St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1875-04-09

f
Triton
/ A.-(With great energy.) No. sir !.
Never, sir. (WitncSs gave these mega
tive answers with much feeling, and
once or twice stamping his foot.)
From this he went on to describe his
interview with Bowen, at the time he
received Tilton's letter demanding his
resignation as pastor of Plymouth
church. On reading it he exclaimed
..Sheer insanity this man is crazy and
on telling Bowen of its contents Bowen
said he had just discharged Triton from
I the Independent and he had doubts
about keeping him on the Brook yn
Union He said he had made trouble
for the paper and very damaging stories
had come to his ears about his conduct
! with women. Mr.. Beecher sad he APP
proved of Bowers course and repeated
To him stories that he had heard about
Tiltom. and referred him To Mrs. Bcec''-
CT for more. From that time until
December Goth he SAW and heard from
neither Bowen, Tiltnm or Mrs. Triton.
but on that night Moulton called and
invited him to his house, SImmarily. to
see Tilton. There Tilton met him III Il
/ very stately manner and commenced
/ by Withdrawing the letter demanding
| Reccher'S resignation he then went on
/ to say Bowen had ruined him III his
/ business and Beecher had been Il party
/ to it not only that, but the latter had
| alienated the affections of his wife and
made overturcs of an improper charar-
ter to her. Tilton drew from his peck
( ct what purpoIted to be the copy of ii
confession 10y Elizabeth that witness
/ had solicited her to he Il wife to him.
with all that implied the original,
Tilton said he had destroyed. for shame,
and he then tore up this aud told
Bcechrr to 90 to his house and get the
story confirmed from EliZahrth'S OVID
( lips. Replying that Mrs. Tilton never
could have written anything 50 base"
he went t" see her and WAS uSheIed up
stairs To her room.
The bed was pure white. Mrs. Tilton
WAS dressed in pure white. and her face
WAS pure white she was raised on
pillows. and had her hands folded this
way. and her eyes closed a: she was
asleep. as one dead. Vet she WAS living.
| sat 10y heI side and said prayer for
her.
Nj. Beach zone moment"
Witness delivered the last part of his
testimony with considerable. emotion
his voice tlcmbled somewhat a> he de
~crihed the scene i'll Mrs. Tilton'~ bed
room.
The Judge said he would take the
testimony as to the conversation which
occurred.
Mr.. Beach objected to receiving
Beechcr Us the authorized agent of
Tilton.
Witness drew chair to the bed
side and said. Il have Just seen Your
husband. he has been making charges
and has sent me to You to verify some
of them. He has charged me with
alternating your affections. corrupting
Your simplicity and trutlfulness and
with soliciting impropri"tieS. 1t is Il
hard thing for Il man to say to Il woman
whom he reveIe>-
Here the Witness face became pur-
pie. his eyes filled with teas. and his
voice trrmhled.
said. But this is ii charge of i'm
proper advances. and You know it not
IL br Iu".
She said. Wv hat can d" p"
He charges me with improper ad-
vances to You and that Nou confessed
it
She said. Il couldn't help it YOU
know these things aren't true was
wearird with his opportunities. and he
gave me to understand if | confessed
undue affection for You it would help
him in his business.
| said: ''lou can take it back. lou .
can take back that written charge
She said a: Give me paper :" and
L.,
and pen and she hcsitated did not .
understand her hesitation. but she con
scented To give a written rctraction pro
vidcd | would not use it against her
husband.
She then wrote the first part of the
retraction. dated December. 1873
witness read the rctraction. 81 often
published. in which she says she was
persuaded almost forced to make the
charges against her friend Beecher. and
She now withdraws them. After she
wrote the first part she read it to her
self. then | got her more ink. and she
added the next paragraph. saving MIR. .
BccCher never made any improper adj
vaucc>. but always treated me as a
Christian and Il gentleman
did not suggest or dictate either
paragraph when She spoke of ohiec-
tion that 1t would make difficulties he
tween her and her husband. said
would make no difficulty with it.
but wanted il as Il defence. if some
such rum"r got into the church. and to
mischief makers: that | only wanted it
III some such emergency.
also said no woman could make
such Il charge without injury to her and
her children. that il would injurr them
if it should he brought out. She stated
something more of the reasons given
her 10y her husband which produced
that confc>>i"u. do not recall them
hnt have given the substance. 1t
seemed to me rs il the interview WAS
ten hours: II WAS probably half an
hour. dc not remember whether
got II i'll an envelope. only remember .
putting IT III my pockei. There WAS
some other little talk. some am afraid
of undue severity to her. which | WAS
sorry for when going. remember say
ing | hoped my visit would not he the
means of throwing her back III her
sickness took leave and went away.
The witness then denied that when
he returned To Mnulton's he remark ed
TO the latter This will kill me-" or any
thing of the kind. He cmphaticallv
denied Moultons statement that he
had used the term sexual intercourse"
when speaking of his relations with
Mrs. Tilton, and he then detailed his
interview with Moulton. at his own
house. on the :}lSt of Decembcr, when
M"ulton went and got the retraction.
Moulton accused him of having acted
dISh"norahly in getting it and that it
would intensity the trouble between