Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1874-08-28
NUMBER 81.

FN. n.
1872, in which she says that until he had called
her attention to the fact she had not seen nor felt
that Whenever in conversing with Others TO the
shadowing of Theodore she became his enemy,
and that it was her who had hindered the recon-
citation more than any one else. She saws: : l
have not been equal to the great work ofthepast
year. have done much to cause the utter misery
OF those love best-my mother, husband. Mr..
b.. my dear Children
After the signing of the tripartite cove
nant, Mr.. Iiton desired the return to him of his
wifes confession, to relieve her anxiety TO its
possible falling into wrong hands. Mr.. Moult0n
gave up the document, which Mr., Tilton subse-
quently informed him his wife had destroyed, and
she also confirmed the statement. Some time
after this Mr.. Moulton learned from Mr.. Beecher
that Mrs Tilton had told him that when she
made her confession to her husband of her inti-
deity with him (Beecher) her husband had made
a like confession to her of inidelities on his
part with other women. Mr.. Moulton never hav-
ing heard Mrs t. claim that her husband had
made any such confession, although she had
! freely admitted her own transgressions with Mr.
Iflton, who promptly denied that he had
ever made any such confession, or that
his wife ever claimed that he had They
then had an interview with Mrs. Tllton,
who then, in the presence of Mr.. Moulton alone,
acknowledged that she had told Mr.. Beecher that
her husband had made the alleged confession OF
infdety on his part. Then, in the presence of Mr..
Tilton, immediately afterward, she said she could
not have understood Mr.. Moulton's question re-
latlng to this matter, adding: Because 1T isn't
true that Theodore ever made such confession,
and didn't state it to Beecher because 1t is not
true"
The next morning Mr.. Moulton received the
following letter from Mrs. Tilton, without date,
but 1t was after the tripartite covenant:
DEAR FRANoIs-I did tell you two falsehoods
at your last visit AT first entirely misunder-
stood your question, thinking you had reference
to the interview at your house the day before;
but when inteligently replied to you, replied
falsely. told Mr.. Beecher that, at the time of
to me of himself but no developments as to
persons. When you then asked for your own
satisfaction, Was it so?' told my second lie.
After you had left 1 said to t., You know
l was obliged to lie to Frank ! and [
now say, rather than make others suffer
as 1 now. do, 1 must lie, for it is a physical
mpossbility for me to tell the truth yet do
think, Francis, had not T.'s angry, troubled face
been before me, l would have told you the truth.
/ am perfect coward in his presence, not from
any fault of his, perhaps, but from long years of
timidity. implore you, as this is aside-issue, to
be careful not to lead me into m further temptation
an oe enrt fn' made made for frntb WretcbedIv
(Signed) . 'ELIzABETH.'
After the publication on the I'd of November,
'72, in W0odhuW ee CIGfin'S Weekly OF the story
of Tilton's and Beecher's conduct in relation to
Mrs. Tilton, Mr.. Moulton was continually asked
if such story true, and he found it quite diff
cult in making an answer. In some cases
he doubted not inquirers supposed he denied the
truth of the charge, but upon that point he was
very careful not directly to commit himself.
Finding that his silence was working injury to
the cause of the suppression of the scandal, he
told Tilton that he wished to be authorized by
his wife to deny it. Soon after he received a
paper without date from Mrs. Titon, in which she
said:
For my husbands sake and my children's,
hereby testify with all my woman's soul that ]
am innocent of the crime OF impure conduct al
legged against me. have been to my husband q
true wife in his love- | wish to live and die. Ny
early affection for him still burns with its maiden
fame, all the more for what he has borne for my
sake, both private and public wrongs. Having had
the power TO strike others, he has forborne to use
it, and allowed himself to be injured instead |
bless him every day for his faith in me, which
swerves not, and for standing my champion
against all my accusers.H
Upon the strength Of this papcrhe then after
ward said Mrs Tilton denied the story
About the 10th of December, 1872, Mr.. Carpen-
ter and DR.. Storrs undertook to look up the re-
ports with the intention of advising some public
statement, or as being concerned i'll some 1nVes-
tigatiOn of the matter, and Mrs TiltOn wrote for
them the paper bearing that date, as follows:
"DECEMBER IT, 1872.
s'In July. 1870, prompted by my duty, | in
formed nv husband that Mr. II. w. Beecher, my
friend and pastor had solicited me to be wife to
him, together with all that this implied Six
months afterward my husband felt impellcd by
the circumstances OF conspiracy against him,
in which Mrs Bcecher had taken part, 10 have an
interview with Mr.. Beecher, in order that Mr. B.
might know exactly what had said to my HUSBAND.
