The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1874-08-15
THE EVERLASTING SCANDAL
BeeCher's Statement.
Cross Examination of the
Reverend Accused.

CONTINUED from yesterdays hEGlSIEf'I
To Mrs. Tilton he said he had already
recounted in writing the retractlon pade
TO me, and of course there might be no
end TO such contradiction. In the mean
while
TiIton had Destroy cd His W ife's First
Letter
acknowledging the confession and Mr..
Moulton claimed that | had taken u
mean advantage, and made dishonora-
blouse ofTheodore's request that l should
visit her in obtaining from her written
contradiction to document not in ex-
istcnce, He said that all the difficulties
could be settled without any such papers,
and that | ought to give il up. He was
under great excitement. lie made no
verbal threats, but he opened his over
coat and with some impatient remarks
showed pistol, which afterwards he took
out and laid on the bureau, near which
he stood gave the paper to him, and
after n few minutes talk he left
within a dav or two after this. Mr.. Moul-
ton made the third visit, and this time
we repaired TO my study on the third
story Of my house. Before speaking Of
this interview it is right that | should
allude 10 the suffering through which l
had gone during the previous day, the
cause of which WAS
The Strange Change I'm Mrs. TiItOn.
Nothing had seemed To me more GER
tain, during all my acquaintance with
her. than she was Singularly simple,
truthful and honorable. Deceit seemed
absolutely foreign to her nature and yet
she had stated to her husband those
strange and awful fnlSchoods. She had
not. when daily called and prayed with
her, yiven me the slightest hint, will
not say Of such accusations, but
even that there was any
serious family difficulty. She had
suddenly in December called me and my
wife to n consultation to possible Sepa-
ration from her husband, still leaving me
ignorant that she had put into lis hands
such weapon against me. was be-
wilJrrrd with a double Consciousness OF
,uin,ly woman communicating in very
needless trcachcry t. her friend ana pas
tor. Nv distress was boundI"NN. | ana
nrt for a moment feel, however that she
VIZ, hlnmcwurthv rs would ordinarily be
thought. but supposed that Sh" had been
Oyerbornc by Weakness
and shattered il. mind until >he scarcely
knew what >hc lid, and was no longer
respnn,ihlr for her ar,s VI soul went
ont to her in pity. blamed myself for
want of prudenc" and foresight, for |
thnurht NIL this had been the result of
her undue atilictjon, feeling that | would
bear anv blaine and take any punishment
if that poor child could only emerge
from these cloud, and be put back int"
happiness, from which | had ben as 1t
were, the cause Of the occasion of with
drawing her If my own daughter had
been i'm similar case,
Hy Grief at Her Calamity Could
Scarcely Have Been Greater.
Moreover from the anger and fury of
Mr. Tilton. apprchcndcd that this
charge WAS made by him and supported
hy the accusation Of his wife, was
ut once to be publicly pressed against me,
and if it WAS, | had nothing but my sim
ri" word of denial to interpose against.
In my then morbid condition of mind, |
thought that this charge, although en-
tirrlv untrue. might result in great
disaster. if not in absolute ruin, the great
interest which were entirely dependent
upnn me; the church which | had built
of the book which was writing, my
own immediate family, my brethcrs
name now engaged IN
the ministry, my sisters the name which
| had hoped might live after me, and be
in some Slight degree a source 0t strength
and encouragement to those who should
succeed me, and above all the cause for
which | had devoted my life work WAS
to end abruptly and in disaster.
NV Earnest Desire to Avoid II Public
Accusation
and the evils which must necessarily now
from il. and which now have resulted
from il. has been one of the leading mo-
tivrs that must explain my action during
these four wears with reference to this
matter. 1t WAS in such sore and dis
trc>siug condition that Mr.. MouIton
found me. His manner was kind and
Conciliatory lie seemed, however. To be
convinced that | had been seeking Til
tons downfall; that had lcagucd with
Mr.. Bowen against him, and that | had
hv my advice come near DESTROYING his
family. | did not Use any argument
or persuasion to induce Mr.. Moulton to
do or SAY ANYTHING which woulc remedy
the injury of which | then believed had
certainly been the occasion, if not active
r,,se but Moulton urged that having
wrnnrcd Tilton So the wrong meant hI>
mean, of support suddenly taken away;
his renutatinn and that of his family drS-
,rnvcd, and that had done it. He as
surcd me of his own knowledge, that the
stories which | had heard Of Tilton.S lm-
purities of life which had believed and
repeated to Bowen were all false, and that
TiIton had Always been Faithful
To- his wife. | was prosecuted into the
belief of what he said and felt convicted
Of SANDER of its mcancSt form He drew
the picture Of Tilton wronged in rcputa-
tion. in position. in purse, shattered in his
family. where he would otherwise have
found a refuge, and at the same time
looking upon me out of his deep distress,
while | was aboundng in friends
most popular and with ample
means to draw that picture. My
prosperity oNGnoWlnS ana aOounulnS.
and Tilton'S utter degradation. | was
most intensely excited. Indeed l felt
my mind was giving way.
Walked up and down the Room
pouring forth my heart, in the most un-
restrained grief and bitterness Of self ac-
cusations; telling what my ideas were of
the obligation of friendship and of the
sacredncss of the household, DENYING,
however, an Intentional wrong. Seeing,
that if had been the cause, however re-
motelv, ofthat which then held, never
could forgive myself, and hesping all the
blame on my head. The case as it then
appeared to my eyes Was strongly against