Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1874-08-06

showed concluslvely that the lette
bad really been published with Tilton'
knowledge aud consent, and that Their,
was something behind all this thai
ought to be sought after, found out
and settled forever. Some days aftei
| was at New York. You will under
stand that | was very much interest
ed In this matter, in common will
many others. | knew what a grand
soul was Beecher's. ] recognized the
potency of an uncontradicted state
ment of Bowen, of this sort, being
given currency to by man so widely
known as Tilton. | felt it my duty
to speak to Bowen on the subject as
soon as possible. | accordingly saw
him, at his office, in New York. Car.
lpenter was present, and this is the in.
teryiew to which reference is made
| We talked about the letter, and about
the action that ought to have been
taken upon it; and | said to Bowen
that such charges ought to be probed
to the Bottom; that it was matter
in which the honor of the whole church
was concerned, and that it should be
met in proper spirit and no conceal
ment attempted. The subject of the
truth or otherwise of Tilton's version
of Bowen's charges was brought up
in different ways, but Bowen did not
say anything to enlighten us.
| Reporter-It must have looked
strange.
| Mr.. Moulton-It was very strange
thing. I did finally ask him the ques-
ton whether the letter of Tilton was
true or untrue, and he made no an
swer. put the question squarely, and
he neither denied it or acknowledged
it.
Reporter-What did you under
stand by his silence?
Mr.. Holton-It looked as though
he could not deny it. We did not
know what to make of it. supposed
that silence, in his case, meant an ad.
mission that the letter truthfully stat ).
| ed the substance of what had trans
| pired.
Reporter What effect did this pro-
duce upon you--as to Beecher's guilt?
Mr.. Holton--I felt the time was
come for a thorough investigation; and
there ought to be no shrinking. | said
so at the time; that if Mr.. Beecher
was guilty, the parties charging him
ought to prove it. / felt it great
shock; but there was no getting away
from the fact. If Bowen had denied
the truth of Tilton's letter, as | expect
ed or hoped he would have done, it
would have been question OF veraci
ty as between Tilton and Bowen; but
| could not look upon Bowen's silence
rs meaning anything else but an adj
mission of the truth of the whole state
.nent; and that so serious a subject
must be treated with all the gravity
and consideration possible.
Reporter-You said, Mr.. Holton,
that you knew Mr.. Beecher?
Mr.. Holton--I knew him personal
ly, and feel great affection and regard
for him. He is a grand man, and |
have always thought his one of the
noblest minds on earth. He has a
great heart, aud boyish confidence
and impetuosity. He is extraordina-
rily sensitive and gentle, and SO kind
ly that you might wiring his heart with
a cruel word. His was an organiza-
ton to thrill with the slightest cause,
to pass to extremes of sorrow or grief.
| can we'll understand some of his eX-
travagant expressions.
Reporter You do not seem to be-
lieve him guilty?
Mr.. Holton-How can /, knowing
him as 1 know him? From what |
know and have heard of him, | do
not see how such nature could do a
deliberate wrong; but | can see well
enough how easily he could break out
into exaggerated expressions of sor-
row or remorse for some injury he
might imagine some one to have suf-
fered at his hands.
Reporter DO you not think his let
ters point freely to his having sinned
against Mrs. Tilton?
Mr.. Holton-Understand me, | do
not defend Mr.. Beecher. | think he
is incapable of deliberate wrong-do-
ing, but | do not insist on it. | want
TO see all the proofs against him, and
then hear his reply, before | can make
up my mind, and | suppose | am, in
this, like thousands more. So far, |
have not seen any evidence of his hav
ing been criminally connected with
Mrs. Tilton. His letters do not in any
single place say so. He admits he has
done wrong, and talks passionately
and remorsefully about it; but that is
all. What the wrong is, we have yet
to learn. Mr. Tilton says it is Grim
inality, but where have we any proof
of that?
Reporter-Mrs. Tilton's confession
to her husband and Miss Susan B. An
thony.
Mr.. Holton-But Mrs. Tilton de-
MES ever having made such a confess
sion. After all said and done, can
not look upon that as proved. 1t is
only question of veracity between
the parties. One is as much entitled
to belief as the other, as the present
stage Of the enquiry.
Reporter-Then you look upon the
alleged commission of adultery as un'
proved !?
Mr.. Holton--T want further evil
dence; but above all Mr.. Beecher's
answer. I feel pretty confident he
will have an answer. How can | know
what to think, till l see that answer?
Reporter-WelI; look at that letter
of Beecher's again. He asks tor for
giveness, and humbles himself before
Tilton as he would before God and
even wishes he were dead.
Mr.. Holton--It is very extravagent
language, but l can well understand
Mr.. Beecher using ii without such a
necessity as the committal Of adultery
would imply. He is of that suscepti-
bic tender character that the belief of