The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1874-08-29


it he would stand by Beecher, This con
versation Bowen carried to Tilton, who
thereupon extorted from his sick wife a
confession charging Beecher with having
made her improper propositions
The committee then give a report, the
substance of which has been already pub
lished, of Beecher's interview with Tilton
at Moulton's solicitation and at his house,
of the charges then brought by lilton
against Beecher, and of the production of
the written confession Of Mrs. Tilton; the
amazement of Beecher at finding the wo-
man he had thought type of moral good
ness subscribing to such an atrocious story
the night visit to Mrs. Tlton's bedside !;
the written retraction given Beecher by
her; and the subsequent procuring Of this
document from Beecher by MOulton by
specious arguments. and the displaying of
a pistol though he made no distinct threats.
The committee here express great regret
that at this juncture Moulton was not
handed over to the police and thus saved
much subsequent trouble The commit
tee say Beecher's s distress at the situation
was boundless. He saw the peril of being
even falsely accused he blamed himself
for much that had occurred he could not
tell how much of the impending trouble
could be attributed to Mrs. Tilton's undue
affection for him, which it was his duty to
have repressed. While in a morbid condi
ton of mind produced by these distressing
difficulties, Moulton again called on him.
His manner was kind and conciliatory
He professed, however, to believe that
Beechcr had been seeking Titon's down
fall had leagued with Bowen against him
and by his advice had came near destroy
ing Tilton's family Beecher expressed
many and strong regrets at the mlsior-
tunes of that family. Moulton caught up
some of these expressions and wrote them
down saying that if Tilton could see them
there would be no trouble in procuring a
reconciliation This paper which is dated
Jan. lst, 1871, was entrusted by Mr..
Beecher to Moultons keeping, without
reading il, nor was it read by him. This pa
per, sometimes called the apology and some
times the confession, is in no proper sense
Mr., Beecher production or correct re-
port of what he said, No ,uau will believe
that Beecher said, Il humble myself be-
fore him (Tilton) as do before my God. >
The sentence, Her forgiveness | have,
Mr. Beecher declares was not used, nor a
semblance of it. Passing here very
important question arises in this connec-
ton: To what does the apology refer ?
1t declares Mrs. Tilton guiltless, and
yet Tilton says it refers to adultery, which
Beecher denies. The committee then pro
ceed to take up evidence to show that the
original charge was improper advances,
and that as time passed and the conspiracy
deepened, it was enlarged into adultery
The import of this is, they say, apparent,
because if the charge had been so changed,
then both Tilton and Moulton are conspir-
ators and convicted of vile fraud, which
necessarily ends their influence in this con
troversy. The committee proceed to ar
que at length from the evidence already
established that this is the fact, and declare
that the restriction, and all consequent
conversations, acts and letters of the vari-
GUS persons directly concerned in dealing
with the scandal are consistent with this
view and with no other. The committee
cite "the true story" written by Titon as
containing the facts of the offense of Beech
er, and which they say he was in the habit
of reading to the newspaper men and 9th
ers, as making no charge except that of
4lupiOpCi vi pippoSoio W DSSShS.
to Mrs Tilton, and quote the testimony OF
Beecher, Harmon and others, to prove
this statement. Beecher testiiies that Til
ton read this true story" to him on the
ferry boat one day that afterwards he
went to Iilton's house. and a converse
ton was had which lasted till midnight.
During all this not word was said or hint
ed by Tilton that he believed Beecher had
committed adultery. On the contrary, he
asserted mistaken confidence in his wife $
purity, and complained only of the i'm
proper solicitations. The committee say it
is believed no case of adultery on record
can be produced where an injured hus
band, upon learning of his wife's infdeli-
ty, kept the fact to himselffor six months,
and then, after private complaint to the
offending party, received aud accepted an
Concluded on 4th page.)