and rccantations, and 1 know not what:
that in short everything was breaking up and the
destruction from which had sought to save the
family was likely to he cmpticd on other families.
the church, the community, with infinite horrors
Of woe for me; that my own innocence was
buried under heaps and heaps of rubbish. and no,
body but my protested friend, if even he, could
save us-to his assurances that he could still do
so gave at least go much faith as to maintain
nndcr these terrible trials the silence which he
rnjoined;. not until Mr.. Tlton, having attempt
I'd through Frank Carpenter to raise money from
my friends, openly assaulted me in a letter to DIR.
Bacon, did break that silence save by the sim
pie denial of the slanderous rumors against me
year before.
On the appearance of the first open at
tack from Mr.. Tilton I Immediately, without
consulting Mr.. Moulton. called for a thorough
investigation with a committee of nv church. |
am not responsible for the delay of the publicity
or details of that investigation. All the harm
which have so long dreaded. and have so earn,
,stly striven to avoid, has come to pass. could
lot further prevent it without full surrender OF
honor and truth. The time has arrived when !