Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1875-04-30

Odd you give the evidence that l hav
jus. read ? Al presume that Il did ;
have not read it since.
Q.-Is it true, as l read it? Al pre-
sumo that it is true in the sense in which
meant it.
Odd you not understand yourself a
! saying, in that evidence, that he made thu
charge first, and then ratified it by produ
cling the certificate of his wife? Al die
not intend to be so understood.
Q.--You did not? Then let it stand
tho 2. Let me read to you, and see whether
yoi ever said this at any other time q?
lie then declared that had injured him in hi
family relations; that had joined with his mother
in-law in producing discord IN his house had ad
vsed separation had alienated his wife's affec
tons from him. and had led her to love me mort
nature and had thaught her to be nsincere, ly.
Ing, hypocritical: and ended by charging that
had made wicked proposals to her"
Alt is very likely that said so.
Q.-Do you now mean to say that Mr.
Tilton did not, on the 3Oth of December
1870, charge you with having made wicked
proposals to his wife? Al mean to state
that he charged me, according to my pres
ent recollection. with
Q.-Now, Mr.. Beecher, do not want
that.
Judge Neilson-Giye US the best answer
you can, Mr.. Beecher.
The WitneSs-From my present point Of
view do not regard Mr. Tilton as having
made that charge personally. lie charged
me with
Mr.. Fullerton-One moment Did you
say this ?
"IIe ended By charging that | had made
wicked proposals to her. Until he had
reached this | had listened with some con-
tempt, under the impression that he was at
tempting to bully me but with that last
charge he produced paper purporting to
be certified statement of a confession made
to him by his wife, of her love to me, and
that had made proposals to her of an in
pure nature"
Do you recOllect that? Al think it
very likely those were my words.
Q.Now, preceding the confession Of his
wife an. the production of the certificate of
his wife, did he not charge you with having
made improper proposals to bis wife? A
No do not think that he did.
Judge Neilson-The inquiry is whether he
said anything on that subject.
Mr.. Beecher-I can tell very plainly hat
the whole statement was, but am not al
lowed to do that. 1t is a very simple mat
ter, in my view, but OF course | must defer
to the better Judgment of the counsel.
By Mr.. FullertOn-After having charged
you with having made improper proposals,
did he produce paper purpOrting to be a
certified statement Of a previous confession
made to him by his wife ? Al think not
Q.-This statement, then. is not true
Al think that it is inaccurate.
Q.-And your direct testimony is inaccu-
rate upon that subject? A-lf it contra
diets what now state, it needs correction
\ night having elapsed since the test-
mony last given, Mr. Fullerton asked
Q.-Mr. Beecher, after nights refec-
tion are You enabled to state now whether
YOU regarded Theodore Tilton as charging
you with improper advances to his wife, on
the night of the 30th Of December, 1870
A.-No, Sir not in a strict sense.
Odd you regard him a. having made
that charge against you in any sense, wheth-
| er strict or otherwise A.-les. in gene
raj way regarding the interview as a general
narrative of that interview should use
that language again, but in scrGtinizing
again the exact terms should say no ; that
he charged me with these things that he
personally knew, and represented the charge
that his wife had made
Odd not he make the charge in his
own behalf Al do not think he did.
Odd he profess TO be the representa-
tive of his wife? A-Nlade no profession
whatever.
Q.-lou regarded it at that time as a
charge made by him? Al did not think
Of 1t in that light it was a narrative.
Q.-Well, the charge was in the narra-
tive? A.-iler statement was.
Ole represented it to you before he
read the narrative Of his wife. did he not
the confession Of his wife? Ale men
toned THAI she made charges against me.
Odd not be charge you with the Of
fense before he referred to his wiie's narra-
tive Ale did not charge me in that
sense he said his wife had made such
statements, and then read it.
Q.-Now, let me read this again to you,
Mr. Beechcr, and sec whether it Is right or
wrong
He then declared tAltI has injured him IN his
family relations and ended by charg NJ that had
made " cked proposals - her"
Is that narrative true Of that interview ?
A.-The terms - declare and /" charge
| used as equivalents in the narrative here.
Q.-ls that narrative true as it is here
A.-Nes, As | read it, in the general it is,
bat If You give a specific sense to the
charge
Q.-One moment, | DO not give anything.
want to know if that narrative Is yours
A.-Subect to corrections. Sir.
Q.-Do you regard 1t a true, giving the
ordinary significance TO the terms You en-
ployei in that statement? Al used the
word charged a used in the last place as
only a synonym for declared.
Q.-Nou regarded yourself a. being
charged with improper advances, did You
not - did.
Q.-l called your attention to the cores
pondence between yourself and Mr.. Perkins
last night. wish to call your attention to
something further in that connection. The
letter in reply to Mr.. Perkins. of Feb %,
ISL. opens with this expression
whatever SIR. Tilton formerly said against ne.
and know the substance Of II. ne has withdrawn
and frankly confesses tnat he had been misled by
the statement Of one who, when confronted. backed
down from his charges"
Did you mean in that communication 10
convey to your nephew the idea that Mr..
Tlton had withdrawn what he had said
against you? Al understood by that
communication that Mr. Tilton had with
drawn the charges made by Mr.. Bowen and
repeated by him.
Q.-Why did not you refer to the charges
that Mr.. Tilton had made or Mrs. Tilton had
made against you? Alt was the special
object of such letter as that not to have
that brought out into publicity we were
all engaged in keeping that still.
Q.-l am talking about your letter? A
Yes, know, but it was joint letter the
letter was written in consultation with Mr..
Moulton.
Q.-And your object was not to embrace
in the meaning of the terms here what Mr.
Tilton or Mrs. Tilton had charged you with?
Al did not intend TO 20 into that as | uu-
derstand it.
Q.-I call your attention now to another
expression. | read
Moreover, from the anger and fury of
Mr.. Tilton | apprehended that this charge,
as made by him and, supported by the aecu-
sation of his wife, was to be at once publicly
pressed against me-
Q.-Did not you regard the charge as be-
ing made by Mr.. Tilton when you made use
of any such language as that? Aft the
charge was made-if Won use it in n generic
sense
Q.-I do no; use it in any sense. A
| do.
Q.-l an asking whether you did not
think then that the charge was made then
by Mr. Tilton in the sense in which you
used the word? A.-Not in the sense in
which | am now using the word.
Q.-Mr. Beecher, | am not asking you as
to the sense in which you are now using it
| am asking you as to the meaning Of the
phrase in the sense in which you then used
it. A.-That Is what | am attempting to
explain to you; then used the word in
generic sense, in the sense Of declare" or
state to me these facts which were, in a
general way, charges, but now understand
you to seek for a more specifc-not generic
and in that regard say that while Mr..