Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1874-08-06

With these impressive words the in
terview terminated.
DIR. PATTON INTERVIEWED
NEW YORK July, 30.-The Chic.
ago Inter Ocean sent reporter to in
terview Rev. w. w. Patton, we'll
known as the former pastor of the
First Congregational church, editor OF
the "Advance," representative of the
American Missionary Union, delegate
from Chicago to the Brooklyn Con
gregational Council, and member OF
the committee of that Council which
prepared the report on the Plymouth
Church matter mot the Patton who
prosecuted Swing, and who is Pres
byterian preacher). The reporter In
quired in reference to a rumor current
in Chicago that a clergyman of that
city was the custodian of confessions
made by lady members, now deceased,
of the Congreg ational Church, that in
their lifetime they had been unlawful
ly intimate with Mr.. Beecher. DR..
Patton replied that he had not heard
of anything of that sort before. He
did not believe there were any
such documents in Chicago or the
West. The conversation led to q
general review of the subject, in the
course of which Rev. Patton said:
You see, l went down from here as
a representative of the First Church of
this city. The deliberations were, as
you may know, as to the authority
which Plymouth church had in drop
ping Tilton's name from its roll while
charges were hanging over him. They
refused to investigate. They even re-
fused to appear and take part in the
Brooklyn Council. This course laid
Mr.. Beecher and his church open to
grave suspicious. These charges
against Beecher, you recollect, had
been spread all over the land.
Reporter-Were the alleged facts
regarding Beecher's criminality known
before Mrs. Woodhull's statement?
That is, were they known generally?
Were you aware of them?
DR.. Patton-I knew long before
that that is, / had heard from friends
who reside there, of these things. My
friends, living near the scene and ac-
quainted more or less with the parties,
knew of them, and informed me of the
facts; that is, the alleged facts. | had
the fullest confidence in them (my
friends), and felt sure that what they
stated to me did not come from them
alone. Indeed, | may say to you, that
all that has hitherto been made public
about the scandal has been no news
to me. | was not startled when these
things were printed. | was in a meas
ure prepared for them, although they
came none the less unsought on my
part. Yet what l mean to say is, that
from the first, knowing what | knew,
| felt sure these things would come
out. l was certain it was only a ques-
ton of time. These stories, these
facts, had all been told to me by my
friends and others, as Mrs. Woodruff
intimates, knew of them as well.
From the beginning it had been re-
cited to Miss Susan b. Anthony, and
now | see by the papers that Mrs.
Elizabeth Cady Stanton was also in
the secret. There were also several
others. &
Reporter-Well, how was it the
story got out beyond the first circle :?
Why was it not stopped there by those
who were interested ?
DR.. Patton--Why, you see it was
this way. 1t was told in entire conf
dence bv the first little circle. Those
who heard of it in their turn told 1t to
their confidential circle, and each time
it widened out and was made the prop
erty of a great many, who had it from
what they considered good authority
AS | said, nothing has as yet been
developed of which l had not heard
before. SO you can understand that
the articles published in the papers did
not startle me. Had my advice been
followed. all or most of this would
have been averted. The statements Of
of Mrs. Woodruff would have been
per Sc not altogether sufficient to have
warranted an investigation. But you
must remember that she called on
others tosay over their own names
whether what she stated was false or
not. A remarkable fact was that none
ofthese replied to the challenge.
Reporter-You were the editor OF
the AdUance 2
DR.. Patton-Yes, and that gave
me an opportunity for saying much
at the time. / was in New York IN
January, of 1873. This was after
the first publication of Mrs. Wood
hulps side of the scandal in her pa
per. Then she lectured on the sub
| feet, "The Naked Truth" | would
in one sense, like TO have gone and