The Andrew County Republican. [volume] (Savannah, Mo.) 1871-1876, 1874-09-04
Moulton Tells What He Knows
About the Ugly Matter.
documentary Contributions from All
Parties Concerned.

famous scandal. together with all the CORE
spondenca bearing upon the ugly matter
which was intrusted to him. The statement
IS precisely the same document that was pre-
pared for the Plymouth Investigation Com
nl;.tee. hut which, upon second thought, he
concluded 10 withhold for a time. 1t was
published in the New York papers Of the ODD
of August.
Nor'ton states that Tilton was first induced
TO make charges against Beecher by Bowen,
who promised Tilton to sustain charges and
to adduce additional evidence to prove them
whenever required. 1t was on Bowan's de-
mand tia: Tilton addressed the following open
letter 20 Beecher:
"BIooKLYN, Dec. &c, 1870.
Henry ward Beecher
Sir: I demand that, for reasons which
You explicitly understand, you Immediately
cease from the ministry of Plymouth Church,
and tnas sou quit the city of Brooklyn as a
residence.
lS!gred) ''THEoDoRE TILToS."
Tilton explained that the words, for
reasons which you explicitly understand
we're iuterlined at the request of Bowen.
But Bowen afterward changed his mind and
demanded silence on the part of Tilton,
threatening that if he should say to Beecher
what he t8owcn) had told him concerning his
(BeeCLer's) adultery, he would dismiss him
from the Independent and the Union. Ti!ton
told hin ne had neyer been influenced by
thre&t=. and he would not Le in the present
case. and subsequently received Bowen'a let.
ter Of dismissal.
In July, 1863. Mrs. T.lton c-nfessed her
intimacy with Deecher. which ~confessi on her
husband destroyed. Subsequently, Mrs.
Tilton. fearing that, if Bowen's accusa-
lions against Beecher were made public, the
whole matter would be knL VI and her own
conduct with Beecher become exposed,
renewed her confession i'll her own hand
writing. This later confession Beecher OBJ
tanned from hrs. Tilton, and also 4 recauta-
ton and denial OF any improper conduct by
Mr.. BeecAer toward her. At an interview
between Noulton and Beecher. in which the
former demanded this paper, Beecher admit
ted. wlca grief and SORROW, the fact of his
sexual. relations with Mrs. Tilton. expressed
some litigation that she had not told hin.
N--Ns ~ -+AN- ASiA- ASA ANtSOaAAN. anu ~ III
consequence OF being in ignorance of that fact
he had keen walking upon a volcano.
Here follows a letter addressed by Mrs.
Hooker 10 her brother. Rev. Thomas X.
Beecher, OF which the following is an ex-
tract:
TP.ea.s return this letter to me when You have
done ~.;h ~
"HARTFoRD. Sunday, Nov. 8, 1872.
Dear BROTHER Tom: The blow has
fallen. and l hope you are better prepared for
it than YOU might have been but for cur in
terview. I wrote a single line last week,
thus: Can I help you:' and here is his re-
ply: # You still believe in that woman, you
cannot help ne"
She ~iGc.oses TO him letters from the Wood
hull and from Henry Ward Beecher. In the
latter's letter the following sentences occur:
Probably you and are nearer together than
any OF or family. l cannot give the reason
now. l IN clear. still you will follow your
own Judgment. l thank you for your letter
Of some things. 1 neither talk nor will be
talked with. Fer love ard sympathy l an
deeply thankful. The only help that can be
grateful TO me. or useful, is silence, and
silencilg influence Oh all others. A day may
come fo- converse. 1t is not now. LiCing or
deaf, rsy dedr sister Belle. lore me, and do not
talk shout ne or suffer others to in your
presence.
The GrGerscorjng," says Mrs. Hooker, is
his Own, and when l read in that horrible
story :hst he begged a few hours notice that
he might kill himself, nv mind flew back to
this sentence. which suggested suicide to me.
The moment / read it Living or dead, dear
sister Belle, love me- and l believed even
that. Now, Tom, can't you go to Brother
Edward at once, and give hin these letters of
mine. and tell him what l told you, and, when
You have eounselled together as brothers, you
should counsel me also. and come to me if
YOU caD. 1t looks as if he hoped to buy my
silence with my love. At present, of course.
l shall keep silence, but the truth is dearer
than al things else, and. if he will not speak
1t in the same way, l cannot always stand as
consenting to a lie. lied help us ALL"
Rev. Thomas X. Beecher replies to this let
Ter OF his sister under date of November, 1872,
IN which he says, among other things. that
the Woodruff is only carrying out Henry's
philosophy, against which he had recorded his
protest twenty years ego, when he parted low
lngiy from him, saying they could not work
together. He continues: In my Judgment,
Henry is following his slippery doctrines of
ezpedieucy. and, in his cry Of progress and
the nobleness of human nature, has sacrificed
the clea-, exact, ideal integrity. Hands off
until he is down, and then my pulpit, my
home, ny church, and my purse and heart are
at his service. OF the two, Woodruff is my
hero and Henry my coward, as at present adj