The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1875-06-18
The Beecher Scandal.
A eTRANGE STORY TOLD By A NEW YORK
PAPER-ALLE6EDP PROOF AGAINST -
MR.. BEECHER.

The New York Herald of Monday bad
long sensational article giving some alleged
additional evidence of Mr.. Beccher's guilt
The article has decidedly dubious look
After giving the evidence of a druggist
who saws that he sold Prussic acid to Nh.
Beecher in May, 1871, the Herald pub
fishes statement of an upholsterer who
was engaged in Mr.. Iilton's house in Oc-
tooer, 1869. This statement we condense
as follows
In the fall of 1869 in the m onth of Octo-
Der, was engaged By a man named Price
to assist him in laying carpet in the honse
of fheotiore Tilteu-ia Livingstone stIeet.
Along IN the afternoon | remember hearing
the front door bell ring. Price and myself
were then finishing work on the hall stairs.
Mrs. Triton answered the door herself, and
left in an elderly looking man. As soon AS
the door was closed this man seized hold OF
Mrs. Tilton. and clasped his arms around
her waist, drew her to him and kissed her,
aud she returned it. In fact, he raised her
off herfeet DIM ing the operation and pressed
her body close to his own. f...l.. -
The two, after this firso salute, walked
into the parlor asked Price il he knew
who the man was. and he said ''les, that
is Beecher, the preacher L remarked,
'They are Il pretty loving couple. L guess,
Did you see how he lifted her up and
pressed her to hinI?'' Price said, ''Yes, aud
l gness I'Iltake peep and see what they
are doing" Whereupon he went through
into the room at the end of the hall In a
moment he came back to me and told me
that he had been looking through the key
hole of the door dividing the front parlor
from the library, and had seen Mr.. Beech
er on the sofa with Mrs. Tilton in very
questionable position.
had left my hat and some of my tools
on the mantelpiece of the room where
4 4 = Il
good mind to go in there suddenly and get
my things that I left there He dared me
to do it, and | said I would go in. With
that | went across the hallway. opened the
door, and walked to the mantle and took
my tools. As | walked across the room,
when | went in. | saw no one, but just as
got to the mantel | heard rustic. turn
ed round to walk ont when 1 saw Mr..
Beecher, as it were, just rising from the
floor with one hand on the. end of the
lounge, and moving away from Mrs. Til
ton, who was sitting or reclining on it.
/ Mr. Beccher was directly in front of her
/ drew my own conclusions but said moth
ing until | got outside in the hall, where |
left Price looking in through the crack of
the door. then told him what had seen,
and he said he saw Mr.. Beecher. as went
in, kneeling in front Of Mrs. 1iltpn, and
that when | disturbed them he had risen
ter that | do not know, for we left for
home.
After leaving the man who gave the IN
formation contained in the foregoing state
ment an effort was MADE to find out the
man Price. The right man was finally
discovered to be john J. Price, an uphol-
sterer, employed in Wilmore & Boyden's
carpet store, No. 55 West Thirty third
street, New York city. He, like the other,
however. when spoken to on the subject
appeared TO be scared almost to death that
his acquaintance with any facts pertinent
to the great trial should have leaked out.
Being finally satisfied that the whole
story had been told he seemed inclined to
be more communicative. He stated that
the facts related above in reference to the
scene, and the acts which he saw in the
parlor while peepiug through the keyhoie
of the library door. well as while his
fellow worker went in for his hat and tools.
were correct. When asked to come out in
a straightforward manner with a clear, full
and decided statement he declined TO do SO,
saying that it was nothing in his pocket to
tell what he knew, but that he might get
into trouble, and persisted i'll saying that
foI the present he would say no more. He
stated, nevertheless, that if called into
court and placed upon the witness stand he
would tell all he knew.