The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1874-09-05
thus graphically described by master hand i:

thus graphically described by master hand
MRS. Triton lay upon L er bed, white as mar
BILE, with closed eyes AS in trance, and with her
hands upon her bosom, palm to palm like one In
prayer. As / look back upon it the picture Is
like some forms carved in marble that had seen
upon monuments in Europe. She made no mo-
presence. sat down near her, and said, Eliz-
abeth, Theodore has been making very serious
charges against me, and sends me to you for
their confirmation She made no reply or sign,
yet it was plain that she was conscious and list
ening. repeated some of his statements-that
had brought discord to the family; had alienated
her from him; had sought to break up the family
and usurped his infiuence-and then, as well as i
could, added that he said made improper sug-
gestions to her, and that she had admitted this
you made such statements to him?' She made
no answer. repeated the question. Tears ran
down her cheeks, and she very slightly bowed
her head in acquiesence. said, You cannot
mean that you have stated all that he has
charged?' She opened her eyes, and began in
slow and feeble way to explain how sick she had
been, how wearied out with opportunities; that
he had confessed his own alien loves, and said
that he could not bear to think that she was bet
ter than he; that she might win him to reforma-
ton if she would confess that she had loved me
more than him, and that they would repent and
go on with future concord. l cannot give htr
language, but only the tenor of her representa-
tions lreceived them lmpatiently. spoke to
her in the strongest language of her course
said to her: Have ever made any improper
advances to you9' She said No Then |
asked: why did you say so to your husband? .
She seemed deeply distressed: My FRIEND (by
that designation she always called mel, Pm sor-
ry, but could not help it. What can do? |
now told me. She beckoned for her writing ma
terials, which handed her from her secretary,
standing near by, and she sat up In bed and
wrote a brief counter statement. In a sort
of postscript she denied implicitly that
1 had ever offered any improper solicita-
ton to her. That being the charge made
NV ~ ait1pd hu
a statement about the confession which he
had read to me, dreamed OF no worse Charge
at thst time. That was horrible enough"
On the following evening Moulton again
came to him. He asked that Mr.. Beecher
surrender to him the retraction signed by
Mrs. Tilton, said that she h. d already made
written recantation of it, and that it WOuft.
only make matters worse. He claimed that
Mr.. Beecher had obtained the document in
dishonorable manner, and although he made
no verbal threats, he opened his overcoat,
and with some emphatic remarks showed
pistol, which afterward he took out and laid
on the bureau near which he stood. Mr..
Beecher gave him the paper.
A few days thereafter Mr.. Moulton pays
Mr.. Beecher another visit. This time he was
kind and eonciliatory. Mr.. Beecher had
meanwhile been suffering inexpressible an
guish at the thought of what might result
should these things be made public. 1t
abruptly and in disaster. My earnest desire
to avoid a public accusation and the evils
which must necessarily flow from it, and
which now have resulted from it, has been
one of the leading motives that must ex-
plain my action during these four years with
drew pitiful picture of Mr.. Tilton-his
means of supper. taken away; his reputation
gone; his family destroyed-and all this he
charged upon Mr.. Beecher's having leagued
with Bowen against him, and in advising his
wife to leave him. Mr.. Moulton also assured
him, of his own knowledge, that the stories
of Mr.. Tilton's impurities of life were I'M
true. Mr.. Beecher says:
'tI was most intensely excited. Indeed, felt
that my mind was in danger of giving way. i
walked up and down the room, pouring forth my
heart in the most unrestrained grief and bitter
ness OF self-accusation, and heaping all the
blame on my own head. The case, as it then ap
peared to my eyes, was strongly against me.
My old and valued fellow-worker had been dis
possessed of his eminent place and influence,
and l had counseIed it; his family had well-nigh
been broken up, and had advised it; his wife
had been long sick and broken in health and
body, and, as I fully believed, had been the
cause of ali this by continuing that blind heed
lessness and friendship which had beguiled her
heart and reused her husband into fury of Ieal-
ousy, although not caused by any Intentional act
OF mine. And should coidly defend myself
should pour Indignation upon this lady should
Ihold her up to contempt as having thrust her
affections upon me QnSOugnC-upOn the man anu
his household in their great adversely? gave
vent to my feelings without measure. dlsclalmed
with the greatest earnestness any intent to harm
Theodore in his home or his business, and with
inexplicable sorrow, both blamed and defend
ed Mrs. Tilton in one breath. ~
Mr.. Moulton proposed that Mr.. Beecher
should write friendly letter to Mr.. TiltoH,
expressing his sorrow. To this Mr.. Beecher
demurred, but said that he (Moulton) might
report the substance of the interview to him.
And from the disjointed sentences and frag-
ments of what Mr.. Beecher uttered, the
famous ''apology" was drawn up by Mr..
Moulton. OF this document Mr.. Beecher
says:
"Ths paper of Moulton's was mere memo
randum of points to be used by him in setting
forth my feelings. That it contains matter and
points derived from me is without doubt but
they were put into sentences by him and ex-
pressed as he understood them, not as my words,
but as hints of my figures and letters to be used
by him in conyerslng with tllton. He did not
read the paper to me, nor did read 1t, nor have
| 1 ever seen it or heard it read, that remember,
until its recent publication After it was finish
ed Moulton asked me if would sign it. Isaid
no. it was not my letter. He replied that it
would have more weight if would In some way
| indicate that he was authorized TO explain my
sentiments. / took my pen, and at some dis
| lance below the writing, and upon a lower mar
| gin, indicated thst had committed the docu-
ment in trust to Moulton, and signed the line
| thus written by me. -
| Mr.. Beecher was subsequently, informed by
| Moulton that this paper had been destroyed.
In conclusion, Mr.. Beecher courts the full
est investigation, and says, in reference TO the
scandal" Whoever is buried with it, it is
time that this abomination be buried below
| all touch or power of resurrection"
A PHYSICIAN WHO HEALED HIMSELF