Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1874-07-22

N1 IN1E I1IO0
/ and Henry c. Bowen, which were aug
/ mented by Henry Ward Beecher and
= Mrs. Peecher, in consequence whereof,
! and at the wish OF Mrs. Elizabeth r..
TiitOn, expressed in writ ing, in paper
put into the hands of Francis ID. Moul-
ton, with 'yiew to procure harmon
iOus
INTERVIEW BETWEEN TILTON AND
BEECHER,
such an interview was arranged and
carried out by Mr.. MOulton, at his then
residence on Clinton street, Beecher and
TiltOn meeting and speaking then and
thele for the first time since Mrs. Til
toms confession of six months before.
The paper in Mr.. Moulton's hands was
a statement by Mr.. TiltOn's of the SUBJ
stance Of the confession which she had
before made, and of her wish and prayer
for a reconciliation between her pastor
and her husband. This paper was fur
nished to Beecher, the first knowledge
of which he had as yet received that
Mrs. Tilton had made such q confession.
AT this interview between Beecher and
TiltOn, permission was sought by Mr..
that same evening. Permission being
granted Beecher departed from Meul-
TOMS house, AID in about half an hour
1 returned thither, expressing his remorse
aud shame, and declaring that his life
| and work seemed brought to q sud-
/ den end. Later in the same evening,
I TiltOn, on returning to his house, found
| his wife weeping and in great distress,
| saying that what she had meant for
| peace had only given pain and anguish;
/ that Beecher had called on her, deelar-
ing that she had slain him, and that he
ould probably be tried before cOun-
ell of ministers, unless she would give
him a written paper for his protection;
whereupOn she said he dictated TO her, |
and she copied in her own handwriting, |
a suitable paper for him to use to clear |
himself before the council of ministers. |
Mrs. TiltOn having kept no copy of this |
paper, her husband asked her to make 1
statement in writing of her design and
meaning in giving il, whereupon she |
wrote as follows:
DECEMBER, 30, Is70-Nidnight
Ny DEAR HUSBAND desire TO leave with
you before going to bed a statement tnat
Henry W. Beeeher called upon me tins even
ing and asked me If 1 would defend hIm |
against any accusation in a council OF minis
ters, and replied soIelnnly that would in
my husbaud ae m. W. b. dictated the let
ter which copied my own, TO be used by
him as against any other accuser except my
husband. This letter was designed TO vindi-
cate Mr.. Beecher against all other persons
save only yourself ] was ready TO give him
this letter, because he said with pain that nv
letter in your hands, addressed 10 him De-
cember 26ih, had struck him dead and ended
his usefulness. You and are pledged to do
our best 10 avoid publicity. God grant q |
speedy end to all further RnXietes. Afec-
tionately, ELIZABETH.
On the next day, namely, December
81, 1870, Mr.. MOulton, on being inform
ed by Mr.. Tilton of
THE ABOvE-NAMED TRANSACTION
by Mr.. Beecher, called on him (Beecher)
at his residence, and told him that re-
seemed suddenly made i'm
possible by Mr.. Beecher's nefarious act
in procuring the letter which Mrs. Til
ton had thus been improperly persuaded |
to make falsely. Mr.. Beecher, prompt
ly, through Mr.. MOulton, returned the
letter to Mr.. Tilton, with an expression
Of shame and sorrow for having pro-
cured it in the manner he did. The let
ter was as follows:
DECEMBER 30, 1870.
Wearied with importantly and weakened
by sickness, l gave letter duplicating my
I lend II. w. Beecher, under assurances that |
would remove all difficulties between me
4
l was persuaded 10 IL, almost forced, when /
was in a weakened state of mind. regret il,
and recall its statements. f. r. TILTON. ,
l desire TO say explicitly that Mr.. Beecher
has never offered any improper solicitation, {
but has always treated noe in a manner be-
coming christian gentleman.
ELIZABETH r. TILTON.
At the time of Beecher's returning the
above document to Tilton, through !
Moulton. Beecher requested Moulton to
call at his residence in Columbia street :
on the next day, which he did, on the ,,
eve of the first of January, 1871. A long
interview then ensued, in which Beecher
expressed to MOulton great eontrition !
and remorse for his previous criminality
with Mrs. Tilton, taking to himself the
shame for having misused his sacred ]
lfiice to corrupt her mind, expressing
to kill himself in case Of !
and begging Moulbon to take {
pen and receive from his lips an apol- J
1gy, to be conveyed to Tilton, in the !
lope that such appeal would secure Til
on's forgiveness.
THE APOLOGY |
which Beecher dictated to Moulton is as 7
OllOws: {
IN TRUST WITH F. D. MOULToN. 4
Iy Dear Friend Moulton: =
ask through you Theodore Tiltou's for I
lVeneSS, and nuTn Die myself before my NrOQ. |
Ie would have been a better man in my cir o
umstances than l have been. can ask b
othing except that he will remember all p
ther breasts that would ache. l will not !:
lead for myself; 1 even wish that ! were II
cad, but others must live to suffer. 1 will II
lie before any one but myself shall be incul- n
ated. All my thoughts are running toward -
iy friends, and toward the poor child lying
lere and praytng with her folded hands. She
guIltless-sinned Notwithstanding the trans
ression Of another, lprsy her forgiveness.
have humbly prayed TO God 70 put 1t into
he heart OF her husband to forgive me. '
ave trusted this TO Moulton in confidence.
HENRY WARD BEECHER.
In the above document the last sem
ence and signature are in the hand
7riting of Rev. Henry Ward Beecher. z
Eleventh-That Mrs. Tilton wrote the
letter to friend at 174 Living n
tone street:
BROOKLYN, January s, ISL. :
DEAR FRIEND-.A cruel conspiracy has been .
mother and MIS-. Beecher have been chief {
w. ELIZABETH R. TILToN.
Twelfth-That in the following month )
ioulton wishing to bend TiltOn and I
3eecher by mutual expressions of good {
pirit, ELECTED from them the following q
CORRESPONDENCE: 7
BRooKLYN, February !, ls7I. |
Ny DEAR FRIEND In several conversa- '
ions with you you have asked about my feel {
ngs toward Beecher, and yesterday you said | q
he time had come when you would like to
eceiVe from me expression of this kind in {
7ritng. J. say therefore very cheerfully, that [
Iotwi outstanding the great suffering which he I
aS caused Elizabeth and myself, bear him =
10 malice, shall do him no wrong, shall dis Il
every project, by wnOmsOever Y
rOpOsed, for any exposure OF his secret 70 the 4.
ublic, and if know myself at all, shall en- s
eavor 90 act toward Mr.. Beecher as / would e
ave him In similar circumstances act toward @
ne. ] ought to add that your good offices In I,
his case have led TO me higher moral feel y
lgS than / might otherwise have reached. ,
Ever yours affectionately, d
THEO. TILTON. \
To FRANK MOULToH. :.
On the same day Mr.. Beecher wrote II
} Mr.. MOulton the following:
rfehruarv -- 1871