, 1874-07-31
wHAT OLIVER JOHNSON SAYS.


4 Tribune reporter called upon Oliver John
aon, at No. 244 East Thirteenth stroot last eyon-
ing, and showed him tue statement Of Frank o.
Curpenter. hlr, johnson reed shc statement,
and tho following conversation ensued;
Q.-Do you know anything Of 1Ir. Carpenters
connection With tho scandal. and the time wlau
it began7 A.-Yes, it began long before tic
time 10 names-Nay 1873. He came to mo
about titus early, Think as tue latter part Of
1871 or tue beginning Of 1874 Ho WAS yolun-
teer mcddlor and partisan Of Arr. Tilton, and I
heard Of bis gossiping On tho subject In yarioua
quarters. He Bays ho WAS 0rst brought actively
into tie case by Mr. Deeohor, but ho had been
actiyoly In 1t for at loast year boforo tho Time
La names, and aeomed to enjoy nothing else 90
1nuch "a running about the city and talking
to people On tho subject. Ho las done moro,
] think, than any other man, save Mr. Tilton
himself, to foster and propagate the scandal, and
has from tho first been partisan rather than a
true friend Of hlr. iilton., constantly lendlng
himself to tho plRns deyised by the latter to keep
tho scandal from dying out.
Q.-Did you say IN your Testimony before the
Committee that Alr. Tiltou had mover. i'll CONVEX
Bation with you. accused Mrs. Tilton Of adrl-
terry? Al did not. waa not lnterrogated On
must SHOW. I was askod only to say what
oIfouae Mr.. Tilton charged Mr. Boooher with In
his interview with Mr. Dowen, Doc Is, 1870. and
said TINT ho simply. charged him on that occa-
sion sYit! having made improper advances to his
wife, which sue resisted. On othor occasions ho
uHed language which / understood to imply
something WORSE than this; but do not renom-
bor that ho over usoh tho word adultery" Flo
told mo that ho Ind forgiven Mr. Doecllor. and
aealetl bls forgiveness with kiss; and yet every
tha most opprobrious language, calling him
more than oncs "t1anuol sconnlral," eYinping
a frisAtfu1 bitterness mud malignity. Ho told 50
many and contradictory atorles Of the offoaso as
times, that ho waB either crazy or that tie 4can-
dhl had little or no foundation.
Q.-WhRt Is your orinlon Ut to Mr. Tilton'spro-
fesaad reuctance to publish the scahdal? AL
bolleyo il to be entirely simulated, There IL no
possibility Of explaining lls conduct for tin laat
three years without surprising him to have cllor-
iBhed The purpose to mike tho scan.ia1 public in
such form as would be llkeyto injuro II not to
destroy Mr. Doechor. At every paint whero thn
public seomel to be forgetting 1t lie always Ind
every point ho ypocritcally set ur the plea TINT
1t waH Dir. Doeoher who compelled lim to sneak.
His trcaclory and portidy. on his own showing,
arc a!mPly indohertoabo.: Tho ecoloslastical
eating scandal which llo had yolou,ny pro-
Tossed to forgive All tho donunciations Of Ills
conduct by Or. Bacon and others. Of which l,o
complained, wore a'mply and solely tho fruit OF
n6 own HellbeEhto treaclory. lie know TINT Air,
Dooohor lad no reHponalbility, or shadow OF ro-
Hponsibility, for What Or. Bacon had written Of,
tile subject. and TINT It xas not within lis PROV
ince or power 10 silence him.
Q.-1ias aIr. Carpenter reported CORRECTLY what
yon snld to him ~ July, 1873? Alto has not.
Mr. Carpenter told nio Oh that occasion that Mr..
Tilton Ind described Alr. Beecher'a ofrense to
him III nothing but Hi improper advance TO AI.s.
Iflton, aud aakod Inc II l know OF Lis over hay-
iag told dliforont story. anHWoraa that be-
4eyod ho had; that he Ind used language Mt
times implying aonetl,iug worse than mi inpro-
prlety; tAut. III short, 6 )md told No many con.
tradiotory storoa that II was impossible to tell
Which was trno or to bo certain TINT either was.
My conversation with Alr. Carpenter was contl-
dentIa but, IN nccoyduuce with blu usual prao-
tice, Ae rutailea 1t, With gossea, to NJ. T.lten,
With tho apparent ucsEn 0t making all tho mis-
chief in his power aud gratifying his prurlont
{eulinpH