The Leavenworth weekly times. [volume] (Leavenworth, Kan.) 1870-1880, 1875-06-24

| coming ctDIt vi lhc hich-
toned and chatting with me, as WAS often
his habit, when, after we had.talked on gen.
eral topics, the conversation was turned by
Mr.. Beecher to the subject Of poisons. He
questioned me about the several kinds, and
asked about their component parts, their
general effect, etc. After talking with him
on these points for some little time, he made
the inquiry as to what the effect OF arsenic
would be on the human system, what dose
il would require to destroy Life, what the
symptoms would be after taking it into the
stomach, and what appearance the body
would present after death. explained all
these points to him, and he then asked me
if did not think arsenic would be the best
thing a man could take il he wanted TO
make an end of his life. To this / replied
that thought not. Prussic acid would be,
in my opinion, the 4uietest and surest
thing to take. We still kept on talking On
poisons, and he again asked me
WHAT IHE SYMPTOMS WOULD BE
after a man had taken dose of prussic
acid. lie also asked me what sort of an
appearance the face would present imme-
diately before and after death, and whether
there would be any indications observable
by which people could detect that a poison
had been taken and that the death had not
been brought about by natural cause. He
likewise asked me If their would be any
odor or smell that would lead to the conclu-
sion that there had been anything wrong.
explained all these points pretty clearly to
him, and in the course of so doing i told
him the quantity that would kill person.
| The conversation at the time made but lit
| tie impression ON my mind, for thought he
was merely asking me the questions he did
out of curiosity.
Finally, Just before he was leaving the
store, he asked me to give him some prus-
sic acid, which did, not thinking that he
had any intention Of making an improper
use OF it. gave him a one-ounce bottle,
which had not been opened, but was done
| up just the same as when | bought it. 1t
had label on it, on which was printed
| "HYpRoCYANIc ACID"
with directions how to preserve the strength
Of the acid, etc, together with the name Of
the chemists by whom it was made"
The Herald representative noticed that in
| the ledger where the entry of the poison
was made it was not only by itself, but ran
on, following the entry of some goods pur-
chased previously by Mr. Beecher, and sue
ceeded on the next lines by other entries of
goods purchased subsequent to the date of
May Is, 1871. This fact is mentioned to
show that the entry was evidently genuine
one.
THE sOFA-wHAT WAS SEEN IN TILToN's
HOUSE
The following statement was obtained
from, a ha los
pets in the house of Theodore Tilton in the
month Of October, 1869. The name of this
man, although known to the Herald, is with
held for reasons that can be well understood
1t may, however, be stated that he is now
occupying, and has for the past two years
occupied a store and carried on a business
ON one OF the principal streets in Brooklyn.
He is also well known in the community,
and is man of family and means. He
says substantially as follows:
ain the fall OF 1869, in the month OF
October, but the precise day cannot now
recollect, i was engaged by a man named
Price to assist him in laying carpets in the |
house OF Theodore Tilton, in Lexington
street. We were there doing this work du- |
ring two days, commencing each day about |
10 o'clock, and leaving off about 8 in the |
afternoon. | remember hearing the front |
door-bell ring. Price and myself were then |
finishing work on the hall stairs. Mrs. |
Tilton answered the door herself, and let i'm |
an elderly-looking man, whom subsequent
ly learned and know TO be Henry Ward |
Beecher. As soon as the door was closed. |
Mr.. Beecher seized hold of Mrs. Tilton, and
clasped his arms around her waist and drew
her TO him and kissed her, and she return
ed it. In fact, Beecher raised her off her
feet during the operation, and placed her
body 30 close TO his own, that il made an
indelible impression on my mind at the
time. The whole act was one that gave me
the idea-which can never be effaced-that
the relations between the two were of such |
intimacy as could only exist between man
and woman who were either matrimonial
ly or
CRIMINALLY RELATED.
The two, after the first salute, walked into
the front parlor, on the left-hand side of
the hall As YOU enter from the street. Mr..
Beecher had his arm still around Mrs. Til
tons waist and spoke to her, and she to
him, in the most affectionate manner, 30 far
As 1 could judge from their actions. He
was bending down to talk to her, with his
face all smiles, while she looked up into
his countenance, appearing more than
pleased with the attentions Mr.. Beecher
was paying and she receiving / asked
Price who the man was and he said, "Yes.
that is Beecher, the preacher" i remarked,
they are pretty loving couple, guess.
Did you see how he lifted her up and press
ed her to him." Price said, "Yes and /
guess III take a peep and see what they
are doing" Whereupon he went through
into the room at the end of the hall. In a
he came back and told ME he had
been looking through the keyhole of the
door dividing the front parlor from the IL
brary, and had seen Mr. Beecher
ON THE SOFA
with Mrs. Tilton in such a position as TO
leave no room for doubt as to what they
were doing. In fact, to Use Prices own
words, he said, "Beecher is having a good ,
time, l guess he's got it all fxed.S l
asked him what he meant, and he replied,
You know what i mean very well, but il
you want to get it straighter, I'll tell you."
He then averred that he meant criminal
intercourse between the parties. had left '
NY hat and some Of my tools on the man {
elpiece of the room where Beecher was.
md l said to Price, 81 have a good mind to ]
20 in their suddenly and get my things ,
hat left there" He dared me to do it,
md l said would 60 in. With that went !;
across the hallway, opened the door and ,
Falked to the mantel and took nv tools.
The door opens inward, and behind it
here is lounge. As l walked across the
loor, as l went in, saw no one, but Just a.
got to the mantel l heard a rustic. 1
urned round to walk out when saw Mr.. r
5eecher, as it were, Just rising from the O
|oor, with one hand on the end of the v
OUNCE, and moving away from Mrs. Til
on, who was sitting or reclining on it, with Il
Ter skirts very much disoriered. Mr.. O
'eecher was directly in front of her. / n
rev my own conclusions, but said nothing d
ntil ! got outside in the hall, where left
rice looking in through a crack in the
COR. i then told him what l had seen,
nd he said he saw Mr.. Beecher, as went
a, kneeling in front of Mrs. Tilton, and ID
nat when disturbed them he had risen
-om that position, and, As he did 80, hur-
iedly arranged his dress. Mrs. Tilton P
lade no movement to arrange her dress 90 g
n Is l saw. The time that was in the II
,om, of course, was very short, but took ..
, the scene like a Aasl,. What took =
lace after that do not know, for we left 8,
ne house. The Job was paid for nv an -