The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1874-08-28

ever took place between Mrs Tlton and myself
did any hing occur witch might not have occur
RID with perisct propriety between brother and
sister, between a father and child. or between
man OF honor and the wife OF his dearest frisnd;
Nor did anything ever happen which she or
sought Ia conceal from her husband.
In December. 1870, he received note from
Mrs. Tilaon by the hand OF young girl whom
she had taken into the family TO educate, re
questing him 10 visit her AT her msther's,
where, as stated by the bearer, she had gone
In consequence Of the ill-treatment OF her
husband. The girl gave Mr.. Beecher an ac-
count Of Mr.. Tilton's behavior that shocked
him greatly, particularly, as he says,
when, with downcast look, she said
that Mr.. Tilton had visited her cham
sent 10 his wishes" Mr.. Beecher went
a. requested, and then received from Mrs.
Tilton an account of her home miseries which
seemed to him like a nightmare dream
The question was whether she should go
back. or separate forever from her husband.
Amer taking Mrs. Beecher into consultation,
who was very indignant at Mrs. Ilton's re-
cital. Mr.. Beeeher finally WROTE incline
to think that your view Is right, and that
separation and settlement Of support Will be
wisest. and that, in his present desperate
state, her presence near him is far more likely
10 produce hatred than her absence"
few DAYS after this. Mr.. Bowen appears
siye from Mr.. Tilton 10 Mr.. Beecher-
HrSRY WARD BKkcnKR-For reasons which
you explicitly know, and which | iorbsar To
state demand that you withdraw from the pull
pit and quit Brooklyn rs a residence.
Isignedl THO. TILros.
Mr.. Bowen professed TO be ignorant OF the
contents of this note, and upon its being
handed 10 Kim to read, professed great a.
constituent. This led TO quite lengthy con-
versation between the two, OF which Mr..
Tilton was the subject, and Mr.. Beecher
frankly gave Mr.. Bowen his then not very
flattering opinion Of his (Bowen's) editor.
Bowen's opinion, as Mr.. Beecher inferred
with his own. Mr.. Tilton, soon after, was
discharged from Mr.. Bowen's employ, and
then feared from Mr.. Bowen the substance OF
the conversation above mentioned, and doubt
less attributed his dismissal thereto.
Ii was about this time, says Mr.. Beecher,
that "Tilton extorted from his wife, then suf-
fering from a severe illness, document Grim
mating me, and prepared an elaborate attack
upon me-"
Then follows the recital of the story, how
one evening, soon after this, Moulton came
TO Beecher's house and asked him to accom-
pany him TO see Mr.. Tilton. Together they
went to Mouton's house. upon entering
which Mouhon locked the door Mr.. Tilton
was there. From a memorandum in his
hand he then commenced reading a detailed
statement OF the wrongs he had suffered al
the hands Of Mr.. Beecher. last, but not least,
being the charge that he had made improper
proposals to his wife, as confessed by her six
months previously. Mr.. Beecher was as
founded by this charge, and absolutely thun-
derstruck, he says, when Tilton closed the
interview by requesting him to 90 and visit
his wife and learn from her lips the truth of
the statement. He went. The interview j.
thus graphically described by master hand:
Mrs. Tilton lay upon her bed white as mar
BILE with closed eyes rs In trance, and with her
hands upon her bosom, palm TO palm like one in
prayer As l look back upon ii the picture is
like some forms carved IN marble that had seen
upon monuments in Europe. She made no mo-
ton, and gave no sign OF recognition OF my
presence. ! sat down near ner, and said, Eliz-
abeth Theodore has been making very serious
charges against me, and send me 10 you Tor
their confirmation She mate no reply OF IN,
yet II was plain shat she conscious and list
enlng. l repeated some of his stafements--
| her from him; had sought to break up the family
and u-urped his iniuence-and then, as well as
| could, added that he said made Improper sug
eestions to her, and that she had admitted this
| fact 10 him last July. said, Elizabeth, have
| you made such statements 10 himY She made
no answer. repeated the question. Tears ran
down her checks, and she very slightly bowed
mean that you have stated all that he has
chargedY She opened her eyes, and began In a
slow and feeble way 70 explain how sick she had
|
he had confessed his own alien loves, and said
that he could not bear to think that she was bet
Ter than hes that she might win him 70 reforma-
ton II she would confess that she had loved me
more than him, and that they would repent and
20 on with future concord. l cannot
give her Language. but only the tenor
impatiently. spoke TO her In the strongest Lam
guage of her course. | said 20 her: Have
said No. Then asked Why did you say
so to your husbRndg she seemed deeply dis
tressed; M friend (by that designation she
almost always called mel, I'm sorry but
could not help IL. What can | do? | toll her
she could state In writing what she had now told
me. She beckoned for her writing materials.
which handed her from her secretary, standing
near by. and she sat up in bed and wrote brief
counter statement In sort Of postscript sh.
denied implicitly that had ever offered any i'm
proper solicitation 81 her. That being the only
charge made against me by Mr.. Tilton, or sus-
tained by statement about the confession which
he had RI adj TO me, dreamed OF no worse charge
at that time That was horrible enough. -
On the following evening Moulton again
came 10 him. He asked that Mr.. Beecher
surrender to him the retraction signed by
Mrs. Tilton, said that she had already made
written recantation OF IL, and that IL would
only make matters worse. He claimed that
Mr.. Beecher had obtained the document in
a dishon0rable manner, and although he made
no verbal threats, he opened his overcoat.
and W IN 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 conciliatory. Mr.. Beecher had
meanwhile been suffering inexpressible an
guish at the thought OF what might result
should these things be made public. 1T
seemed to me that my life-work was TO end
abruptly and in disaster. NY earnest desire
10 avoid public accusation and the evils
which must necessarily flow from IL. and
which now have resulted from IL, has been
one OF the leading motives that must ex-
plain my action during these four
years with reference to this natter
Mr.. Moulton drew pitiful picture OF
Mr.. Titon-his means Of support taken sway
] his reputation gone: his family desfrnNeI-