Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1874-08-27
BEECHER-TILT0N.
HALLIDAY'S STATEMENT.
Beecher's Guilt Denied, by
Both Moulton and Tilton.

The following, chiefly taken from
the New York papers, will be read
with interest:
PASTOR HALLIDAY's TESTIMONY.
The New York Tribune publishes the
substance of the statement made by
Rev. S. B. Halliday, Assistant Pas
tor of Plymouth Church, before it's
committee to examine into the char
ges against Mr.. Beecher, which be
communicated to an inquiring repor
ter, and which we give as follows:
On the 18th of November, | think
it was on Monday, Theodore Tilton
called at my house. My acquaint-
ance with Mr.. Tilton was very slight
and | was astonished to receive q
call from him, especially at so early
an hour, between nine and ten o'clock.
After exchanging the customary
"good morning" Mr.. Tllton began at
once to unfold the object of his visit
by saying that he had called by the
advice or at the request of Francis
d. Moulton. Mr.. Tilton lad just
finished this sentence when the door
bell rang and soon afterward George
w. Bell, a member of Plymouth
Church, entered the room. He call
cd upon an errand connected with
church business, and having conclud-
ed it turned to depart. Mr.. T;lton
asked him to stay and L assented to
the invitation. Mr.. Tilton then re-
peated what he had first said, that
Mr.. Moulton had advised Or request
ed him to call upon me and added
that he had come to make me de-
NAL of the Woodruff scandal. Mr..
Titon sat upon the end of the sofa,
where he could look out OF the window
into the yard and Mr.. Bell occupied
the other end. / remember Mr.. Til
toms exact words of denial He
raised his arm, and, pointing to a
large tree in nay yard, said: "It is
just as false as it would be for me to
90 over TO New York and say that
Mr.. Halliday's house has 500 flags
upon it, representing all the nations
of the earth" Mr.. Halliday was
asked if there was anything in the
surroundings of the house or trees to
suggest this comparison. He an
swered that it appeared to be made
by Mr.. Tllton to illustrate more for
chilly how utterly impossible the
scandal was. 1t was an eccentric
simile used for emphasis. Mr.. Til
ton was apt to employ strange SINH s
10 make his meaning and language
more forcible and emphatic. Mr..
TiIton's contradiction of scandal was
as explicit and emphatic as language
could make it, and he protested that
he bad been utterly ignorant of it's
existence until it was published. He
reiterated his denial, and the scandal
was the subject of conversation tor
over half an hour. La his converse
on Mr.. Tilton frequently inslnuat-
ed that he had causes of grievance
towards Mr.. Beecher, though not of
the character related IN the scandal.
| endeavored to induce him to make
some specific charge or indicate the
nature Of his grievances; but he
would not do so. He emphdtically
asserted Mrs. 1Tlton'S innocence, and
said "Sbe is as pure as the light
go to Mr. Beecher he will tell you
that she is as pure as gold-or as an
angel" ! do not remember positively
which of these expressions he made
use of. Mr.. Tilton talked rapidly,
and neither Mr.. Bellnor myself could
learn the nature of the alleged wrong
by Mr.. Beecher. At length, becom-
ing tired of his hints and lnnuendees,
[ pressed him strongly for some
specific declaration of wrong done
to him by Mr.. Beecher. Then Mr..
Tilton said s: "You go to Frank
Moulton he will confirm what say,
and will show you documentary evil
dence of my charges" Mr.. Tllton
urged me strongly to see Mr.. Moul-
ton, and then Mr.. Bell asked wheth-
err be could not call there with me.
Mr.. Triton answered No; he will
not want to see you, but will Mr..
Halliday, as assistant pastor of Ply
mouth Church." Mr.. Tilton repeated.
ly said that his communications had
been in confidence, and | did not
feel at liberty to mention more OF the
interview than merely to contradict
the scandal upon his authority.
Mr.. Halliday says after Mr.. Tilton
had gone he and Mr.. Bell discussed
for some time the propriety of calling
on Mr.. Moulton, and finally decided
to go and see what he might have to
substantiate Mr.. Tiltons insinua-
tions. At the time of his first cal
| MIR. NJ. was not at home, the next be
had been up all night, and had to bur.
ry over to New York, so he could
not talk with him, but, as he walked
to the door, he said, "How absurd g
thing it would be for Plymouth
Church to notice this shameful scan.
dal, as between Mr.. Beecher, whose
life for twenty-five years is before
them and the accusations of those
bad women" and after two or three
more failures to get an interview
Mr.. Halliday had talk with Mr.
Moulton, of which he says:
After exchanging the customary
greetings, said "Mr. Moulton,
have no curiosity to crafty, and d.
not wish to see anything that yo'
may have, nor have you tell me any
thing that you may know unless yo'
desire to do so but Theodore FiltoI
called upon me on Monday morning
and in the presence of Mr.. Bell, hat
a long talk about the Woodruff scan
dal. in the course of which he mad
many insinuations against Mr.. Beech
, err. Mr.. Moulton replied with grea
; warmth, denouncing the Woodruff
scandal as utterly baseless and no
possessing the least shadow of truth