Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1874-09-24
BEECHER-TILT0N.
The Scandal Revived Again.
Second Statement of
+. D. Moulton.


appeared in the late editions of the Graphic,
of which an immense number we're sold,
special editions being also simultaneously
published in Boston, Albany, and various
cities of the Northeast. The excitement Gre
ated here by its appearance was hot great the
interest in the scandal being greatly wearied
out by the long and numerous statements. 1t
appears that after the scene in church, where
Moulton narrowly escaped being mobbed, he
went home, and at once began to write his
statement He took it when finished to the
Graphic office, but it was so violent IN lam
guage, and so unlike his former statel.en In
tone, that he was urged to submit it to c IN.
Butler.
He went to Boston, and Butler, as his
counsel insisted on remodeling the
whole statement. This was lone only
after several days labor. It is, as
printed, a legal argument very strong in
many parts, and bears unmistakable touches
of Buffers pen. Most of the space is devoted
to prolIx and needlessly long defenses of Moul-
ton against Boecher's insinuations of black
mail and falsehood, and to the charge that,
as the scandal approached climax Moulton
turned against Beecher to help Tilton. The
first part of the statement is devoted to show
ing that Moulton worked to avoid publicity I'M
til the la-t moment, and that, in the efforts to
conciliate and silence TIlton, he WAS aided I'M
til the last moment by not only Beechet, bat
Tracv. Indeed Tracy is severely attacked.
| He is represented as begging TIlton, with
| tears In his eyes, not to submit statement
| charging adultery. This failing. Tracy is
! pictured as trying to secure an adjournment
of The committee. so that Tilton would have
no one to present his statement to- This fail
ing, Tracy refused to be present when Tilton
was to appear.
Mouton then proceeds to call attention to
some of Beecher's alleged misstatements, one
| of which is the avermeDt that the only copy
| of Mrs. Tltons confession was torn to pieces
| in his own presence on tine night of Dec. 80,
| 1870. Moulton says that paper was delivered
| into his hands on the night of the meeting of
Beecher and Tilton at his house. In regard
to this point Moulton says:
| When Beecher was first charged with his
| adultery with Mrs. Tilton, and afterwards
when demanded the retraction from him. he
asked me, - What will you do with it if give
| il up!" / answered: ~ will keep il as
keep tho confession Of your sct-honorably.
L will protect it with my life, as /
would protect the other with my life
| may be allowed to say hele that at
this remark made reference to the pistol in
my o yercoa. pocket, which L always carried in
the night, - emphasizing the extremity of
my defense Of the papers. Yet Mr.. Beecher
says, - He made no verbal threats but.
opened his overcoat. and, with some emphatic
remark. he showed me pistol" Why mis-
| represent? Is it possible that he gave his
confidence at once TO a man who extorted the
paper from him with pistol? Yet Beecher's
Committee make point of this prevarication
| in their argument for. the accused. After
the tripartite covenant handed back that
same paper to Tilton at the request of his
wife, in order that che might he satisfied and
herself destroy it. Now, which Of these state
ments is true! Let cotemperaneous facts
and acts answer. 1t will be remembers ed that
that meeting was Friday night, the 3Oth OF
December. 1870. Mrs. Tilton sent me note
heretofore published, dated next Saturday
morning, in the following words:
MRS. TILToN TO MoULToS
SATURDAY MORNING.
My DEAR FRIEND FRANK: want you te
do me the greatest possible favor. Ny letter
| which you have. and one which / gave Mr.
Beecher at his dictation last evening ought
both to be destroyed. Please bring both tC
me- and will burn them. Show this note tc
Theodore and Mr.. Beecher. They will see the
propriety OF this request. Yours truly,
''E. Z. TILToN."
The "letter referred to. of course it viii
be seen, is the confession" the only letter
then had OF hers referring to this matter
And again, to show that 1 cannet be eithel
mistaken or untrue. / refer to Mrs. Tilton'.
note to Beecher Of April 81 following:
FRIDAY, April 81, 1871.
"MR. BEEcHER: AS Moulton has returned
will you use your influence to have the papers
in his possession destroyed? Ny heart bleeds
night and day at the injustice of their ex-
istence."
Would not Tilton have caused such paper to
be preserved after he had founded an accusa-
ton upon it? This falsehood was put in by
Beecher's lawyers lest Tilton might produce q
copy, as nv statement had not then been pub
lished with it's documentary evidence.
The next point Is in regard to Beecher' &
alleged want Of veracity concerning the letter
of contrition, in which he uses the expression
- Humble myself before him (TIlton) as do
before my God" Moulton proceeds TO ex-
p!sin at length the circumstances under which
that letter written. 1t was, he says, at
Beecher's own dictation. and read by him care
fully before he put his signature to it.
Moulton next brings what purports to be
his proofs that Beecher and Mrs. Tilton re-
newed their intimacy after the confession was
made and after both had given assurance to
Tilton that they would not meet except
through him In support Of this statement,
he produces the following invitation to Mr.. b.
from Mrs. T.:
"WEDNESDAY.
"MY DEAR FRIEND: Does your heart bound
toward all as it used? So does mine. / am
myself again [sicI. did net dare TO tell you
till was sure but the bird has sung in my
heart these four weeks, and he has covenanted
with me never again to leave. Spring has
come. Because thought it would gladden.
you to know this, and not to trouble or en-
barrass you in any way, 1 now write. OF
course / should like to share with you my JOY,
but can wait for the beyond. When dear
Frank says may once again go to old Plym-
outh, will thank the dear Father"
And the following note from Mr.. B. to
Mrs. t.:
1.-The blessing Of God rest upon you. Every
spark of light and warmth in your own house
will be q star and sun in my dwelling. Your
note broke like spring (sic) upon winter, and
gave me an inward rebound toward life. No
one can ever know. none but God, through
what dresry wilderness l have wandered.
There was Mount Sinai; there was the barren
waste. and there was the alienation of hope
and despair that marked the pilgrimage of
old. II only it might lead to the promised
land! Or. like Moses, shall die on the bor-
der? Your hope and courage are alike amaz-
ing. Could God inspire you to restore and
rebuild at home, and, while doing it, to cheer
and sustain outside of it another who sorely
needs help in heart and spirit. it will prove
q life so noble as few are able to live,
and in another world the ema1cipated soul
may utter thanks. If it weuld be of comfort
to You now and then to send me letter of
true inwardness (sic), tho outcome of your
inner life it would be safe, for am now at
home here with my sister, and it is permitted
| to you (sic), and will be an exceeding refresh
| fo- ~ ario