Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1874-09-03

at any moment possible and without warning
to him. He expressed his great grief at this
wrong which he had done minister and
friend to Theodore, and at his request, Mouiton
took pen and paper and Beecher dictated to him
the paper known :. the apology" all OF which
was in Mouton's hand writing except the words,
$ / have trusted this to Moulton in confidence"
and the signature, which latter were In Mr..
Beecher's.
Mr.. Moulton says this was intrusted TO him In
confidence, to be shown only to Tilton. 1t had
reference to other fact or act than the comics.
sion of sexual relations between Beecher and
Mrs Tilton. which he at that interview confessed,
and that he had also at subsequent interviews
unqualifedly confessed that he had been guilty
of adultery with Mrs. Tilton, and always III
spirit of deep grief and sorrow at the enormlty
OF the crime he had committed against Mr. Til
toms family AT such times he would speak
with much feeling of the relation which he had
sustained toward them pastor, spiritual adj
wiser and trusted friend His sef-condemnation
at the ruin he had wrought under such eircum-
stances was full and complete, and at times he
was so bowed down with grief in consequence of
the foul wrong he had done that he threatened to
put an end to his life.
In that interview Beecher was very earnest in
his expressions of regret at what had been done
against Tilton in relation to his business con-
nection with Bowen, and besought Moulton TO do
anything he could to save him from the destruc-
ton which would come upon him If the story of
his Beecher's) intercourse with Mrs. Tilton
should be diyulged.
In compliance with the directions of Beecher,
Jan. 1, 1871, he took the paper which Beecher
had dictated to him to Tilton, detailed to him
Beecher's expressions of regret and sorrow, spoke
to him of his agony of mind, and again appealed
to him to have the whole matter kept quiet, If for
no other reason for the sake Of the children. To
this Tilton assented.
Mr. Moulton then gives full history of Tilton'e
claim against Bowen, of the independent, for
damages for cancellation OF the contract for edi-
torial services, and the settlement of that claim
by arbtrators, resulting in the payment to Tilton
OF $1,000 After the above settlement the paper
known the "tripartite agreement was signed
by Bowen and Tilton, and subsequently by
Beecher
In the form in which 1t was first drawn It
bound the parties to say nothing of any wrong
done ofense committed by Beecher, and fully
exonerated him therefrom. After Bowen had
signed it, ii was handed to Titon to sign, and he
refused. He was willing to sign an agreement
never to repeat again the charges of Bowen say
ing that. il for no other reason, If the matter
should thereafter ever come TO light it would APP
pear that there had been something between
Beecher and Mrs. Tilton, and it might be used as
evidence to the injury of himself and family, as
well as of Beecher, and therefore, it was not for
the interest of either Tilton Beecher to sign it
in the form first proposed.
From the time of the tripartite covenant moth
ing occurred to disturb the relations between
Beecher, Iilton and Bowen. or either OF them,
until the publication in W0OdhUU d. CkdftR'S
Weekly of the elaborate story concerning the So
cial relations between Beecher, Tilton and Mrs.
Tilton. After that publication appeared 1t again
came to the knowledge of Beecher that Bowen
wac making declarations derogatory to his char
acter. This was followed by the publication ofthe
tripartite covenant, which was done by Samuel
Wilkeson. Beecher was not party to its pub
licaton nor knew anything about IT,
Another curious complication of the relations
of the parties arose from the publication by Mrs.
Woodruff of the story in her journal. 1t is mat
ter of public notorety that Mrs. Isabella Beecher
Hooker, the sister of Beecher, had espoused the
cause Of Mrs. Woodruff ON the question of
woman's suffrage and had been accused still fur
Their of adopting her social tenets. Beechers re-
latons to Mrs: Tilton had been communicated to
her. This had been made subject of communi
cation from Mrs Hooker to her brother, and after
the publication by Mrs. Woodruff, Mrs. Hooker
addressed the famous letter to her brother, in
which she implored him to confde the whole
truth to her.
