The Portland daily press., 1875-03-10
THE SCANDAL.

Mr. Tilton coming there on a lecturing tour.
He asked me for two rooms adjoining one an
other, which were given hun. L went to Mr.
Tiltons door and raped. was turning away
when. the dior opened and saw Mr.. Titon
with his coat, hat and boots off. The young
lady was lying on the BID and appeared to be
about 25 years Old When at the dinner table
the Conduct of Mr.. Tilton and the lady appear
cd to be very familiar.
Cross. Examined by Mr.. Fullerton.
This was 10 December, 1869. MIR. Titon
threw the door of the room wide open and
there vas no apparent effort at concealihent on
the part of either. L attended MIR. Tlltons lee
tnre and so did my wife. In reply to a juror,
the witness said: 1 we It to Mr. Titon's room
about an hour after dinner
Albert It. Norton testified to substantially
the same facts.
samuel r. BeIcher.
Samuel T. Belcher, the witness who followed,
testified Have been member of Plymouth
church since 1858 aud have known Mr.. Tilton
about 20 years. We lived 10 adjoining houses
for two or three years. Once at the house of
Mr. Titon he produced roll of papers which
he showed me, and he said unless a settlement
was made for his broken contracts this would
be published. He read portion to me but [
do not remember to what it related I recolect
a letter from Mr. Tilton to Mr.. Bowen, how
ever. Mr.. Tilton told me that The paper which
was in type was sent to Mr. Bowen with the
ter would be put in type. He then read to me
what purported to be retraction from Mr..
Bower, but do not remember the substance. l
recollect something in it about Mr.. Bowers
retractiug his charges against Mr.. Beecher.
Mr.. Tilton showed me writings which set forth
that Mr. Beecher, in Mr.. T!lton's absence, had
solicited his (Titon's) wife to become to him
ali that wife should be: 1 asked him if that
was his wife's writing and he said NO. it was
copy" l asked HIM how his wife treated Mr.
Beecher's propositions, aad he said that she re
PEELED them. He said that he charged Mr..
i,eecher with the act and Mr.. Beecher said
that it was false and the woman must be
crazy. He said that Mr.. Beecher had slipped
and when be (Tiltonl got home he found that
Mr.. Beecher had obtained retraction of the
story.
The Sc papers were not ia my hands. nor was
1 allowed to examine them. Mr.. I. read what
appeared to be Mrs. Us retraction given to Mr..
Beecher. He stated that Notwithstanding the
giving of the retr action to Beecher, his wife
retracted the retraction, that Mr.. Beecher had
confessed and apologiZed. l understood that
Mr.. Moulton was to retaih possession OF the
letters of retraction and apology. l recollect
hearing Mr. T. say that Mr.. Moulton and him
self thought Mr. Beecher had acted very mean.
ly in obtaining the letter and retraction. L
asked him if Mr. Beecher ever had sexual in
tercourse with his wife, He replied with up
lifted hand, 'No, no; Elizabeth is as pure as
an angel from heaven
Cross-Examined by Mr.. Fullerton.
This was Just about two or three weeks after
the publication of the Woodruff scandal and
the first interview L had with him after the
election. He did not read all the story to me,
but only paragraphs of it. l do not remember
if it was called the 'True Story" The first
part be read me was think the printed mat
ter. A portion of it was in manuscript, but
do not know if the printed matter preceded
the manuscript
Mr.. Fullerton read portion of the copy of
the True Story, but the witness could not re-
member any portion of it.
I do not remember If he endeavOred to i'm.
press upon me that his wife was guiltleSs OF
the charges. put this question because the
public paper charged adultery. never said
not, and never told Mr.. Beecher so. gave
evidence before the investigating committee.
but do not remember what night it was. All
the committee were there and also shorthand
writer 1 can not tell if he took testimony.
1t took me about five minutes to testify. Mr.
Hill on that evening came to my house for me.
