Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1874-08-20

effect that Beecher, when ii was ascer-
tanned that Moulton would make a full
statement to the committee, summoned
TO his house Gen. Tracy, Mr.. Sherman,
and some of the members of the commit
tee. and made confessions very disheart-
ening to them, but when the disclosures
were repeated in committee ii was re
solved that, inasmuch as they were COM
mitted TO carry on the investigation, and
had been appointed by Mr.. Beecher, they
could not withdraw until they. had
concluded their work. Then came
the need of the greatest care and
sagacity in the continuance of Mr..
Beccher's defense. Before this the COM
mittee had freely expressed their desire
10 have Mr.. Meulton's full statement.
Now change of tactics was called for.
Communication was had with Mr.. Moul-
ton, and he was urged by all arguments
at their command to withhold all of his
statement except so much as would
barely meet the demands implied in Mr..
Tiltons published testimony. They urged
that only those points should be covered
which had already been made public.
This. az ii is reported, il was urged, was
all that Mr. Moulton, as gen.
tleman having the welfare of So
ciety at heart, could do. The course
so strongly urged on him by the COM
mittee conceded, il is understood, with
the tenor of advice which he had previ-
ously received from his counselor and
friend, Gen. B. f. Butler, and Mr.. Moul-
ton was for some time doubtful what
course to pursue. He had prepared full
statement, comprising nearly 300 pages
OF manuscript matter. On Sunday after
noon last he was still in doubt. That
night, however, he consented to revise
his statement, although at the risk of
putting himself at disadvantage before
the public. This excised statement was
the one read last evening.
The Brooklyn Eagle says: The fol-
lowing is the substance of Moulton's
statement. 1t may be relied on as cor
rect so far as man with tolerably
good memory can reproduce it. 1t is
reliable, because it came from member
of the committee.
"Mr. Moulton's statement is unexpect-
edly brief, making not more than five or
six foolscap pages not closely written.
Mr.. Moulton says in substance that all
he knows about the difficulty between
Mr.. Beecher and Mr. Tilton was in
trusted to him in confidence, with all the
documents he has been furnished relat-
ing directly or indirectly to the case, and
| that these documents were intrusted to
him in confidence He says that he has
known Mr.. Tilton since 1857, and that he
| became personally acquainted with Mr..
Beecher in 1869, and mainly through this
case. Notwithstanding the fact that he
| has the consent of both Mr. Beecher and
Mr. Tilton to tell all he knows about
the case, and to furnish all the
documents he has in relation to it,
and the additional fact that he has been
| twice summoned before the committee,
| he says that he cannot in conscience, and
| as q man of honor, disclose any conf
dences which have been placed in him,
| He came into the case as peacemaker,
to settle it, and all that lie has done has
| been done in that direction. Without
his knowledge, and against his wishes,
certain documents connected with the
case have been published, mainly through
Mr. Tilton, and in the statement made be-
! fore the committee. So many of the
original documents as he has copies OF, and
| which have been made public, he feels
under obligations to place in the hands
of the committee If necessary. Mr.
Moulton had had copies of all these doc
uments made, and he handed these
copies to the committee, holding himself
ready to produce the originals when the
committee desired to verify them. Be
yond this Mr.. Moulton was not willing
to make any statement, nor did he feel
himself justified in honor or conscience
in producing any documents save those
quoted by Mr.. Tilton IN his statement
Mr. Moulton handed the committee
his statement and the copies of the doc
uments quoted in Mr.. Tilton's communi-
cation.
Mr.. Moulton was briefly cross.exam-
ined and he maintained the same posi-
ton. He reiterated what appeared in
his statement, that if any attempt was
made to assail his position as a friend of
both parties, or to question his honor, he
might be under the necessity of making
further statement, but for the present he
contented himself with furnishing the
committee exact copies of the documents
quoted by Tilton."