The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1875-02-04
The Beecher.TiItou Trial.

in progress. Mrs. Tilton, Mrs. Field
Mrs. Tubbs and Mrs. Sherman were pre-
sent. Promptly at the appointed houl
the Court was formally opened and Mr.
Tilton continued his story. He said,
first heard of the promised council of the
church, / think, in the early part o
November 1873, from Mr.. Beecher il
Mr.. Moulton's house; he told me trouble
had arisen out of my speech in the
church and the publishing of card in
the newspapers by MIR. Halliday; he told
me the card IN the papers had been Sent
him in relation to the Church Council
he said that councils We're dangerou:
things and that no person could tel
where they would end; he also said tC
me, Theodore this will all end well i
YOU will not give any information to DR.
Storrs or act against me- we had con
vcrsation subsequently, TO this on tho
street; one night Beccher made speech
in Plymouth Church relating to DR.
Storrs; Beecher met Noulton and mC
and said that his church was going Il
stand alone and not unite with the other
two churches in council; the Bacon letter
WIS published in June, 1874, bu,
/ never met Mr.. Becchcr since
the publication Of the Bacon letter
| had conversation with Beecher il
Moultons library in April 1874, about
the Bacon charges, in which | was
called knave and dog; l told Beecher
he must reply to these charges; he made
no reply to these charges Mr.. Sherman
was then present and made an apology
for having insulted Mrs. Tilton in pub,
lie; when Bcecher left, Sherman remained
behind; Bcecher was summoned by tele.
graph to Moulton's house; this was tho
last interview had with Beecher; tC
the best OF my recoliections the letter
produced this morning was written by
me and sent to Becher May 2, 1874; the
letter was read and placed in evidence;
it reetcd to his refusal to accept q sum
of money from Beecher to proceed with
his family to Europe, and remain num-
Der of years. A letter dated May 4
1878, was also read by Ex-Judge Fuller.
ton. addressed to Rev. Henry Ward
Beecher; Mr.. Halliday and Mr.. Shear
man informing them of the statement
made by DR.. Bacon after the adjournment
of the Church Council, and asking that he
(Tilton) should be summoned before the
Examining Committee, to answer the
charges of slandering the pastor. The
witness continued: In the earl y part Of
July, 1873, / first heard of the appoint
ment of committee to wait upon me
with regard to the scandal.
Fullerton here read the correspondence
calling for an investigation OF the charges
by the church committee.
Witness resuming: ! first saw the let
ter calling for committee, on the night
before it was published, in the hands OF
Mrs. Cleveland my wife was then with
me but she left the house after the pub
liCation Of this letter; ! think it was on
the morning of July llth; she did not
leave against my will.
She had Will of her own,
and acted upon it at the same time; |
did not restrain her; there were three or
four reports prepared for the committee,
and ! prepared two of them; the prepa-
ration of the report was rs follows: Mrs.
Titon informed me on the Sth of July
that she had been down before II COM
mitteo of the church in relation to what
passed between me and DR.. Bacon.
A long argument here ensued on the
right of witness to answer the question,
What was told him by his wife as to
what occurred before the commttcr2'
Mr.. Evarts objected to the question,
and the objection was sustained by the
Court.
The witness then continued do not
that, the tripartitc agreement
was ever the subject Of conversation
between Bcecher and me- Bessie Turner
was a Girl who came to our house, under
the name of Lizzie McDermott. lj years
ago; she came to my house, through the
means of an old Sunday school teacher
either of mine or Mrs. Tilton's; | do not
know whether she resided continually in
the house until after my return from the
West in 1857; Mrs. Tilton and Mr.. Moul-
ton made arrangements for sending her
to school some time in January, 1871;
Mr. Becchcr from first to last never de-
MED his criminal intercourse with Mrs.
Tilton; whenever he spoke OF 1t he al
wavs said she was not the person to blame;
Bessie Turner's age | think WAS about 10
or l6. when she left us in ISL there IL
not word of truth in the statement that
| carried her from her bed to mine; 70
improper conduct was ever exhibited by
me towards her. Shown paper. /
think | showed this report and another
to General Tracey; put both of them in
the hands of Mrs. Moulton; | prepared
this one at the suggestion OF General
Tracey; at the time prepared this re-
mort / heard that Mrs. TiIton had been
before the Committee, and Gen. Tracey
told me of the evidence given before them;
General Tracey told me | had nothing
to fear from Mrs. Tilton.s testimony;
that when she appeared before court She
denied everything, or that there was any
for it, and Gen. Tracey, while
making this narration told me that 'lt |
IN this, it would be success.
| told hlm WOuln ilhe MN w NNP'"'"
the mode of procedure before the court,
He said they would summon whom they
pleased and the witnesses could give
what information they pleased
and the Committee would
report. l told him that |
would stand by any report which would
not iniure Elizabeth; he told me | might
make report which would not injure
Beechcr in his standing in the pulpit; IN
accordance with this | prepared two re-
ports; short one and long one, and
presented both to Mouton; and said |
would be pleased with either; Mrs. Ill
ton was best pleased with the long one.
Mr.. Fullerton said he would IlAetoput
in evidence at later period with regard
to some correspondence between Mr. and
Mrs. Tilton in 1874. This was agreed TO.
His direct examination of the witness
WAS not concluded.
Mr. Evarts objected TO this being put
in at later stage and said it should be
Mr.. Beach said they did not wish to
all the correspondence, but de-
sired an opportunity to search Tor the
rannrs rsOuirp1