The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1874-08-20

: doubt that MI. Tifon would have los
his place at any rate, ! have also ns
came to think it all over, felt very unhappy a
! the contemplation of Mr.. Tilton's impending
disaster ! had loved him much, and at ont
time he seemed like . son 10 me NY influenc.
hadacome just at the time OF his first unfolding
and had much to do with his early development
! had aided him externally to bring him before
controversies Of the day, until afterward oul
social intercourse had been intimate. 1t is true
that his nature always exaggerated his own ex
affectionate admiration After some years hs
felt himself my equal, and was very companions
Bile. and when he had outgrown me and reached
was Kind snd patroniZing. had always smiled
at these weaknesses Of vanity, and had believed
that with a larger experience, some knocks AMONG
he would yet fulfll useful and brilliant career
But now all looked dark. He was to be cast forth
from his eminent position and his affairs did not
promise that sympathy and strength which makes
ones house, as mine has been In times of ad,
yersity, refuge from the storm and tower d
defense.
Besides ssnsgsr. should have had
WAS about to becoms Saii4frument by which Mr.
Tilton meatt to II; hi hW way back to the pros
perity which he h.@. sited, i now appears
that on The 2yth Of December. 1870, Mr. Tilton,
having learned that had replied to his threaten
ing letter by expressing such an opinion to
set Mr.. Bowen finally against him. and bring him
face to face with immediate ruin, extorted from
his wife. then suffering from severe Illness, u
document eliminating me- and prepared an elab-
crate attack upon me. On Tuesday evening,
Moulton called at my house and with intense
eagerness said: - wish you to go with me to
see Mr. Tilton." | replied that could not then,
the most positive manner he said " You must
20. Somebody else will take care of the meet
| ing. | went with him. not knowing what
tod htx ,1xyf IN nft,Et
that / might now learn the solution OF
the recent threatening letter On the
way way ! asked what was the reason Of
1fton would inform me, words to that
effect, On entering his house MI Moulton
locked the door, saving something about not be-
/ ing interrupted. He requested me to go into the
| front chamber. over the parlor. was under the
4 impression that Mr.. Tlton was going to pour ont
| upon me his anger for coileaguing with Bowen,
and for the advice of separation given to his wife.
| | wished Mr.. Moulton to be with US as a witness,
! but he insisted that should go by myself MFR.
Titon received me coldiy but calmly. After d
word or two, standing in front of me with d mem
orandum in his hand, he began an oration. He
declared in an uintrendly spirit that had sought
his downfall had spread injurious rumors about
! him; was using my place and influence to under
! mine him; had advised Mr.. Bowen to dismiss
! him. and much more that | cannot remember. He
! then declared that had injured him in his fam-
/ ly relations; had joined with his mother-in-law
/ in producing discord in his house: had advised
/ separations; had alienated his wfes affections
! from him; had led her to love me more
! than any other being; had corrupted her
moral nature. and Taught her to he insnccre. ly-
ing, and hypocritical, and ended by charging that
! had made wicked proposals to her. Until he
/ reached this had listened with some contempt
! under the impression that he was attempting to
] bully me; but with the last charge he produced
a paper, purporting to be a certified statement of
! previous confession made to him by his wife of
/ her love for me. and that had made proposals to
! her OF an improper nature. He said that this con-
/ fcssion had been made to him in July. six months
i hat his hnn and of ft.tv,
/ would not permit any such document to remain
| in existence; that he had burned the original,
and should now destroy the only copy, and he
! then tore the paper into small pieces. If / had
i been shocked at such statement, was abso-
| lutely thundcrstruck when he closed the in
terview ny requesting me to repair at once to his
| house. where he said Elizabeth was waiting for
me, and learn from her lips the truth of his
stories in 50 far as they concerned her This fell
| like thnnderbolt on me- Could 1t be possible
| that his wife, whom ! regarded as the type of
moral goodness, should have made such false and
| atrocons statements? And yet if she lAll not
how would he dare to send me to her for con
| frmation of his charges? l went forth like a
| slccpwalker, while the clouds were flying in the
| sky. There had been a snow-storm, which was
| breaking away. The winds were out and whistling
| through leafiess trees. but all this was peace
| compared to the mood within believe that
Moulton went with me to the door of Titon's
house The housekecper the same woman of
! have been instructed by him. for she evidently
| expected me and showed me at once to Mrs. Til
| toms room. Mrs Tilton lay upon her bed, white
| rs marble, with closed eyes in Il trance. and
with her hands upon her bosom. palm to PALM
Ike one in player. AZ louk back upon IT, the
| picture is like some form carved in marble that
! | had seen upon monuments in Europe. She
made no motion, and gave no sign OF
| recognition of my presence. | sat down near
| her and said; Elizabeth, Theodore has been
| making very serious charges against me and
| sends me to you for confrmation.H She made no
reply Or sign: yet it was plain that she was con
sclous and listening. ] repeated some of his
| statements: that l had brought dscord to the
| family; had alienatcd her from him; had sought
| to break up the family and usnrpcd his influence
and then, a. well as ! could added that he
said that made improper suggestions to her and
| that she had admitted this fact to him last July
| said, Elizabeth, have you made such state
mcnt to him!'' She made no answer. | repeat
| ed the question. Tears ran down her checks
! and she very slightly bowed her head in acquies
| cence. | said, Iou cannot mean that you have
stated all he has chargcd!'' She opened her eyes
and began in ii slow and feeble way to explain
how sick she had been: how wearied out with i'm /,
| portunity; that he had confessed his own alien
| loves, and said that he could not bear to think
that she was better than he; that she might win
| hm 10 reformation if she would confess that she
| had loved me more than him, and that they would
repent and go on with future concord. i cannot
! give her language, but only the tenor of her rep
| rcscntations. l received them impatiently,
| spoke to her, in the strongest language. Of her
course. l said to her: :" Have ever made any
| Then asked: why did you say so to your hus
hand?" She seemed deeply distressed. My
friend tby that designation she almost always
called mel, am sorry, but could not help it.
