Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1874-07-31

near relative and friend the substance of
these accusations which shock the moral
sense OF the entire community this day
Many times, when hearing that certain
persons had spoken ill Of him, he has sent
me to chide them for so doing, and then
and there learned that he had been be-
fore me with his calumnies against My-
self, so that was speechless. The reiter-
alton in his statement that he had persist
emily striven to hide these so-called facts
is utterly false, as his hatred to Nh. Beech
er has existed these many years, and the
determination to ruin Mr.. Beecher has
3een the one aim of his life.
Again, the perfdy with which
THE HOLIEsT LOVE
a wife ever offered has been recklessly dis
carded in this publication reaches we'll
nigh to sacrilege and, added to this, the
endeavor, like the early scandal OF Mrs.
Woodruff, to make my own words con-
denim me, has no parallel-most conspicu-
onsly my letter quoting the reading of
Griffith Gaunt. Had Mr.. Tilton read the
pure character of Catharine he would have
seen that lifted myself beside it as near
as any human may affect an ideal but it
was her character, and not the incidents
of fiction surrounding it, to which I re-
ferred. Hers was no sin of criminal act
OF tlougEt. A like confession with hers
| had made to Mr.. Tilton i'll telling of my
love for my friend and pastor one year be-
fore; and I now add that, notwithstand-
ing all Misrepresentation and anguish OF
soul, | owe tony acquaintance and friend
ship with Mr. Beecher, as to no other hu-
man instrumentality, that encouragement
i'll my mental life, and that growth to-
ward the divine nature which enable me
to walk daily in lively hope Of the life
beyond.
The shameless charges in articles seven,
eight and nine are
FEARFULLY FALSE
in each and every particular. The letter
referred to in Mr.. Tiitoa tenth para
graph was obtained from me by impor5H=
nifty, and by representations that it was
necessary for him to use in his then pend
ing difficulties with Mr.. Bowen. [ was
then sick nigh unto death, having suffered
a miscarriage only four days before. |
signed whatever he required without
knowing or understanding it's import
The paper | have never seen, and do not
know what statements it contained.
In charge eighteen a letter OF mine, adj
dressed to Mr.. Francis Moulton, was quo
ted to prove that [ never desired a separa-
ton, OF was advised by Mr.. and Mrs.
Beeeher to leave my husband. [ reply
that the letter was of Mr.. Tilton's own
concocting, which he induced me to copy
and sign as my own, an act which, in my
weakness and mistaken thought to help
him, [ have done too often during these
unhappy years.
The Implication that the harmony Of
the home was unbroken until MI. Beecher
entered it as Il frequent guest and friend,
is a lamentable satire upon the household
Where he himself years before laid the
on EPE LOVE
and desecrated it's affairs up to the time Of
not only goddess, but impure for my chill
dren, and in this effort and throe of ago
ny would fain lift my daughters and all
womanhood from the inside can't and dla-'
bolical teachings of these latter days.
His frequent efforts to prove me insane,
weak-minded, insignificant, of mean pres
ence, all rank in the category of the heart
| lessneSs, selfishness, and falsehood, having
| it's climax in his present endeavor to con-
| vince the world that am OF ever have
| been unable to distinguish between an in
| nocent and a guilty love.
In summing up the whole matter, [ af-
! firm myself before God to be innocent OF
the crime laid upon me; that
| NEVER HAVE BEEN GUILTY
Of adultery with Henry Ward Beecher in
|
| me an lndecOrouS OF improper proposal
To the further charge that [ was led away
from my home by Mr.. BeecheI's friends
and by the advice Of q lawyer whom MI.
! Beecher had sent to me, and who, in adj
vance of my appearing before the commit
tee, arranged with me the questions and
answers which are to constitute my testi-
mony in MI. Beecher's behalf, answer
that this is again untrue, having never
1.,,x 49,, -
| few moments before the arrival of the
committee by my stepfather, Judge Morse ;;
and in further reply, 1 submit the follow
| ing statement of my action before the
| committee, and the Sepal alton from my
| husband:
The publication of Mr.. Tilton's letter
in answer to DR.. Bacon had not known
OF suspected, when OH Wednesday even
ing he brought home the Golden Age,
handing it to me; and on looking down
its columns [ saw, with well nigh binding
almost daily threat Of his life-'that he
lived to crush out Mr.. Beecher; that the
God of battles was with him that he had
always been Mr. Beecher's superior, and
all that lay in his path, wife, children, OF
reputation, if need be, should fall before
this purpose" | did not read it. [ saw
enough without reading. My spirit rose
within me as never before. Theodore, :"
| said, '.tell me what means this quota
ton from Mr.. Beecher! Two years ago
you came to me at midnight, say ing,
Elizabeth, all the letters and papers con-
corning my difficulties with Mr.. Beecher
and Mr.. Bowen are burned, destroyed
Now don't you betray me. for [ have
nothing to defend myself with" "Did
you believe that, said he. II certainly
did, implicitly said I. "Well, let me
tell you they all live-not one is destroy
eds If this was said to intimidate me,
it had quite the contrary effect. 1 had
never been so fearless, nor seen so clearly
before with whom I was dealing. Coming
to me a little later, he said: Il want you
to read it. You will find it vindication
of Yourself. You have not stood before
the community for five years as you now
| do.';
| ROUSED STILL FURTHER
by the wickedness hid behind so false
mask, 1 replied: Theodore, understand
me this is the last time you call me pub
| licly to walk through this filth. My char
acter needs no yindication at this late hour
from you. There was time, had you spo-
ken out clearly, truthfully and manfully
for me 1 had been grateful; but now /
| shall speak and act for myself Know, al
ESQ, that if in the future [ see a scrap of
PdPoA lolelililS w oeiiy Huulail UelllS, HOW
ever remote, which it seems to me you
might use to pervert for your own ends. I
will destroy it,
This means battle on your part, then,"
he said.
Gust so far" replied.
I write this because these words of mine
he has since used to my shame. The next
morning I went to my brother and told
him that now had decided to act in this
matter; that | had been treated by my
husband as anonentity from the beginning,
a plaything to be used OF let alone at will;
that it had always seemed to me l was