Had conversation with him before L went be-
fore the committee and told him parts of this
story. did not relate the story to the com
mittee as have told it here. requested to
state 10 brief my interviews with Mr.. L. do
not remember if | was asked to state all
knew of the scandal. | was not sworn before
the committee and omitted all parts of my
story relating to the printed matter and Mrs.
Us letter. L did not think my pastor required
any vudication from me. l cannot tell a sin
gle question chat was put to me. l could not
undertake to relate any of the,questions put to
me- / regretted that these stories had gone
abroad about Mr.. Beecher, but l got over my
Indignation when Mr. T. dsclaimsd the an
thorship of the charges.
The hour for recess arrived and the court
separated for an hour.
After the recess the witness resumed his
place on the stand and his cross examination
was continued.
He testified I do not recollect if l stated to
the committee that Mr.. L. read me Mrs. rs
letter containing charges of improper solicita-
tons. cannot recollect what | omitted to
state before the committee. Mr.. Hill came for
me in the carriage, but did not tell me to make
statement or explanation. supposed when
/ was before the committee was 30 tell what
[ knew about the matter. The time of my ex-
animation was very short and after LETT L
went home. Before went before the commit
tee had a general conversation with Mr.. Hin,
in which | may have told him something about
the matter. OF this conversation do not
know that can now repeat anything. did
not purposely omit any portion of the charges
against Beecher in my conversation with Mr.
Hill I did not know of anything against
Beecher except these charges of Mrs. I. l
heard from Mr.. L. that his wife had retracted
the retraction, but it did not strike me that
when this was withdrawn the original charges
stood. 1 saw Mr.. Tracy there with the com
mittee, but do not think 1 had any conversa-
ton with him.
Mr.. Fullerton then read a portion of the
witness testimony before the com mittee, but
he could not recollect having testlhed 10 any
thing that was read to him.
Witness then continued: was present on
night when report of committee was read IN
church, but do not remember if L heard all that
was read gu that occasion. do not remember
who read it, but remember some things which
MI hot iub /
when Mr.. MoutOn voted in the negative. but
do not recollect on what subject it WASH THINK
this was in 1874, but don't remember what
time, whether late in the season or not. do
not remember whether L voted on that report,
but believe there were other parties there tnat
night but do not remember if | read the re-
port of the committee afterwards in the news
papers. / think Deacon Freelaud presided at
that meeting in 1874. 1T L was member OF
the examining committee it was because was
upon by me and read. 1 do not recoliect dur
ing the reading of the report hearing OF my
stating that the true report was read TO me.
The West charges were, think, only present.
ed at one meeting while l was there. They
were discussed and | think Mr.. West read
them. l understand criminal intimacy to be
mutual intimacy between two persons. In my
opinion criminal intimacy is more than charge
of improper proposals. regard the charge as
duplicating both parties in the criminal Intl-
macy.
The West charges were made in the year
1873. 1 understand criminal intimacy as sur
reptitious acquaintanceship between man and
another mans wife. Mr.. West made. the
charge of SANDER against Tilton, but L don't
know that he told me that he considered 1t
adultery. l told Mr.. West did not consider
the charge of criminal intimacy to mean adul-
terry. l did not mean so to consider it alter
what Tilton had said to me. / was ore OF the
committee to investigate the West charges.
went to see Mr.. I. in company with Mr.. Dun
can. We saw him in the Golden Age otnce
The conversation was carried on by Capt. Dun
can, who told him the errand on which we had
come. We went there to converse with HIM
before making "a report to the church commit
tee, and also to hear what he had to say in ex-
panation to these charges. He said he was
not membt of the church and would not APP
pear before any committee in the matter. He
considered himself as not being answerable to
the church. do not remember why the West
charges were dropped other than on the ground
that Tilton urged his Don-membership in the
church. The action taken by the committee
was to accept this statement and drop Mr.. rs
name from the rolls.
Mr. Fullerton read the report of the commit
tee to the church, but the witness sad he could
not remember if that was the one submitted by
the committee.
st Clair McKiIroy.