The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1875-04-23

cedent secretly executed her will in the
house Of an acquaintance in Fifth avenue,
and on the next day sailed for Charles:
ton. S. c.. where they resided until she
died last summer.
The interest of tho contest has been
heightened by the presence of the wife,
Letitia, before Surrogate Hutchings, her
utter ignorance Of the whole proceeding
by which she was three years ago divorced
and DETAINED, and the whereabouts dur.
ing this time of her truant husband.
The Difficulty ef Beecher's Defense.
[From the Springfield (Mass.) Republican,
It arises at the outstart, and grows
with every chapter of his story.
After Tilton confronted Beecher on the
night of December 30, 1870, with his
charge, whatever it was, and read his
wife's confession, whatever it was, Beech
er went to Mrs. Tilton's bedside. A.
cepting his own account of that inter-
view, it is perfectly plain that, before it
was over, he was convinced that her con.
fcssion had been extorted from a sick
woman by husband who knew it's falls.
ity. Here IS Mr.. Beecher's testimony
about their conversation:
Il said to her: 'Elizabeth,.I I have lust
seen your husband and had long inter-
view with him. He has been making
many statements to me, aud charges,
and he has sent me to you in respect to
some of them that you should verify
them.' l then said: He has charged me
with alternating your affections frsm him.
He has charged me that have corrupted
your simplicity and your truthfulness.
He has also charged me with attempting
improprieties is hard thing for a
man to speak to woman he reveres of
such things, and could not express my
self very clearly. Are these things so,
Elizabeth There was the faintest
quiver, and tears trickled down her
cheek, but no answer. I said to her ::
He says that you have charged me. Eliza
beth, with making improper advances.
Have you stated all these things and
made these charges!' And she opened her
eyes and said: MY friend, I could not
help it, Gould not help it, Elizabeth
Why could you not help it? You know
that these things are not true.' oh,
Mr.. Beecher, said she, 4 was wearicd
out. Ihave bcen-l have been wearied
with his opportunities or something to
that effect. He made me think that, if
would confess love to you, it would help
him to confess to me his alien affections,
or words to that effect. But said to
her, Elizabeth, this is = charge of at.
tempting improper things. You know
that that is not true Yes, it is moi
true, she says, sbut what can I do DO
you can take it back again. She hesita.
ted. and | did not understand her hesita
ton. Why not take it back! 1t is no,
true She said something about she
would be willing to do it if it could be
done without injury t. her husband which
| did not at all understand. But said
/, you ought to give me q written re.
traction Of that written CHARGE She
said she was willing to do anything if
would not use it against her husband.
said, give me the paper She pointed
to the secretary in the other room, which
stood between the windows. I Went
there, and took from the secretary some
note.paper, pen and ink. 1 brought them
to the bedside. She raised herself up q
little and wrote the retraction.'
The retraction itself written, accord.
ing to Beecher, by Mrs. Ti'ton volun'
tarily, according to Tilton at Beecher's
dictation,) repeats the same story as tc
the origin Of the confession which Mr.
Beecher represents Mrs. Ti1ton as giving
i'll the above conversation. "Wearied
with opportunities and weakened bv sick,
ness, | gave letter duplicating my
friend, Henry Ward Beecher%
was persuaded to it, almost forced,
when was in weakened state of mind. u
According TO Mr.. Beecher's evidence
therefore, he knew when he went home,
that Friday night, that Theodore Tilton
had been guilty of as devilish a piece Of
malignity rs can well be conceived--the
forcing of his almost dying wife to sign a
false charge Of crime against her pastor
q piece of malignity which there is thus
far no pretense on Mr.. Beecher's part
that Tilton ever disavowed or apologized
for.
Now what is the first communication
that Mr.. Beecher makes to Tilton afte,
learning Of the latter revolving conduct
The ''letter Of contrition,' or, as Mr..
Beecher prefers to call it, the '*memoran
dum,' prepared on the Sunday after thai
Friday night. Though he says that ':ir
no proper sense Of tho word dictation
did l dictate it, }" he yet admits that thii
document is largely made up Of what he
really did say, and explicitly admits hav'
ing been tho author of this sentence
''He would heve been better man in my
circumstances than I have been" He
the man who, hut two nights before, had
charged him with q base crime. on the
strength Of false confession that he had
half forced out Of his sick wife, against oil
her protestatlons that it was 4 lie!
Five weeks later, (Feb. 7, 1871 writ
ing to my dear Mr.. Moulton'' an earnest
wish ''that, by your kind mediation
Theodore, Elizabeth, and I could be made
friends again. Mr.. Beecher says, "Theo
dore will have the hardest task in such Z
case, but has he not proved himself capa
ble of the noblest things -. '.Capablc Of
the noblest things the man who only
Eve weeks before, had brought this foul
and false charge against him, and never
since, SO far Is appears, said word BY
What nextl a visit 81 Beecher 4 4
Tilton's house ID The same hehth Of fsb