Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1874-09-18
MIR. MOultOn Makes Another Statement.

The New York Graphic of the 18th contains an
| other lengthy statement by Mr.. Frank d. Moulton
relative to the charges against Mr.. Beecher and
in reply to the explanation made by the latter be-
| fore the Plymouth Investigating Committee.
Mr.. Moulton recounts in detail how strenuous
ly he labored to prevent the exposure being made
| before the committee by Mr. Tilton; and how he
| and Mr. Tracy-Mr. Beecher's consolidated to-
| gether to this end; but owing to their inability
| to prevent the meeting of the committee on the
| appointed evening their effort was failure-Mr.
| Tflton having promised that II the committee
was not prepared to receive his statement on that
| particular evening he would defer making it, at
| least for the time being.
| With regard to MIR. Beecher's statement that
the only copy of Mrs. Tilton's confession was
| torn in pieces in his own presence on the night
| of the Both of December 1870 Mr.. Moulton reit-
| crates his assertion that the document was held
by him and returned to Mr. Tilton after the , til
that she might destroy it. Mrs. Tiltons letter re-
| questing this return is again published. With
regard to the interview at the time MIR. Beecher
gave up the confession Mr. Moulton says:
"When demanded the retraction from him,
he asked me: What will you do with it if give
it upT answered: will keep it as keep the
it with my life, as / would protect the other with
my life. / may be allowed to say here that at
this remark made reference to the pistol IN my
overcoat pocket which l always carried in the
| night, as emphasizing the extremity OF my de-
| fense 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 misrepresent? Is II possible that
| he gave his confidence at once to a man who ex-
| torted the paper from him with pistol! Yet
| Beecher's committee make point of this pre-
! pa4fcation in theis argument for the accused, .
| With regard to Mr. Beechers letter of contri-
| tion Mr.. Moulton explains at length the circum-
stances under which it was written. He says, as
before stated, that it was written out according
to the dictation of Mr. Beecher, and that the eX-
act language of Mr.. Beecher was used In the let
ter. He (Moulton) was not in the habit OF using
such language, and could hardly have composed
the letter in question He says:
o1,O o1f hnxrn thn lhrlC q
Humble myself before him as do before my
God was not used to that kind of expression !;
nor the phrase, Toward the. poor child lying
there praying with folded hands. never called a
woman Of nearly forty years old poor child IN
my life. l did not know that she was lying any
where with folded hands. Beecher did, because
he says in his statement to the committee that
She lay there, white as marble, like statue OF
| the Old World, palm to palm, like one praying,
thus reproducing four years afterWard almost the
identical phrase and picture which he conveyed
| tome, and which put in the letter of contrl
tion.' could not have used the phrase { / have
her forgiveness because did not know whether
| he had it or not, except as he told me, and if
| had acted on my belief in the matter l should
| suppose that he had not This letter, after
| being prepared by me, was read by him before
he put his signature to it The explanation
| put by Beecher in his statement that this paper
| was mere memorandum OF points to be used by
| him (me) in setting forth my (his) feelings
but they were put into the sentences by
him (me) expressed as he (D understood them, not
as my (his) words, but hints of my (his) figures
|
| Tilton. 1t is a mere string OF hints,
| hastily made by an Impractical writer, as helps
to his memory in representing TO Mr. 1altoi now "
| a mere afterthought made up for the purpose OF
| explanation merely. Beecher always treated this
letter as his own IN al the aef eea M
| BeeChers friend" )"
| In subsequent conversation with Mr.. Moulton
| Mr. Beecher had alluded to the document in ques-
ton as his (Beecher's) letter to Mr.. Tilton, and
asked Mr. NJ: Cant we hit upon some plan to
| break the force of my letter to Tilton?" etc.
| Mr. Moulton again brings forward his proofs
that Mr. Beecher and Mrs. Tilton renewed their in
/ tmacy after the confession made, and after
| both had given assurance to I1lton that they
would hot meet except through him. After again
| printing Mrs. Tiltons note to Mr.. Beecher, con,
| Guiding with the expression VI course, should
| like to share with you my joy, Mr. Moulton pro-
| duces another letter from Mr.. Beecher to Mrs.
| TitOn, which is as follows:
| 1.-The blessing of God rest upon you. Every
| spark of light and warmth in your own house
| will be a 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 dreary
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 If only it might
lead to the promised land Or, like Moses snail
1 die on the border? Your hope and cour-
age are alike amazing. Could God inspire you
to restore and rebuild at home, and, while doing
it, to cheer and sustain outside of it another VINO
| life so noble as few are able to live, and In an
other world the emancipated soul may utter
! thanks. If it would be of comfort to you now
and then to send me letter of true 1nwardness
(sic), the outcome of your inner life, 1t would be
safe, for am at home here with my sister
and it is permitted to you (slcl and Will be an eX
ceeding refreshment to me, for your heart-ex
perences are often like bread from heaven to the
hungry God has enriched your moral nature
may not others partake?'
| sfThis. saws Mr. Moulton sis in Mr. Beecher's
| handwriting, but without direction or signature
but the note inclosed in pencil tells us the dlrec
| tion of it, as the words Your note broke Ike
spring upon winter tell also to what note 1T was
in reply because that quotes the words OF Mrs
| Tilton, Spring has come asking him to share
| her low she being all right now The inclosure
is on a slip of paper marked o., but which dc
not produce here, reserying it for presentation
before another tribunal. Was there ever palmer
case of renewal of intimacy, to say the least than
| thisl Mark also, amid the prayers TO God con
! tanned in the longer note, Beechers suggestion
| that Elizabeth can write him now with safety
because he is living at home with his sister, l. E..
his wife is away.
| Mr.. Moulton then gives in detail Beecher's al
| leoed confessions to him of his adultery with
| Mrs Tilton He says: s. 1t has been said that
being man of the world, drew inferences from
his (Beecher's) pure and unguarded expression;
which they did not authorize, and therefore as tc
these letters have left differences to be drawn BY
! those who read them in a light which dates ant
| facts have now thrown upon them. But to answe
| this criticism in another direction, and to show
! the impossibility that could be mistaken, no
| seeking to shelter myself under any supposed
| misunderstanding, but taking all the burden O
| veracity between Beecher, Tilton and myself
now proceed to give such portions as are neces
sary of some few of the Conversations In wnicL
Beecher made confession of adultery. have De
Il fore stated that the first confession was made OF
| the night went for the sretraction OF MIS- Ill
ton; that l there tod him: MI Beecner