The Portland daily press., 1875-01-19
NEW YORK.
THE SCANDAL.
Transformation of MoultOm's Testimony.

him that had beeu invited to appear before
his committee that night, and had prepared q
statement which read to him. and he thought
it was a fair and honorable one. He told the
same thing to my wife, and told him had
read it to Mr.. Tilton.
Ex-Judge Fullerton offered this statement in
evidence, to which Mr.. Evarts objected.
The court said that it did not seem clear to
him that its evidence was material.
Mr.. Fullerton argued that this statement
showed facts which were conceded by Mr.
Beecher and it also showed that up to that
time Mr. Moulton was In the confidence OF MI
Beecher.
After a brief argument, in which Messrs.
Evarts, Fullerton and Beach engaged, the
court ruled out the statement, to winch MI.
Fullerton then stated that he wished to offer
parts of his statement in evidence, and offered
that portion regretting tn 1t he (Mo1lton)Would
have 10 appear before the committee, and an
other portion setting forth that all the parties
implicated should appear first, and he lMoul-
tom would appear at the last and tell the
truth.
These extracts were ruled out by the court
and an exception taken.
Witness continued-The Bacon letter had
then been published, and was the subject of
conversation before this statement was pre-
pared. l said to Mr. Beecher | had recon-
mended that this Bacon letter had offered a
basis of reconciliation before going before the
committee, and after reading my statements he
concurred in it. l first learned about a com
mittee being appointed on July 9th, from MT.
Beecher, and he then said he would have the
naming of the members of the committee. At
ter this saw Mr.. Beecher with regard to the
statement he was to make before the commit
tee. This was about July 18th. He read to
me from paper what he was going to say
about Theodore Tilton, and said that be took
great blame to himself for his treatment OF
THEODORE Tilton and his family, land exonorated
I tn m cOuld
more than tell the committee the truth OF the
matter He taid if Theodore would reveal the
relations between him and Mrs Tilton it would
ruin him and kill Titon, saw Titon told him
it would not be right to appear before the com
mittee and lay this charge against Mr.. Beecher
of these relations. / told Mr.. Beecher that
would not advise him to make statement be,
fore Mr. Tlton could be got to commit himself
to what he (Mr. Beecher) should say and he
then proposed to get an adJournHent OF tne
committee until this was done. Mr.. BeecheI
then prepared statement (produced and read)
exonorating Mr. Tilton. which he (Beecherl
asked me to show to Theodore, which did, and
reported to Mr.. Beecher that when it was shown
to Tilton he refused to make himself out the
victim of a Authorization. On the list MI.
Tilton presented the card he had prepared to
the committee Mr.. Beecher then prepared
statement for the committee. Mr.. Tilton pre-
pared his reports for submission as proposed.
The reports for the committee make Mr. I'll
ton all, ge that Mr.. Beecher bad committed a
grave offence against Mr.. ard Mrs. Theodore
Tilton. There was long statement and a
short one. Between the 18th and 10th of July,
1874, after the publication of Mr.. Tilton's card.
told Beecher that this would never have been
published had Mr.. Beecher not made the state
mnnts he did, and caused his wife to desert her
home.
The Golden Age newspaper was started in
New York in March, 1871, and is being pub
lished now. The first consultation about the
Golden Age had with Mr.. Beecher before it
started; he hoped it would be successful and
would like to assist him in its establishment,
which Theodore declined. The next converse
ton was in 1878, when | told him the paper
was dragging and Theodore was down-hearted
about it, and Mr.. Beecher said he would like to
help the paper. told him l did not know
this could be done, but he still continued these
offers. Mr.. Beecher said he thought could
take some money and give it to Theodore as
my own, but told him 1 could not do it hon.
orably He offered to make a mortgage on his
house for S. 900 and give it to me to dole out to
Theodore. Finally in May, 1873, took Sc, 900
in bills from Mr.. Beecher and gave it to MI.
Tilton, who did not know where the money
came from. On July Doth Mr.. Tracy wanted
me to tell Tilton that the $4,000 came from
Beecher to stop him from publishing his state
ments, which l refused to do, and Mr.. Tracy
said it would cause me trouble. replied LET
it do So"
A letter from Mr.. West requesting the call
ing of meeting of Plymouth church to take
action on the charges preferred against Mr.
