The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1875-04-23

grief or cOmpunctiOn that you i.Ad In references
| o. what had occul reii A. did cir.
q. And how siid You express Yourself In tina,
regard A. Well, Expressed my self as a man
that was very sensitive II such a matter az that
! san q was grlei a. deep as my heart could
mischief had been wrought. for l was al the
time under profound conviction that had un-
Intentionally and unconsciousy wrought In that
| quieLlittlc woman a smoldering fire, that had
\ burned unknown 10 me, and which had broken
| out with such inflnite mischief.
q. Now, Mr.. IBeecher. during all your inter
I views with Mrs. M0ultOn M that house, was any
7 thing ever said By Mrs. MoultOn 20 you on the
subject 81 having been guilty OF crime with Mrs.
Triton A; Mrs. NJ. was absolutely incapable
OF saying that W my presence neither by direct
word nor ailuson 10 her honor.
y. Was there any conversation at any time
between you and Mrs. NJ. by which that charge
or imputation against YOU In respect u Mrs. Il .
was made by any body A. Mrs. Moulton
never c0nyersed ON that subject in that aspect
and on these relations. she was a lady. thor.
ough bred, 90 my impression, and never heard
her say a word that Jared upon my sense Of del
icacy and prOpriety.
q. Now. Mr.. f5eecher. in all Of your inter
course with Mrs. Moulton, did she at any time
in any conversation with you either by word or
any implication, put or suggest the crime Of adul-
terry or illicit sexual relations between yourself
and Mrs. IIltonf a. she never did, neither by
word nor by implication.
q. Was that fact stated imputed or supposed !;
was II ever a topic OF conversation or suggestion
from you 10 her, or her 10 your A. 1t never
was.
MR. BEEcHERs FIRST KNOWLEDGE OF THE
CHARGE on ADULTERY.
q. Now, Mr.. Beeeher. in all this matter he.
tween YOU and Iilton and Moulton. going on
from December, lssO, until the summer In last
year, when was the first notice or intmation to
you Of charge, or Of the use Of the word crime
In any conduct that you were charged with on the
part Of Illton OF houltons a. IL was conveyed
TO me through Mr.. Eedpath. at Peekskill, and
then only unless il occurred ia an interview about
the Bacon letter, but do not think that word
"a IN - anara. nsrNar
q. The word ''crime" was not used in that
interview about the Bacon letter A. No. sir.
Aside from that, 70 the best of my recollection,
II IL did not occur then, nv first hearing Of il
was through Reipath. at Peekskill.
O. 50 that encouragement made 70 You by
kedpath AZ coming from Iilton and Moult0n.
that they intended to charge adultery, was the
first notice of that imputafion OF charge on their
part A. II was the first statement 10 me. IL
was the first time, ! suspect, that IL was ever
o Well, the first statement to your A. At
any rate knew II then for the first time as part
Of their plan.
THE INVESTIGATING COMMITTEE.
Q. Now. Mr.. Beecher did there come TO be
an investigating committee last summer: a.
There did.
q. Alter it was appoints.l was an application
made 10 you from that committee for a state
men before Il 81 your relations with Mrs. Tiltons
A. There was.
q. Well did you present to the committee a
statement ON that subject 4. did.
u
Moulton speaks having been read In part at
least 70 him? a. Yes, sir.
q. Was that the paper from which YOU read TO
Moult0ns A. Yes. cir.
Evarts-I offer that paper in evidence. Please
look AZ the date Of this, Mr.. Bcecher, and then
will ash You question: the date Is Wednesday.
after your interview with Redpath az Peekskill,
which was on Monday, 18th A. Yes. sir.
MIR. Evarts. will now read 10, If your Honor
please lreadingl
BEEcHER's LETTER TO THE COMMITTEE.
"WEDNEsDAT, july IS, ls.4.
"DEAR BRETHREN When at length the time
came that could break the long silence OF four
years, | thought IL proper. and IN accordance
has defended, that should speak To you, and
through you 10 the Church the only ecclesiastical
tribunal, whose authority recognize as binding
on me. asked the appointment Of large com
mIftee OF able and impartial men, because,
I though my own statement was % be in mytudg-
ment the chief eieme mt, yet there were many in
cidental and collateral questions which desired
10 have investigated and finally determined. 4
do not propose % enter on the details Of history
running through four years shall state facts
which concern originally the troubles, and leave
alone the tangled sequences.
my acquaintance with Mrs. Elizabeth Tilton
dates from her childhood; my intimacy in her
family from l-52 or l-sS5. Her nature was strong
" devotional, che had genius Of religious zen
tlmcDt. Had she lived IN other days and in the
Catholic Church, she has always seemed % me 90
b. one Of those who would have inspirations and
ana she deserved the respectful Affection which
she won from me. loved her as one would his
own child; she had grown up under my teach
ings. she had never known any other religious
teacher, and she had associated with my name
aud Illuminated IL by her Imagination. worthy af-
fiction aud trust. nor did dream for n long time
that IN such a gentle and appreciative nature my
admiration and sincere Affection might beget an
enthusiasm which would mar entirely the love
which a wife should cherish for her husband. IL
was at length the sight Of the unhappiness dis
closed in her family and the indignant re
proaches OF her husband that aroused in
me full sense 81 the wrong done in
winning any part Of that affection which
should belong 90 her household. Leaving
10 Others the unwelcOme task OF refined moral
criticism upon this gentle and ure-minded wo-
man, IL Is for me explicitly 20 defend her from
any charge u criminality Of conduct, and dissi-
pate even the shadow Of a reproach upon her IN
tempted honor. and to join with her husband,
Who has again and again. with loyal affection and
with justice. defended the personal purity Of his
wife. Although the sincerc affection which grew
up in me for Mrs Tlton was honorable in intent.
none the LEES condemn myself with unsparing
severity for bringing upon the rrosi sacred Of hui
man insttutionE-the ACKNOWLEDGMENT harm and
distress, which have since flowed like river. I
do not measure the blame by light standard.
That our relations we're not criminal. In the ordi
nary and legal sense Of the term does not exon
crate me from blame, nor does 4 relieve me Of
The sharpest pangs o. sorrow. NY age. my ex-
and my long and Ahectionate relations with Mr..
Tilton should have been shield y her. When
the full realization broke upon me'of household
deeply wounded by my imprudcnce, OF
possible and threatened divisions and scatter
ings. and long train of evils that might befall
the father mother and beautiful group u chill
dren, and that instead ofhappiness had brought
/ upon two persons with whom had been in most
ahectionate relations a torrent ~ misery, whose
influence might widen indefinitely, my distress
passed all bounds. To mutual friend poured
out my soul like water. did not meas ure words,
Y | took upon myself immeasurable blame. wish
ed him . convey to Tilton IN language over,
Il. "A