Then follows the letter from Rev. Thomas X.
Beecher TO Mrs. Hooker in which he says that
he respected Mrs. Woodruff but abhorred her
philosophy. and that she was only carving oct
''Henry's philosophy, against which / recorded
my protest twenty years ago. and parted loving
ly and achingly from him, saying: We cannot
work together He has drifted, and | have
hardened like crystal, till / am sharp-cornered
and eGactng.n
Mr. Moulton saw Mr. Beecher conversed about
these letters at various times, and Beecher said
he was apprehensiye that his sister in her anx-
ety that he should do his duty in presenting this
truth she understood it, and in protecting
Mrs. WOodhull iromthe consequences of having
published the truth, from which she was then
suffering, would go into his pulpit and
insist on declaring that the Woodruff publ
cation substantially true. Moulton suggested
kindly, and exhort her not to take this course
and that Tilton should see her, and so far shake
her confidence in the truth OF the story as TO in
duee her TO doubt whether she would be safe in
making the statement public. In this course
Beecher agreed, and such arguments and induce
ments were brought to bear upon Mrs. Hooker
as were likely to prevent her from doing that
which would have certainly brought
on exposure of the whole business. Durih,
the consultations between Beecher and Moulton
as to the means of meeting Mrs. Rockers inten-
of Beecher that his sister was then. or had been
at any other time insane. Beecher was exceed
iDgly anxious that 1iton should repudiate the
statement published by Woodruff, and denounc-
ing her for its publication.
Beecher asked Moulton to say to Tilton sub
stantially: Theodore may for his own purpose,
If he choose, say that all his misfortune has
come upon him on account of his dismissal from
the Union and the independent; and on account
may take the position against me and Bowen that
he does. Yet the fact is that his advocacy OF
Mrs. Woodruff and. her theories has done him
the injury which prevents his rising. Now, In
order 10 get support from me and from Plymouth
Church, and in order to obtain the sympathy OF
the whole community, he must publish card de-
nying the allegations of Mrs. Woodhull, and I'M
less he does ii he cannot rise" He also said the
same thing to Titon In Moulton's presence
To this Tilton answered, in substance, TO Beech
err: You know why / sought Mrs. Woodruff =
acquaintance; 1t "as to save my family and
yours from the consequences of your acts, the
facts about which had become known to her.
They have now been published, and will not de-
nounce that woman to save you from the conse-
quences of what you yourself have done"
After Moulton had carried to Mr. Tilton the
paper of apology which referred to Beechcr's
adultery. and had received assurances that all
between Tilton and Beecher should be kept
quiet, Moulton conveyed the information to
Beecher, who was profuse in his expressions OF
thankfnness and gratitude.
Mr. Mouton here states that Mrs. Morse, the
mother n-law of Mr.. Tilton, who was from time
to time an inmate of his family In Livingston
street had, as he had been informed both by
Mr. and Mrs. Tilton, learned from her daughter
the criminal relationship existing between
Beecher and herself, and who could not under
stand why that matter had been settled, and who
had not been told how 1t had been adjusted, and
who had had most bitter quarrel with Tilton,
accusing him of not having 80 carried his affairs
az 10 keep what fortune he had, and who had
called upon Beecher about the relations between
Titon and Mrs. Tilton, and who had, as Beecher
had informed him (Moulton) filled the minds Of
Mrs Beeeher and himself with stories of Tilton's
infdelity and improper conduct to his wife, wrote
letter TO Mr. Reecher, under date of Ian. ~, 1871 in
which letter Mrs. NJ. speaks OF the suffering in
Mr. Tilton's family, and especially OF neglect and
want endured by Mrs. T. She says;
Neither Mrs, B., YOURSELF nor can have
done ANYTHING TO ameliorate her condition. She
has been for the last three weeks with one very
indifferent girl r. has sent the Others away,
leaving my sick and distracted child TO care for
ali fonr children. night and day. without fires in