The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1874-08-27
the BEECHER SCANDAL.
Moulton Tells What He Knows
About the Ugly Matter.
Documentary Contributions from All
Parties Concerned.

Francis D. Moulton, the mutual friend :"
and go-between of Beecher and Tilton, has at
last unsealed his lips and given to the world
all that he knows about the famous or in
famous scandal, together with all the CORE,
spondence bearing upon this ugly matter
which was intrusted to him. The statement
is precisely the same document that was pre-
pared for the Plymouth Investigation Com
mittee, but which. upon second thought he
concluded to withhold for time. 1t was
published in the New York papers of the 22d
OF August. u af
Moulton states that Tilton was first induced
to make charges against Beecher by Bowen,
who promised Tilton to sustain charges and
to adduce additional evidence to prove them
whenever required It was on Bowen's de-
rand that Iilton addressed the following
open letter to Beecher
BROOKLYN, Dec rs, 1870.
80 Henry Ward Beecher
STR: 1 demand that, for reasons which
you explicitly understand, you Immediately
cease from the ministry of Plymouth Church,
and that you quit the city of. Brooklyn as
residence.
(Signed) THEODORE 1ILToN."
Tilton explained that the words, 'for
reasons which you EXPLICITLY understand, -
were inter4ined at the request of Bowen.
But Bowen afterward changed his mind and
demanded silence on the part of Tilton,
threatening that if he should say to Beecher,
what he (Bowen) had told him concerning his
(Beecher's) adultery. he would dismiss him
from the Independent and the Union Tilton
told him he had never been influenced bv
threats, and he would not be in the present
case. and subsequently received Bowen's let
ter of dismissal.
In July, 1869. Mrs. Tilton confessed to her
intimacy with Beecher which confession her
husband destroyed. subsequently Mrs.
Tilton, fearing that, if Bowens accusa-
tions against Beeoher we're made public, the
whole matter would be known and her own
conduct with Beecher become exposed,
renewed her confession in her own hand
writing. This later confession Beecher OBJ
tanned from Mrs. Tllton and also a recanta-
ton and denial of any improper conduct by
Mr.. Beecher toward her. At an 1nterviey be-
tween MoultOn and Beecher, in which the for
mer demanded this paper, Beecher admitted,
with grief and sorrow, the fact of his sexual
relatiens with Mrs. Tilton, expressed some
Indignation that she had not told him that
she had told her husband, and that, in conse-
quence Of being in ignorance of that fact, he
had been walking upon a volcano.
Here follows letter addressed by Mrs.
Hooker to her brother, Rev. Thomas K
Beecher, Of which the following is an ex-
tract:
PLEASE return this letter to me when you have
done with it,.
" HARTFORD, Sunday, Nov. 3, 1872.
- DEAR BROTHER Tom: The blow has
fallen, and hope you are better prepared for
it than you might nave been but for our IN
tervlew. l wrote single line last week,
thus Can help you? and here is his re-
ply: If you still believe in that woman, you
cannot help me-"
She incloses to him letters from the Wood
hull and from Henry Ward Beecher. In the
iatter's letter the following sentences occur:
Probably you and l are nearer together than
any Of our family. I cannot give the reason
now. am clear, still you will follow your
own judgment. | thank you for your letter
of some things. l neither talk nor will be
talked with. For love and sympathy [ am
deeply thankful. The only help that can be
grateful to me, or useful, is silence, and
silencing influence on all others. A day may
come for converse. 1t is not now. LiUinq or
dead, nly dear sister Belle, IoUe me. and do not
talk about me or suffer others to in your
presence"
THE underscoring." says Mrs. Hooker sis
his own, and when I read in that horrible
story that he begged few hours notice that
be might kill himself, my mind flew back to
this sentence, which suggested suicide to me-
The moment read it Living or dead. dear
AIOAAO3
that. Now Tom, can't you go to brother
Edward at once and give him these letters of
mine, and tell him what told you; and when
you have counseled together as brothers. you
should counsel me also, and come to me if
you can. 1t looks as if he hoped to buy nv
silence with my love. At present, of course,
l shall keep silence, but the truth is dearer
than all things else, and, if he will not speak
IL III the same way, cannot always stand as
consenting to lie. God help us ALL
Rev. Thomas K. Beecher replies to this let
ter OF his sister under Gate of November, 1872
IN Which he says, among other things, that
the woodruff is only carrying out Henry's
philosophy, against which he had recorded his
protest twenty years ago, when he parted low
ln8ly from him, saying they could not work
together. He continues: - In nv Judgment.
Henry is following his slippery doctrines Of
expectancy, and IN his cry of progress and
tne noDleness of human nature, has sacrificed
the clear, exact ideal integrity Hands off
until ne is down. and then my pulpit, my
nome, my church. and my purse and heart are
az his service. Of the two, Woodruff is nv
nero and Henry my coward, as at present adj
advised; but protest against the whole batch
and all it's belongings.
Mi. Moulton quotes from letter from Mr..
hooker to his wife to show that all this mat
ter had been discussed between the two long
before the Woodruff publication.
After Beecher had seen these letters of
his sister, says Mr. Moulton, he came to me
IN trouble and alarm, and handed me all the
letters, together with one under date of Nov.
~! with an Enclosure cut from the Hartford
LnleS, to which he alluded" The clipping
a!udeo TO referred to a conversation between
Eli Ferklns and Thomas Mast regarding the
latter offensive caricatures of Horace Gree
ley' and IN which he remarked that the peo-
PIE PIE T we're fooled with Beecher aud predicted
his downfall. Mr.. Moulton continues:
Beecher was exceedingly anxious that Til
ION sno9 5l Tepudlate the statement published
n by mooa and ana denounce her for its publ
dum-book the form of card r. ~ -,7hia @n
by, Iiiton over his signature, and asked me to
follows: ~ - ''
. In an unguarded enthusiasm. I hoped we'll
and much of one who has proved utterly M
prnclpled. shall never again notice her
stories, and now utterly repudiate her state
ments concerning me and mine.n
Tn Fahruarv 1871 II r parI,;,,a