What can dor l told her she could state in
| writing what she had now told me. She beckoned
for her writing materials, which ! handed her
from her secretary standing near by, and she sat
| up in bed and wrote a brief counter-statemcnt.
| In sort of postscript she denied explicitly
| that had ever offered any improper solicitation
| to her, that being the only charge made against
me by Mr. Tilton. or sustained by the statement
about the confession which he had read to mel
| dreamed of no worse charge at that time-that
was horrible enough The mere thought that he
| could make il. and could have extOrted any evil
| dencc on which to base it, was enough to take
| away my senses. Neither my consciousness of
its utter falsehood, Mrs. Tlton s retraction of
| her part in it. could remove the shock from my
| heart. Indeed, her admission to me that she had
| stated, under any circumstances, SO wicked a
fasehood was the crowning blow of all. 1t
seemed to me as if she was going to die that her
mind was overthrown and that was in some
dreadful way mixed up with it, and might be left
| by her death with this terrible accusation hang
! ing me. | returned like one in dream to
Mr.. Moultons honse, where said very little, and
| soon went home. 1t has been said that con-
| fessed guilt and expressed remorse This is ut
terly false. Is it likely that with Mrs. Tilton's
retraction in my pocket should have thus stulti
| fed myself. On the next day. at evening" Mr.
Moulton called at my house and came up to my
! bedroom. He SAID that Mrs Titon. on her hus
band return to her after our interview. had in
| formed him what she had done. and that had
| her retraction. MOulton expostulated with me; +;
| said that retraction under the circumstances
would not mend matters. but only awaken fresh
| dscord between husband and wife. and do great
| injury to Mrs. Tilton without helping me- Mrs.
| Tilton, he said, had already recantcd in writ
| ing the retraction made to me, and of
course there might be no end to such
eontradctions meanwhile Tlton had destroyed
his wifcs first letter acknowledging the cOnfes-
| sion, and Mr. MOulton claimed that l had taken
| a mean advantage and made dishonorable use Of
| Theodore's request that should visit her in OBJ
| tanning from her written contradiction to doc
ument not in existenee; he said that all Difficult.
ties could be settled without any such paper. and
| that ought to give it up; he made no verbal
| threats but he opened his overcoat and with
| some cmphatical remark showed pistol, which
| afterward he took out and laid on the bureau
| near which he stood; | gave the paper to him
| and after few moments talk he left; within a
day or two after this Mr.. MoultOn made the third
| visit and this time we repaired to my study in
| the third story of my house.
| Before speaking of this interview it is right
| that should allnde to the suffering through
which had gone during the previous day. the
cause of which was the strange change in Mrs.
Tilton. Nothing had seemed more certain during
| all my acquaintance with her than that she was
| singularly simple, truthful and honorable. De-
ceit seemed absolutely foreign to her nature, and
| yet she had stated to her husband those strange
and awful falsehoods. She had not, when daily
called and prayed with her, given me the
slightest hint will not say of such accusations
but even that there was any serious family diff
Guilty. She had suddenly, in December, called
me and my wife to a consultation as to possible
separation from her husband, still leaving me
ignorant that she had put into his hands such
weapon against me. ! was bewildered Win
cry to her friend and pastor. I did
not for . moment feel, however, that she
was blameworthy, as would ordinarily be
overborne. by weakness and shattered in mind
until she scafcelv knew what she did, and was
no longer responsible for her acts; My