Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1875-04-08
BEECHER.
The Great Preachers Experience
With Mrs. Woodruff.
" Sir Marmaduke's Musing' a
Dastardly Thing.
What Was Meant by Such
Phrases as "Stepping Down
and Out" >etc,
The Old Mans Great Sorrow.
Another Crowded House TO Hear
Beecher.

Another Crowded House TO Hear
Beecher.
NEW YORK, April THE usual large
crowd sought admission to the Brooklyn
City Court room to-day to listen to the con-
tinuatiOn of Mr.. Beecher's testimony in
the scandal case, but only the regulation
number were allowed to enter. Judge
Nelson and all the counsel were on hand
early, and at II o'clock Mr.. Beecher re-
sumed his place on the witness stand.
The Interview With MIS-. WOOdhuIl
The witness testified that the interview
with Mrs. Woodruff about presiding at
the Steinway Hall meeting, was on the day
of the evening on which the meeting took
place at MOultOn's house. The interview
lasted about twenty minutes, and l imme-
diately went down stairs and told the re-
suit Of it TO Tilton and MOultOn. She had
then gone away. l said she met me with
some fOrInalities, and said she was engaged
in an unpopular cause and desired the help
Of progressive men; that she was to lecture
at a public meeting that night and she
wished me to preside. / said l seldom pre-
sided at public meetings. She said some
thing like being engaged in a fOrlOrn hope,
and thought l sympathized with her. She
handed me a large roll Of paper, which
she said contained her views and urged me
to revoke my denial. She charged me with
eowardice and we then separated.
Could Not and would Not Ally Him.
self with This Woman.
told MOultOn l would lot and could
not ally myself with this woman. He said,
for Henry Ward Beecher to preside at this
meeting would 60 out to the nation and
would show a bright example. My denial
to Mrs. Woodruff was absolute, and she
knew it. did not tell Tilton or MOultOn
1 did not see how could do it, and if L
changed my mind before evening might
preside.
Both Kissed woodruff.
l was in the chamber at MoultOn's when
Mrs. Woodruff came to dinner. Mr.. and
Mrs. MoultOn were there when Mrs. Wood
hull came in, and they both kissed her. !
have an impression that Tilton was there.
received a letter from Mrs. Woodruff in
reference to going to the meeting Of the
Woman SutfraGists at Washington, in
either the winter of 1871, or the spring Of
1872. l answered this letter, but did not
write an answer to Steinway Hall meet
ing, but saw her shortly after.
A DastardIy Thing.
1 became acquainted with Theo. TiltOn's
poem, Sir Marmaduke's missing. / had a
conversation with 1loultOn about il. l
told him l thought il q daStardly letter,
that it was an i'll bird that fouled its own
nest. / said il almost broke my heart 10
see EliZabeth's name brought before the
public in that way.
A Cold Reception by MOuItOn.
Before writing the letter of February .,
1872, to MoultOn, something occurred to
make me write. l went the week before
to Moulton's Office; be did not sppear to
see NE, and went about his work. When
going out he spoke cOldly 20 me, and when
| entered into conversation with him he
was very abrupt and appeared angry. He
said that it was well for Inc, who had
friends and home, TO disregard TiltOn; that
he was suffering, and was being injured by
those who were around me. The cOVeTsa-
ton was very trying 10 me. As 1 was 60
ing away the next week, l found that l
could not 90 off until clearing myself in
court of the honor and fulfilling my obi
cation to Tilton. / was certain had full
filled every obligation 10 TiltOn l had en-
tered into.
What He Meant by Stepping Down
and Out.
When l spoke of 'is,epping down and
out, l referred TO the fact that, rather than
the church should be mixed up in any in
vestigation relating to TiltOn's family,
sooner than that | would leave the church,
for it would destroy it. When l wrote this
letter was in the depth Of the depths.
know Of no more horrible evil in this
world than to hurt friend. In reference
to the expression 81 am alone" / referred
to the circumstance that / was shut up
with him in the policy Of silence regarding
the mater. The phrase "thOugh You love
me not" referred TO his treatment Of me on
Saturday, and his treatment Of me when
he said | was not the man he thought l
was.
Beecher's Great Sorrow.
During the year l wrote Of the great sOr-
row that oppressed me. Il was the ever
lasting resurrection Of the trouble which
was always coming ND. l had abundant
/ cause for fear besides TiltOn and his family.
l feared that an imputatiOn would be cast
on me, being a minister. | feared the
story would 90 around the church, and
| there would be inquiries in my church, and
| il would damage my usefulness. There
would be z COntlagTatiOn in my church
which would utterly destroy it. l did not
| see any way ont Oft, and l did 2 great deal
| for their sake, but for my own sake l did
! great deal more. The charge then was i'm
| proper advances. The other charge had not
then been made.
The Golden Age Article.
After recess, Mr.. Beecher testified touch
! ing an interview with MOulton in regard
| to what is known as the Golden Age
| article, that the latter threw it carelessly
over and said, tRead that and tel Inc
| what YOU think about it." and l took the
article and read it through and was so As
| founded at the idea Of his putting such an
article before me, that l said, "GOOd
! heavens, what do You mean, Frank" He
wanted to know what would be the efe
Of its publication. Well, said I, the effect
will be inevitable, for its publication will
defeat everything we have been trying
| to do. The publication Of this article
is q disclosure of the matter, and the
| whole thing becomes public. "DO you
| think sO?' said he. 81 know so" Well
| there was very little conversation on the
| subject, between us, but that was about the
! substance. We didn't argue the question
at all. This article included BOwen's let
/ teT, which the witness had not before seen.
| In reply 10 4 question as TO what was said
/ about this letter, the witness said: l don't
| know. depressed myself as strongly as
a clergyman could without swearing, but it
was intense abjurgatiOn.
I . e