The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1875-03-19
THE SCANDAL.

NEW YORK. March 1S,-In the Tilton Beech
er case to-day two employees of the postotice
testified IN receiving at the Office copies OF the
Golden Age and Mrs. WoodhulPs Steinway
Hall speech, enclosed In one wrapper.
Rev. MIR. Halliday.
was then recalled and testified:-I had an inter.
view with Mr. Moulton in the fail of 1872.
first called on him on morning in November
and he was not at home. | called the next
morning and 1 think he was not yet np He
came down stairs after few minutes. There
was no conversation then, Mr.. Moulton saying,
81 know what you want, but cannot talk to you
now l have to go to New York. and if you
will call at half past seven this evening will
talk to YOU" L called twice but he was not
in. On the following Saturday Mrs. Moulton
called on me with note inviting me over to
see him. went, and Mr.. Modlson and myself
had conversation. / said. 81 am rot here out
OF curiosity; do not want to see anything you
do not want me to see or know" l told him
about Nj. Tilton calling at my house and deny
ing the Woodruff stories, but while he made
no charges against Mr.. Beecher, he had made
nslnuations against him. and told me 10 come
and see MoultOn Mn Moulton then denied
the truth of the scandal and said the story was
utterly baseless and without foundation, and
used strong language l said you have disposed
of the Woodruff scandal. but was told fifty
men had come to you and that when spoken TO
by.them you had only shrugged your shoulders.
He said that parties generally went to his part
ners for information, and did not come to him.
They were all, he said, set OF damned COW
ards. said to him that he had disposed of
the Woodruff scandal and these stories, now
what about Mr., Tlton's insinuations He said
Mr. Beecher was guiltless He said, II am
not member of Plymouth church, but my
wife is. Do you suppoJe that if Mr.. Beecher
was bad man l would allow him to come here
and sit at my table"
remember an interview with Mr.. Titon in
fIa LOT TOW nrt Of ,har of fha Gold
en- Age office / asked him If he would say to
the committee OF Plymouth church what he
had said to individuals about his member
ship. Hesaid, why don't you go to Mr..
Beecher instead of me?' asked him why he
didn't prefer charges against Mr.. Beecher il
there was any foundation for them. He said,
'What if Mr.. Beecher were guilty of adul-
tery?" L asked him if he remembered the
conversation he had with me in the presence
of Mr.. Bell, and he replied. lob, the charges
my wife" think l remember the occasion
on which the last action was taken by the
church committee, in December 1871, in Mr..
Tiltons case Mr.. Beecher was not present,
but reported to the committee through me. 1t
was the custom in the meetings of the board OF
deacons or examining committee to record the
propositions which were discussed, but no final
vote taken on them. The board of deacons may
at an occasional period have recorded one or
two such cases.
stated that on Oct 30. 1872, a meeting of the
board of 6eacons was held, at which there were
present Messrs. Hawkins, White, Moody,
Roach, West, Halliday and some deaconesses.
ALI the members OF the board were notlfed
when meeting was to take place, and three
of them constituted a quorum. Beecher was
not present at that meeting or after it. There
was discussion after the meeting on the
Woodruff scandal. 1 could not say there was
any action taken on it, No written resolution
off doh nj fhk
resolution passed in the form that it was not
expedient to take any action in the scandal at
ALL There was no dissent from this opinion,
as all were in favor of it so far as l know.
Beecher had nothing to do with this.
Counsel announced that this closed the dl.
REORGANIZATION and at the suggestion of
Evarts and Beach five minutes before the
usual hour the court took the regular recess:
MIR. and Mrs. Beecher did not come into
court until after the proceedings commenced;
They were attended by Edward Beecher and
his wife. About half an hour after his en-
trance Beecher received q note and left the
court room in hurry, returning after an alb
sence of about half an hour. Mrs L. and
Bessie Turner were not ia their accustomed
places, which were occupied by ladies who
have heretofore been strangers to the trial.
After the recess Mr.. Beecher beld conversa-
ton with Mr.. Evarts and then left with the
Plymouth church section.
After recess Mr. Halliday was cross-exam-
pated in the discussion at the meeting in Oct,
when the Woodruff scandal was discussed; I
never said that Beecher did not desire the
church to take any action, though might have
said something which might be so construed;
told the meeting that Mr.. B. had made up his
mind not to notice the scandal. did not say
this to influence the meeting in any way. l
did not say that it was Beecher's intention that
we should to try to live the stories down. be-
lieve [ was present at the meeting when MIR.
Beecher, Mr.. Davenport and Mr.. West were ap-
pointed to wait upon iTilton with reference to
the West charges. L do not remember that
Mr.. Bell told me that Beecher did not want
meeting of the deacons about the Woodruff
scandal s[Witness then detailed his interview
with Mr.. and Mrs Moulton as in his direct ex-
animation. I cannot tell if the committee Of
which Mr.. West was chairman made report.
When the West charges were preferred was
the minutes. The charges were made in June,
1873, in the church papers. They were incom-
plete when first presented and were referred
back to Mr.. West for completion and then the
third specification was added and they were
again presented l had several conversations
with Mr.. West before the charges were pre-
sented and endeavored to dissuade him from
presenting them. 1 did SO because thought
they were not being presented properly.
of the West charger. [Wituess corrected his
previous testimony about his objection to the
presentation of the West charges and said his
objection was grounded on the fact that they
were being presented in an irregular form. In
reference to Tilton's name L only advised that
it be dropped from the rolls. do not remem-
Der that L advised Mr.. West not to prosecute
his charges but would not swear so.
Court adjourned for the day.