The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1875-02-09
THE INDIANA STATE SENTINEL TUESDAY FEBRUARY 1875


had to leave Bsecher wrote prefix 10 the
card. in shape of a note 10 Moulton, explain
ing the purport of the card. After he wrote
1t, be asked me if thought it would be sat-
lsfactory. asked Carpenter. who had came
in, to go around to my house and bring Mrs.
Hilton. He did so, and she expressed her
self as
SATISFIED WITH THE CARD.
Nothing ever came of the card. Beecher said
there was danger, in the case of a
disagreement, that his card would put
put him at a disadvantage before the public.
the letter to complaining frieno was pub
ished either the Goth, 9th or 18th OF De-
cember. Beecher said to me that hethought
the publishing of it was very injurious, that
1t would excite comment which we desired
to restrain. During the month of December,
1872, the public pressure put upon
me to do something in regard to
Mrs. WoodhulPs story, was utterly
beyond the power of any language
to describe. Every newspaper throughout
the land was demanding that some explana-
ton should be made, demanding that Beecher
should make il, demanding that Bowen
should make it, demanding that we ali
should make it, and there was the pres
sure of Brooklyn, and there was the
pressure of the church and everyw here
mentioned that about fortnight before the
interview have just given, Beecher desired,
as plan OF meeting il, that we should cut
the tripartite covenant in two and take out
Bowen's part and charge him with all the
Islander and make him bear the burden of re-
tractingit. This letter to complaining friend
succeeded that about 10 or Is days.
and arose out OF the same emergency.
will also say. that in the month of Decem-
Der. prepared
ANOTHER STATEMENT,
the long document which has become tech
nically styled, 1 don't know why, tine
True Story" for it was not true story. 1t
was false one. As Beecher said he could
not bear the publication of that, that il
would kill him, and as the card to a COM
planning friend, as he expressed it,
only caused the very comment which
L sought to quell, prepared another state
ment, q brief letter to friend out West 1t
has been read in evidence. 1t bore the date
of, believe, the very next day, perhaps the
very last day of the year. At all events 1t
was written with view TO herald in the
new year season. There were a dozen dit
| ferent devices, some by Moulton, some by
Beecher, and some by me, in that month.
The tr1partite agreement was published May
80, 1873; and had an interview with Beecher
|
told Beecher that the comment which that
publication had excited in one day made it
necessary that there should be a prompt
and emphatic disclaimer either by
him or by me, didn't care which,
of any such intimation as that L had
| committed a crime against him, when he
knew that it was he who had committed
against me a crime. 1 told him would not
permit the public press 10 put me
in the position OF having been par
doned by Tim for some atrocity.
which was all the greater IN the public i'm
agination because il was not named and
that he must correct orI would, the impress
sion which that publication produced. /
! told him that L had in consultation
with friends on the previous evening
resolved on my method of prevent
ing IL. If my method was to be
adopted, would publish, in
A BRIEF CARD,
Beechers' letter, now known as the letter Of
contrition, with comment appended
that the public would see from the
above card whether L had committed a
crime against Bsecher, or Beecher had
| committed a crime against me. said that
he had better correct it himself, that he could
do il in a milder way without involv-
| ing such a cost 10 mis- feeii ngs
The next incident in the matter occurred
during the eve of that day. L went around
to Moulton's house on Saturday evening
That would be May LIST, 1873. / was going
up into the study. Mr.. Moul-
for Beecher was there. and he
did not wish us to meet. 1 remained down
stairs. Pretty soon Moulton came down to
me and said that Beecher was in great des-
pondency and had proposed as his method
OF settling the case 10 resign his ministry.
Moulton dictated to me from memory
copy Of a letter of resigns-
bad that night brought Moulton said to me:
"What do you think of that as my expedi-
ent?'' / said: "You may tell Beecher if he
resigns his ministry in this crisis, finging
back that shadow my family, viii
shoot him upon the street. Whether
he communicated that to Beecher or not, 1
don't know. After Beecher, on Saturday
evening, had prepared his letter of
resignation and / had sent him
that message through Moulton,
that he must find some other way, went
early the next morning to Moulton's
house to see what had been the re-
suit of AIR. Beecher's late consultations
with Moulton. Moulton showed me "A letter
to the editor OF the Eagle prepared by
Beecher ia relation to the publication of
the tripartite agreement.
CLOSE OF HIS DIRECT TESTIMONY.
DIR. BACoN's LETTER-LAsT INTERVIEWS WITH
BEECHRR-THE SEPARATION BETWEEN MAN
AND wIFE-BEssIE TURNER-A DISPUTE
AMONG THE CoUNsEL-THE LOVE LETTERS
-BE6iSNING OF THE CRoss-ExAMINATIoN
New YORK. Feb. ga heavy rain
storm to-day did not prevent the usual
crowd from attending the Brooklyn
City Court, where the Tilton-B eecher
trial is in progress. Mrs. Tilton, Mrs.
Field, Mrs. Tubps and Mrs. Sherman
were present promptly. AT the appointed
hour the court was formally opened, and
Mr.. Tilton continued his story. He said:
first heard of the promised council of the
church, l think, in the early part of Novem-
Der, 1873, from Mr.. Beecher. in Mr.. Moul-
toms house. He told me trouble had arisen
out of my speech in the church and the pub
fishing ofthe card byHallidav in a newsnaner