[ wrote a brief. statement, | have forgotten III
what words, which my husband showed to Mr..
Beecher. Late the same evening MI b: came TO
me- lying very sick at the time, and filled with
distress, saying had ruined him, and wanting to
know if meant to appear against him. lhls
certainly did not intend to do, ana the thoughC
was agonizing to me- | then signed paper
which he wrote to clear him in case OF trial.
In this instance. as in most others
when absorbed by one great interest
or feeling, the harmony of my mind was entirely
disturbed, and l found on reflection that this
paper was so drawn as to place me most unJusty
against my husband and on the side , Of Mr..
my long-sufering husband, wrote an eXplana-
ton of the first paper over my, signature Mr..
which L gave to him in my agitation and excite
ment and now holds it, This ends my connection
with the case.
"P S.-This statement is made at the request
of Mr.. Carpenter, that it may be shown contden-
tiallyto Dr. Storrs and other friends with whom
nv husband and | are consulting"
This paper was delivered to Mr.. Moulton, and
the theory of the confession then was that Mr.
and Mrs. Tilton should admit no more than the
solicitation, but that endeavor to make an expla-
nation of the business fell through and after
it was shown to those interested, as was told,
the paper remained with me- Mr.. Moulton
received no further communication from MIS-
Tilton until the 25th of June OF this
year, 1874, and that communication came
to him in this wise: When Mr.; Tilton
strongly and earnestly advised against its publ
cation, and said to Mr.. T. in substance that
while he admitted the wrong and injustice OF 1 Dr,
magnanimity Of Beecher, and that he was dog
and knave when he (Moultonl believed he had
acted proper and manly part in endeayonng 10
shield his family vet that its publication would
SO STIR the public mind that an investigation
would be forced upon him and Beecher IN some
manner and that the truth would in all probabll-
itv have to come out or so much of it that Mrs.
Tilton and Mr.. Beecher would be dishonored and
the seyerest criticism. Mr.. Tilton insisted upon
the publication of the letter; the only modlfca-
ton Mr.. Moulton was able to get being
that whereas the letter originally read that
Mr. Beecher had committed against Mr.. Tilton
and his family ''revolting crime" as published
it said " an ofense committed against me-. Mr..
Moulton secured this change in the letterln hopes
that a reconciliation might yet be effected be-
tween all the parties concerned, and an exposure
he thus avoided.
After giving brief note from Mrs: Tilton, IN
which she asks his forgiveness for having coupled
his name with Mr. Carpenters as having ADVISED
the publication of the Bacon letter. Mr.. Moulton
saws that having placed before the committee
his statement of facts concerning Mrs. Iilton,
and documentary evidence that ne haa 10 sup
port them, and as they are diametncaly 0P-
posed to nearly all that Mrs. Titon appears 10 de-
Glare in her published statement, he deems IL ms
duty to himself and TO his position IN sIs tSIrL
HE business to say that during THIS anair hIs;
TiIton has more than once admitted 10 MN anu
to another person whom he does not care to
bring into this controversy the 1act OF hef lnhdel
ities with Mr. Beecher ana tnat sne never mas mas
pared for purpose which he had already eXhlb-
tied.
Mr.. Moulton here gives portion ofthe history
of the connection OF Mrs Woodhqll with al tnls
case after the fall of 1871. He produces letter
from Mrs w. to Mr.. Beecher, to the effect that
two of his CMr. B.s) sisters were assaihng @ her
Character and that he (Beecher) knew that II was
in her mower TO strike back in a very disastrous
way. and demanding an interview; The interview lew
was held at which Mrs. Woodhull aesIteu Ste,n Mr;
Reecber TO preside at her meeting IN otelhWay
9n and Mr. Triton also urged him to do so. Mr..
Triton Tito subsequently presided at the meeting
fbns as Mr. Moulton believes. preventing Mrs.
WoodbnIl's attack on the Beecher family being
made at that time.
Dec. 30, 1871, Mrs. Woodruff sent letter to
Beecher desiring that he would speak at a
Woman's Suffrage Convention in washington, IA IA
the following month This letter Mr.. b. returned
to Mr.. Moulfon with reply and note to Mr