The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1874-08-04
BROUGHT TO LIGHT.
THE BRO0KLYN DISGRACE.

VIEWED - IMPORTANT RENELATIONS-IHt
Work AND OPINIONS OF THE COUNCIL
TIE SECRET KNOWN FOR LONG TINE
HOw IT COT OUT-DR. BACON BELIEY FL
" REECHER's INNOCENCE OR ELSE N Ills
>TUPESDOUS HYPOCRISY.
The Chicago Infer-Ocean of the 3Oth inst
contains the following very interesting dis
closures by Dr. Patton concerning the
Beecher-Tilton scandal: Mrs. Elizabeth
Cady Stanton's statements, which unequivo-
cally affirmed that Others beside herself
were in possession of the alleged facts in this
miserable business" were, day before yes
terday, supplemented by another chapter in
the Beecher-Tilton case. A rumor, which
was received with considerable credence,
was in circulation throughout this city. to
the effect that prominent clergyman. who
resides here, could say much about the ce'e-
brated scandal If he so desired. 1t was even
aveTred that the Dainister referred to was the
custodian Of -rtsin documents, believed to
be confessions made by ladies, now deceased,
which affirmed substantially that they had
been uni ,wtully intimate with Mr.. Beecher
during their lifetime. The rumOr plainly
pointed to the Rev. w. w. Patton, d. D..
who Is well known as the former pastor OF
ih8 First Congregational Church. editor OF
the Advance, and the representative of the
American Missionary Union. Accordingly
Dr.. Patton was waited upon by areporter OF
the Inter Ocean. who stated briefly the oh
iect OF the call. DIR. Patton replied that he
re0nr er's questions was the first intimation
OF the existence of such rumor, and he
had never heard that any such facts were
possessed by any one. There was. certainly
no person connected with the Union here or
in the West who knew of the matter in
point THE character OF these papers,
pursued the reporter. lis simply this: II Is
said that the clergyman alluded to who has
these affidaVItS, or at least confessions, of
ladies. now deceased, resides i'm this city.
DO YOU know of any one here who has them,
or who would be most likely to have them.
if they exist?"
DR.. Patton. So far as my knowledge
goes, no one in Chicago or connected
with our UuiOn in the West, has
them, or il aware there are such docu-
ments. Neither do know or believe there
Is any ground for such affirmatiOns-at least
at present. There are few in the West who
are aware. directly, or indirectly for that
matter, of the facts, or alleged facts in the
Beecher case. outside of what the newspapers
have published. Concerning that, OF course
it would not be well to say much while the
investigation Is pending.
Reporter. You were | believe, a member
of the Brooklyn Council That body's con-
ference, which grew out of the Tilton matter
had considerable bearing on what has since
been developed, had il not?
Dr. Patton. Yes: went down from here
as a representative of the First Church, of
this city. The deliberations then were net
exactly in regard TO that, but were, as you
may know, to the authority which Ply
mouth Church had in dropping Tilton's
name from the roll while charges were hang
ing over him.
THEY REFUSED To INVESTIG ATE.
They even refused to appear and take part id
the Brooklyn. Council. This course laid Mr..
Bcecher and his church open to grave sus-
picion. Then. Beecher's charges, brought
against him by Mrs Woodruff, were spread
al over the land.
Reporter. Were the alleged facts regardir q
Beeeher's criminality known before MR..
WOodhulls statement? That is, were they
known generolly, and were you aware o.
theta?
Or. Patton. knew long before that; that
is. / had heard from friends who reside there
of these things. My friends, living near the
scene and acquainted more or less with the
parties, knew of them and informed me of
the facts; that is, the alleged facts. L had
the fullest confidence in them (my friends),
and fels sure that what they stated
TO me did not come from them
alone. Indeed. | may say to you that all
that has hitherto been made public about
nor startled when these things were printed.
| was in a measure prepared for them, all
though they came none the less unsOught
on my part. Yet what j mean to say il,
that from the first, knowing what / knew.
| felt sure tbs sc things would all come out.
I was fully assured it was only a question OF
time. These stories, these f,cts, had all
been told by my friends; and others, a Mrs.
Woodruff intimates. knew of them as well.
From the beginning. ii had been recited to
Miss Susan b. Anthony. and now see by
the papers that Mrs. Elizabeth Cady Stanton
was also in the secret. There were also
others
Reporter. Well how was il the story got
out Beyond the first circle? Why was it
not stopped by those interested?
Dr. Patton. You see it was in this way:
IL was told in entire confidence by the first
little circle. These who heard of it in their
turn told il to their confidential circle. and
each time it was widened out and was made
the property of great many who had it
IN what they considered good authority.
As Isai1, nothing has as yet beer devel-
oped of which 1 had not heard before. In
reference to that you can understand that
the articles published in the papers did not
startle me. Had my advice been followed,
all or most of this would have been averted.
THE STATEMENTS OF MRS. WOODRUFF
would have been per SO not altogether suf-
ficient to have warranted an investigation.
But you must remember that she called on
others to say over their own names whether
what she stated was false or not. \ remark
able fact was, that none of these replied TO
the challenge.
Reporter. You were then editor of the
Advance?
DR.. Patton. Yes, and that gave me an OPP
portunity of saving much at the time. j
was in New York in January of 1873. This
was after the first publication Of Mrs
Woodhull's side of the scandal in her paper
Then she lectured on the subject, "the ma
ked truth" | would have, in one sense, liked
70 have gone and heard what she had to
say, blu, 1 did not. / made mention o
the matter through the columns of the
Advance. ! was writing editorial CORES
pondeDce from New York. and. as | had
been informed, | felt sure the scandal would