Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1874-07-29
MRS. TIITON's STATEMENT.

l.
To pick up anew the sorrows OF the last ten
years, the stings and pains had daily ex-
horted myself to bury and forgive, makes
this imperative duty, as called forth by the
malicious statement Of my husband the sad
dest act OF nv life Besides, my thought of
following the Master contradicts this act of
my pen, and sense OF perversior of my life
fa1th almost compels me now to stand aside
till God Himself delivers. Yet I see in this
vanton act al urgent call and privilege from
which | shrink not to reply in detail to the
twenty-five articles of arraignment. I shall
not attempt It at present; yet If called upon to
testify to each and all of them, I shall not
hesitate 70 do so. Suffice it for my purpose
that reply TO one or more Of the most glar-
ING charges.
Touching the faicned sorrow ofmyihus bands
compulsory revelations, solemnly ayow that
long before the Woodruff publications knew
him, by InslnUation and by. direct statement
to have repeated to my near relative and
friend the substance of these accusations
which shock the moral sense Of the entire
community this day. Many times when hear
ingithat certain persons had spoken Ill of him
he has sent me to chide them ter so doing,
and then and there learned he had been be-
tore me with his catumnles against myself, so
that was speechless. The reiteration in his
statement that he had persistentlv striven to
hide these so-called facts is utterly false, as
his hatred Of Mr. Beecner has existed many
years, and his determination to ruin Mr..
Beecher has been the one aim of his life.
Again, the perfdy with which the hottest
love wife ever offered has been recklessly
disoWned in this publication reaches we'll nigh
sacrilege. And added to this the endeavor,
like the early scandal OF Mrs. Woodruff to
make my own words condemn me, has no
parallel Most consplcuous1v my letter quot
ing the reading of Griffith Gaunt. Had Mr..
Titon real the pure character of Catharine,
no vprlI h1yp not T hoe; A.,
1T as near as any human may affect an ideal !;
but it was her character, and not the incidents
or the features surrounding it, to which I re-
ferred. Hers was 10 sin OF criminal act or
thought. 4 like confession with hers | had
made to Tllton in telling of my love to my
friend and pastor one year before, and above
all that, notwithstanding the n,isrepresenta-
tons and anguish CT soul, [ owe to Mr..
Beecher, as to no other human instrument
tality, that enlargement in my mental life
ard growth toward the divine nature which
enables me to walk daily in a lively hope OF
the life beyond. The shameless charges in
articles seven. eight and nine are fearfuly
false in each and every particular. The letter
referred TO in Tllton's tenth paragraph was
obtained from me by importantly and by rep
reservations that it was necessary for him to
use III his then pending difficulties with Mr..
Bowen. / was then sick nigh unto DEATH
having suffered d miscarriage only four DAYS
before. I signed whatever he required, with
out knowing or understanding its import
The paper I have never seen. and do not
know what statements it contained.
In charge eighteen, the letter OF mine ad-
dressed to Ir. T. M0ulton was quoted to prove
that [ never desired a separation or was ad-
yised by Mr.. or Mrs Beecher to leave nv hus-
Band. reply that the latter was Of Mr.. Til
toms own concerning, which he induced me
TO copy and sign as my own act, which. in nv
weakness and mistaken thought 70 help him,
| nave do done toe often during these unhappy
years. The Implication that the harmony Of the
home was Urbroken till Mr.. Beecher entered
It as frequent friend, is a lamentable satire
upon household wherein he himself. wears
before. laid the cornerstone of tree love and
desecrated its affairs, up to the time Of nv
departure. 50 that the atmosphere was not
only Goddess, but impure for nv children +:
and, IL this effort and tiroe Of agony L would
fain lift nv daughters and all Vomanhood
trom the insIGiOUs and dlabOilcal teachings OF
these latter days. His frequent efforts to
prove ne insane, weak-minded insignificant
ana OF mean presence, all rank in rne cate
CORY Of heaTtlessDess, seItishness and false
hood, having its climax in his endesvors to
convince the world that I am and ever have
been unable % distinguish between an IDno-
cent or guilty love.
In summing up the whole matter affirm
myself before God TO be innocent of the
crimes laid upon me: that I never have
IN thought or deed, nor has he ever offered
NE any lndecencies or improper proposal.
To the further charge that | was lead away
from my hcnle by Beecher's friends and By
the advice OF lawyer whom Mr.. Eeecher had
sent TO me, and who, IN advance OF nv an
pearing before the committee, arranged with
ne the questions and answers which are to
constitute my testimony in Mr. Beechers be-
half [ answer tnat this is again untrue hav-
ing never seen the LAWYER uutil introduced to
him Il few moments before the arrival of the
committee, by my step-Father. Judge Morse
And in further reply ] submit the Following
statement OF my ACTON before The committee.
and of my separation from nv husband The
publication Of A[r. Iilton's letter in answer to
DR.. Bacon [ had not known or susoected,
when On Wednesday evening he brought
home The Golden age, handing it to me to
read. Lo liking down its columns saw. well
nigh with binding eyes, that ne had put into
execution the almost daily threat OF his life.
that he lived &c crush out Mr.. Beecher that
the god OF battles was with him. He ALWAYS
had been Mr. Beecher's superior, and all that
lay in his path. wife, children. or reputation,
if need be, should fall before this purpose.
did not read it. [ saw enough without read.
ing. Idly spirit rose within me as never be-
fore. : Theodore" [ said. ''tell me what
means this quotation. Two years ago YOU
came to me al midnight, saying " Elizabeth.
allletters and papers concerning nv oiAicnl
.cultles with Mr.. Beecher and Mr. Bowen are
burned and destroyed. Now, don't Won be-
tray nae, for have nothing to defend myself
with did you believe that" said he. Il
certainly did, implicitly" I said 'sNeu. let
me tell you, they all live. Not one is de-
stroyed" Ii this was SAID to intimidate me.
it had quite the contrary effect. / had never
been so fearless, nor seen SO clearly before with
whom l was dealing. Coming to me little
later, he said. II want you to read it. You
will ind it vindlcation OF Y, urseif: Won
have not stood before the community for five
years as YOU now do"
Reused sTill further by tricks hid behind so
false a mask, l replied, Theodore, under
stand me. This is the last time YOU call me
publicly 10 walk through this filth. NY char
acter needs no vlndication at this hour from
you. There was time, had you spoken
clearly, truthfully, and mantully for me [ had
been grateful, but now shall speak. and act
for myself. Know also that il in future | see
a scrap Of paper referring to any human being,
however remote, which it seems to me you
might use or pervert for your own end, 1
will destroy it, This means battle on YOUR
part, then" said he. Just SO far" I replied.
l write this because these words Of mine he
has since used to my harm. The next morn
ing went TO my brother and told him that
now I had decided to act in thIs matter; that
! had been treated by my husband as a non