The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1875-01-13
NEW YORK.
THE SCANDAL.
Continuation of Judge lIorris,s

NEW YORK, Jan. 12.-The usual lthr0ng OF
spectators filled the Brooklyn court room this
morning. while outside in the corrldors the
crowd was as great as ever. az , lEYlI
( MIR. Beechsr and his wife and son, with assis-
tant pastor Halliday, occupied seats behind
their counsel, while Messrs. Moulton and Hilton
had seats ON either side of ex-Judge FuliertoL.
Mrs. Tilton and Mrs. OvingtOn came IN WDn
Judge Morse and Ira Wheeler, and tjokI posi-
ton behind Mr.. Hill. Curiosity was raised to
the highest pitch by their appearance, and for
a short time they had to run the battery Iof all
eyes in the room. lG sr .19, / ..'
ex-J udge Morris continued his opening:
ID He had recalled their minds briefly to the
facts, buthe would now revert to some OF them
The letter calling attention to the guilt OF MIS-.
Tilton was written when her husband was some
100 miles away from her. -4ai.'.t - 4 so
In 1871, trouble came from another qua ter,
namely Plymouth church, some members in
sisting that Mr.. Tilton's name should be drop
ped from the rolls of membership, and a COM
mittee, the defendant, appointed to remonstrate
with Mr.. Tilton. Action was delayed for
considerable time. The members were anxious
to hear report from the committee, who had
appealed to Mr.. Moulton, who had induced Mr.
Tilton to resign from the church. There were
tEo or three who are anxious to press an action
of the case. What were the circumstances OF
the matter that they could not be submitted to
an investigating committee of his own church?
The defendant, the pastor OF the church, Sc
cured to himself the appointment OF commit
tee to Mr. Tilton.y Finally, the committee re.
mittee thought il was better to delay action,
Mr. 1Beecher fearing that if the matter was
pushedi forward Mr.. Tilton might disclose all
the facts. Foolish man, to attempt to hide
But no sooner had one difficulty been put,
aside than another doomed up. Mrs. Woodruff
had got possession of some facts and threat
ened to make them known, and they resorted
to the device of irving to placate her, which
device was but temporary. All the parties
tried to please Der and get her not to publish
the matter; SO when Mrs. Woodruff writes TO
Mr. Beecher, asking him to preside at meet
ing, the letter was turned over to MI. Moulton,
Mr.. Beecher telling him he was in his hands.
telling him at the same time that be would do
what he advised, placing his reputation 10 his
han s, and having no will, no mind, no jndg'
ment Of his own, as to his action, This was
more than year after the letter of contritlop
was written. This was after Mr.. TiitOn had
presided at the meeting in Steinway Hall.
Shortly after this, Mr.. Beecher met ME- Tilton
in the cars going east, when they had CONVEX
sation in which the plaintiff tells Mr.. Beechers
he need not be afraid of exposure, and eoun-
selled him to go on with his great work. Was
this the advice OF a man who preferred raise
charge against another? .7l y II
The counsel quoted from Mr.. Beecher's let
ter in which he offers to step down and out OF
the church which he filed. Think of it, said the
counsel; an innocent man offering tovacate
the proud position he held at the instance of
desiring to offer himself up as a sacrifice TO the
man who in 1870 falsely accused him with be-
ing his destroyer AS the defendant said in
the same letter, HE lived in great darkness"
What did this mean, save that he saw him
self in the light of the destroyer. of that fair
and happy household. "To live meantto ex.
list, on the sharp, ragged edge of despair re-
morse and anguish. No man understood the
English language better than the defendant,
and when he used the word remorse, it was tor
his guilt, the remorse be felt was blended with
a dread that his discovery would be followed
by punishment-a renorse which stung and
proved o" him as a serpent. What was there
that should place him on the ragged edge but
remorse despair and anguish? Bear 10 nina
that at this time he was dwelling 10 darkness
and suffering the punishment of the damned.
This was before the publishing of the letters.
Mr. TiltOn's letter to DIR. Bacon had not been
published, nor had his letter to Mr.. Bowen
AT the time of his great sufferings none OF
these letters had been published The defend
ant had then been giving lectures to the
students of the Theological Seminary with
eclat and success. The mem bers of his church
were preparing to celebrate his silver wedding.
Would .you." said the counsel, addressing the
iury, require any other evidence than those
letters? Could their language be explained in
the light of nnocence?' All the gloss in the
world could not cover up the guilt then con
fessed, or bury the meaning of those terrible
words. These letters were written by Mr.
Beecher, voluntarily. If he had been an inno-
cent man, would he have sat down and written
letters like these? la any of these letters
were any charges made of false accusation
being preferred against him? Why, no. All
through these letters runs the secret OF some
great wrong committed by him. a '.'es 's.s'
Mr.. Moulton either knew that the charge
was true or false, and Mr. Beecher knew that
Mr. Moulton was aware of the truth or falslty
of the charge Mr. Beecher had always been
noted for his courage and bravery, and when in
1868 ne faced the raging mobs in Manchester
and Liverpool, his praises rang throughout the
country, and the bravery he exhibited there
was that of truth and honesty; and now when
he returns to his church and is upheld by them
as no other man could have been upheld, ne
exhibited his cowardice which arose from a
consciousness of his guilt. This man who was
brave at all times has made coward of his
conscience No man can be happy when be
sees once happy wife and mother debauched
and outraged. NO." he would, say, t;do as
YOU will, / offer myself up as sacrifice" sai
The view the defendant took of this was that
when his secret became known his life of use
fulness was at an end, hence the necessity of
keeping it as secret as possible. Following this
course was another difficulty. MIR. TiltoH had
lost his situation and there being compilca-
ton about money matters, Mr.. TitOn had en-
gagged lawyers 10 a suit against Mr.. Bowen.
An effort vas made to submit the matter to
arbitrator, and covenant was entered into
between the parties, signed on the I'd of April,
1872, year and half alter the charge had
been made against Mr. Beecher by Mr.. Tilton.
At that time Mr.. Tilton had written his rbiog-
raphy of Mrs. Woodruff. ..r,.3tr.g.
Counsel then came down to some of the later
facts, In November, 1872, there came out in
woodruff & Clafin's weekly the publication
accusing Mr. Beecher of adultery with Mrs
Triton. What did Mr.. Beeeher then do? was
the question for them to consider. What should
he have done? What did he dog a .d meeting e
Mr.. HallIday's house, and it was resolved to
take no notice of it but try and 1--we It down W.T.
When all this was going on there was an uni-
yersal cry from all the land for him to retute
the publication, but be took no notice OF it. he
would take no notice of it because 1T was pup
lished in journal of so low character, but 1t
was afterwards copied into all the papers. and
all joined in the cry for this story to De denied
by Mr.. Beecher, but no attention was paid to
this either. Everything that tended to reve-
lation of the secret was ruinous to him, and,
therefore he remained silent and allowed the
story to go uncontradicted for six months. and
then at last he IS compelled to deny it for fear
of mora sariOus cOnseonenceS --.t