Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1874-09-03

mt an end TO his life
pIi In that interview BeecheI was very earnest in
his expressions of regret at what had been done
sgsiust Tilton in relation to his business con-
lection with Bowen, and besought Mouton to do
.nvthiDg he could to save him from the destruc-
ton which would come upon him If the story of
his (Beecher'sl intercourse with Mrs. TiltOn
should be divulged .
Ian. l. 1871, he took the paper which Beecher
had dictated to him to Tilton, detailed to him
Beecher's expressions OF regret and sorrow,
snoke TO him of his agony of mind, and again ap-
healed to him 10 have the whole matter kept
Inlet if for no other reason for the sake of the
children. To this Tilton assented.
Mr. Moulton then gives full history of Tiltons
claim against Bowen, of the Independent, for
damages for cancellation of the contract for edi-
torial services, and the settlement of that claim
bv arbitrators, resulting in the payment to Tilton
of 5000. After the above settlement the paper
known as the . tripartite agreement was signed
by Bowen and Tilton, and subsequently by
| Beecher.
In the form in which it was drawn it bound the
parties TO say nothing of any wrong done or of
iensc committed by Beecher, and fully exonerated
! him thereirom. After Bowen had signed II. 1t
was handed to Tilton to sign, and he refused. He
was willing to sign an agreement never to repeat
again the charges Of Bowen, saying that II for
no other reason. If the matter should thereafter
ever come to light il would appear that there had
! been something between Beecher and Mrs. Til
. ton, and ii might be used as evidence to the in
iury of himself and family, as well Us of Beecher,
| and therefore. it was not for the interest of
| either Tilton or Beecher to sign 1t in the form
first proposed.
From the time of the tripartite covenant moth
| ING occurred to disturb the relations between
| Beccher, Iilton and Bowen, or either of them,
until the publication in woodruff & Ctqfin's
Weekly of the elaborate story concerning the
cia relations between Beecher, Tilton and Mrs
Tton. After that publication appeared it again
| came 10 the knowledge of Beecher that Bowen
was making declarations derogatory to his char
! acer This was followed by the publication of
the tripartite covenant, which was done by Samuel
| Wilkeson. Beecher was not party to its publ
| cation nor knew anything about it.
Another curious complication of the relations
of the parties arose from the publication by Mrs
Woodruff of the story in her journal. 1t is mat
ter of public notoriety that Mrs Isabella Beecher
! Hooker, the sister of Beecher, had espoused the
cause of Mrs. Woodruff on the question of
woman's suffrage and had been accused still fur
. Their of adopting her social tenets. Beecher's re-
lations TO Mrs. Tilton had been communicated to
her This had been made subject of communi
cation from Mrs Hooker 70 her brother, and
| after the publication by Mrs Woodruff, Mrs
Hooker addressed the famous letter TO her broth
err in which she implored him TO confde the
whole truth to her.
Beecher TO Mrs. Hooker, in which he says that he
respected Mrs. Woodruff but abhorred her phi
losophy, and that she was only carrying out
g Henry's philosophy, against which / recorded
my protest twenty years ago, and parted lovingly
and achnGly from him. saying: We cannot
work together He has drifed, and have hard
ened like acrystal, till am sharp-cornered and
Mr.. Moulton saw Mr.. Beecher conversed about
these letters at various times, and Beecher said
he was apprehensive that his sister in her anx-
ety that he should do his duty in presenting ths
truth as she understood it. and in protecting
Mrs. Woodruff from the consequences of having
published the truth, from which she was then
suffering, would 90 into his pulpit and insist on
declaring that the Woodruff publication was
substantially true. Moulton suggested that he
| should see Mrs. Hooker, speak to her kindly,
and eXhort her not to take this course: and that
Iilton should see her, and so far shake her
confidence in the truth of the story, as to in
duce her 10 doubt whether she would be safe in
making the statement public. In this course
Beccher agreed, and such arguments and induce
ments were brought to bear upon Mrs. Hooker
as Were likely to prevent her from doing that
which would have certainly brought on
an exposure Of the whole business, During the
consultations between Beccher and Moulton as
to the means of meeting Mrs. Hooker's inten-
tons, no suggestion was ever made ON the part
\ of Bceeher that his sister was then, or had been
at any other time, insane. Beecher was exceed
ingy anxious that Titon should repudiate the
statement published by Woodruff, and denounc-
ing her for its publication.
Beecher asked Moulton to say to Tilton sub
stantially; Theodore may for his own purpose,
if he choose. say that all his misfortune has come
upon him on account of his dismissal from the
Union and the ndependent: and on account of
the offense which | committed against him he
may take the position against me and Bowen that
he does. . Yet the fact is that his advocacy of
Mrs Woodruff and her theories has done him
the injury which prevents his using Now, in
order TO get support from me and from Plymouth
Church, and in order to obtain the sympathy of
the whole community, he must publish card de-
nyng the allegations of Mrs. Woodruff. and I'M
less he does it hec; mot rise He also said the
same thing to Tiltou in Moulons presence.
To this Tilton answered, in substance, to Beech
er: You know why sought Mrs. Woodhuls
acquaintance. 1t was to save my family and
yours from the consequences of your acts, the
facts abont which had become known to her.
They have now been published and will not de-
nounce that woman To save you from the conse-
quences Of what You yourself have done
After Mouton had carried to Mr.. Tilton the
adultery. and had received assurances that all
between Tilton and Beecher should be kept
quiet, Monton conveyed the information to
Beechcr, who was profuse in his expressions of
thanktulness and gratitude
Mr.. Moulton here states that Mrs. Morse the
mother-in-law of Mr.. Tilton, who was from time
10 time an inmate of his family in Livingston
street had. rs he had been informed both by Mr..
and Mrs. Tilton, learned from her daughter the
criminal relationship existing between Beecher
and herself. and who could not understand why
that matter had been settled and who had not
been told how il had been adjusted, and who had
had most bitter quarrel with Tilton accusing
MN OF not having carried his affairs to keep
what fortune he had, and who had called upon
Beecher about the relations between Triton and
Mrs. Tilton, and who had, as Beecher had in
formed him tMoulton). filed the minds of Mrs
Beecher and himself with stories of Tiltons inf
deity and improper conduct tu his wife. wrote a
letter 10 Mr. Beeeher. under date of Jan. q, 1871.
n which letter Mrs NJ speaks of the suffering in
Mr. Iiton's family, and especially of neglect and
want endured by Mrs. r. She says:
Neither Mrs B., yours IF. nor can have done
ahylhlng 10 ameliorate her condition. She has
been for The last three weeks with very indif-
lercnt girl, I. has sent the others away, leaving
my stck and distracted child To care for all four
children. night and day without fires in the fur
mace, or anything like comfort or nourishment in
the house. She has not seen any one. He SAYS
she l. mourning for her sin If this be so, one
twenty-four hours under this sheet | think il
enough 10 atone for a lifelong sin. however helm
ous / know that any change iii his affairs would
9iinE more trouble upon her and more suffering.
| did not think fer a moment when asked Mrs
B az TO your call there, supposing she knew it.
OF course. as she said you would not 90 there
without her. | was innocent tsc) of max