Beech, Mr. Tilton and Mr.. Bowen was read by
counsel and placed in evidence, but before
that it was identified by the witness as being
gwen 10 him by Mr.. Beecher. Counsel also
produced the original card published in the
Eagle from Mr.. Beecher, and it was placed in
evidence. Objection was raised to it by Mr..
Evarts. but it was admitted by the court when
Mr.. Beecher was connected with it. The card
denies the truth of the Woodruff statements
and stamps them as false. Recess.
After the recess Mr.. Moulton's examination
was continued. Counsel for the prosecution
introduced letter of Mrs. TlltOn's with refer
ence to the statement made to Beecher that it
be could stand one portion OF thes story in reia-
ton to Mrs. Tilton's becoming wife to him
with all which that word implied, he could
stand it all. Fullerton withdrew the letter on
its introduction, being objected to by Mr..
Evarts
Witness was handed letter which he said
was from Beecher. Counsel explained that it
was one of the letters which were mislaid and
it had not come in proper order. The letter
was read by the counsel 1t was written to
Mouton in March, 1872, and telling him that
be tBeeecher) was under cloud, and referring
to Moulton's friendship for him.
Mr.. Evarts withdrew his objection to the
former letter which was read. 1t was dated
December, 1860, and ending with the labors OF
Witness continued-Beecher visited my
house very often in the beginning of the year
1871. He was there once and sometimes twice
a day. That continued during the following
year. He often came before was out of bed
and called on me late at night. He did not
frequently visit me at my place OF business in
New York. After the 18th of July, 1874, he
did not pay me any visits
Mr.. Fullerton said that this closed the direct
examination, and unless something was over
looked he did not propose to ask any further
questions.
Some little time was spent by counsel argu-
ing as to a correction which the witness de-
sired to make in relation to the nest letters,
which was decided in favor OF the counsel for
prosecution and accordingly placed on record
The witness was questioned as to converse ion
which occurred between him and Mr.. Beecher
in the fall as to the 'nest" charges.
The defence objected to this and another
long wrangle ensued The question was ruled
in order by the court and witness stated he
never heard but the one set of charges against
Beecher.
Cross-ExaminatiOn.
Witness was cross-examined by ex-Judge
Porter and stated he was 80 years of age; was
a member of the firm of Woodruff & Robinson,
but ceased to be a member on the 1st OF Janu-
airy; in this affair, said witness, was the friend
of Beecher and TIlton this friendship grew up
and reached its climax about the LIST of Decem-
Der 1870; never refused Beecher access to any
papers in my hands; L remember on the 10th OF
July, 1874 receiving letter from Mr.. Beecher,
(produced and ready asking that copies of his
letters be sent to him; this | refused because L
was going out of town, and besides l did not
think such course would be honorable;
never remember of Gen. Tracy's writing to me
Tor copies; denied the originals or copies as
was going out of town and could not honorably
give either.
A letter of the 18th of July from Beecher
asking for copies again did not get till my re-
turn to town on the 4th of August; (this letter
was read by the counsel informing Moulton
that the committee were waiting on him for an
explanation, asking him to come and clear his
mind and produce the documents in his posses
sion.
Witness continued On the 18th of August |
wrote reply TO Beecher (the reply was read
by counsel) refusing to give up papers or docI-
ments to one party to aid him against the
other, and would hold papers till both parties
to their being given up.
Witness resumed: At the time wrote this
letter was q friend of both parties; when L re-
turned this answer to Beecher L meant that as
/ had furnished no copies to Theo Tilton l
would not let him have any of them; did not
read all of Tilton's successive statements;
would not swear that Ti'ton had not a copy of
the letter of recantation, nor will L swear that
session; [ never dictated to Tilton when he
made copies of these papers; do not know if
he possessed copy of the letter of contrition;
L never read Tilton's examination or his last
statement.
In reply to my letter Of the 4th of August, L
received a reply from Beecher. (The letter
was produced and it's introduction objected to