The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1875-02-03
NEW YORK.
THE SCANDAL.

NEW YORK, Feb. The second day of the
fifth week of the Beecher-Tilton trial opened
this morning with as owGed court room as
ever. When the court was opeued the Count
Joannes spoke briefly with reference to quo
tation of his case yesterday from the Massa
chusetts reports, by Mr. Evaris.
Mr. Tilton resumed his evdeuce-The next
interview with Mr.. Beecher occurred shortly
after, | think the second week in February, at
ton L told HIM when he came that wanted
to know if he could tell me with reference to
the little boy Ralph, and he said the date fixed
by Mrs. Tlton was the correct one. Mr.. Beech.
er asked me the date. 1 told him that Eliza
beth had told me that the date at which their
criminal intimacy had begun was on the 10th
of October, 1868, and he said he had no remem-
brance of it, but he thought she was right.
Some expressions Of grief and misery fell from
him. and that was the end of the interview and
he went to Mr.. Mouton's house. This inter-
view lasted ten or fifteen minutes.
| recolect the time of the publication of Mrs.
Woodhull's card. Had an interview at Mr..
Moulton's house with Mr.. Beecher at the time
of that publication. L told him she came to
me at the Golden Age office and put card in
my hand of which she wished me to read one
portion. 1t stated that public teacher in one
CITY was living with the wife of another public
teacher in the same city. She said she referred
TO the Rev. Henry Ward Beecher and my wife.
cred in her card of November %. 1872 Her
other stoly was that discovered her intimacy
and had used personal violence to her; had TAX
en- the wedding ring off her finger and ground
it in the earth with my heel. told Mr.. Beech
er that Mr.. MOultOn and went to Mrs. Wood
hull's house about the matter and had an in
terview with her. She had referred only slight
ly to the scandal, and Mr.. Moulton admonished
her that she should not speak ill of her. Mr..
Moulton told me after coming away that he
A.. ~, bnr
and it was from that time that Mr.. Moulton,
Mr.. Beecher and myself were in consultation
to stop the circulation of this woman's story
Mr.. Beecher was greatly agitated, and Mr..
Moulton told him there was no cause fo- alarm
as they could easily keep her quiet. He advis
ed kindness to be used with her, ard put her
under some obligations to us. Mr.. Beecher CO.
incided in this view and we agreed to become
personally acquainted with her and treat her
as gentleman should treat lady. We re-
solved to make her acquainted with Mrs.
Tilton and Mrs. Moulton but Mr.. Beecher said
Mrs, Beecher would not become acquainted
with her. Mr. Beecher said he hoped the ladies
would exercise good influence over Mrs
Woodruff.
In pursuance of that arrangement publish
ed an article in the Golden Age about the en-
Establishment of woman, in which l alluded
to Mrs. Woodruff. l drew up an article claim
ing the right of women to vote on the ground
of their being citizens of the United States.
Had it published in form of a tract and ad
dressed it to Charles Sumner This was one
favor did for her. She then brought me a
biographical sketch of herself, written by her
husband, which she asked me to revise. l did
so and completed the manuscript, after which l
published it,
Six or seven weeks after this Mr.. Moulton
told me he had letter written to Mr.. Beecher
by Mrs. Woodruff with reference to presiding
at the Steinway Hall meeting. Mr.. Beecher
had been asked to preside at her meeting. Mr..
Beecher was present. l told him | had pre-
sided at a meeting of hers in Cooper Institute
when she lectured on finance. Mr.. Beecher
said he would not like to preside; but if he
changed his mind he would let me know. Mr.
Moulton and 1 went to the hall, VIII ich was
crowded, and L introduced her with a few
words. L left town few days afterward on
my lecturing tour, and with MIR. Moulton made
friendly call upon her. 1t was on account of
the publication of her pamphlet ''Tit For tat
that relinqushed Mrs. Woodruff, and l say
here that Henry Ward Beecher is responsible
for nay intimacy with Mrs. Woodruff.
On the evening of the lecture in Steinway
hall had not contemplated going there and was
under no promise to do so. The article on 'Tit
For tat was brought to my office by some per-
son and shown to me. 1 think it was a lady
from California who showed it to me. In the
first or second week of December, 1871, Mr..
Beecher came into Moulton's study when 1 was
present. He asked me if Mr.. Moulton had
conferred with me on my formally retiring
from the church. and l said he had done so but
that thought there was no reason why
should resign. Mr.. Beecher said it was report
ported among the church members that was
a spritualist and had forsaken the church. He
said he understood my situation and how was
placed but he asked me to write formal let
ter to the church asking for dismissal,
but said no, that he knew the reason of my
being identified with Mrs Woodruff. said if
it was dangerous to have my name ON the
church roll strike it off or get a new one print
ed. and told him that if he treated the matter
boldly he would soon get rid of the difficulty
by which he was surrounded. L said it was a
false thing that should be required to retire
in religion L peremptorily declined to ask a
letter Of dismissal from his church on that &C.
caSion.
met Mr.. Beecher in the cars while travel
ling. 1 was writing and he came up and said {:
81 hope this is not another poem like Sir Mar
maduke." l said no it was an essay. He said
he thought there was no peace any more on
earth for him, and he saw nothing but trouble
for himself. L told him if he met the matter
boldly there could not be any danger He
thought my paper was inimical to him and ad-
vised that some person in the Office should be
made friend of his. l told him to go to his
work and not be downcast and relieve his
mind of all apprehensions of me-. The tears
then came into his eyes and he left me-. That
is the substance of that interview with Mr..
Beecher. rerst ta
The only feature on the occasion was this:
Beecher said to me he was either going to nave
or had had the anniversary OF his silver wed,
ding; he spoke to me about his popularity ana
she strength of his friends He asked me if
thought there were any unusual dangers in our
case. told him this was good time to re,
sign and as he was writing the Life of Christ
he could go to she holy land to study the sub
ject more thoroughly. told him there were
SO many prying eyes that it was dangerous for
-. ho Init nd IA Drnmspd tO
think over it. This was all that occurred. L
was in New Hampshire when the Woodruff
publication of the scandal was made, and on
my return home | was told 1T had been clr-
chlating whole week during my absence. q
l WAS informed by either Moulton or Beecher
that they had conference when it came out
and thought it was better to treat the publlea-
ton with silence as the best means OF killing
it. Beecher said that if any denial was made
it would only provoke the Woodhulls to intro
duce it in another form, and so it would have
to be denied three or four times. There were
several meetings about this in Moulton's study
and at one of them it was proposed to publish
q card by one, which has already been given in
evidence. L said that il any card was to be
published, / was not the person to do it; that
1t was the duty of the person as one OF the par
ties most connected to publish the card. told
him he might deny it and l would not contra
dict it. L said if he published the card the
public would say Tilton's wife had been at
lacked and he merely published a card vindi-
eating his conduct with the Woodhulls.
told him 1 was angry that he put on me the
responsibility of meeting the Woodhuls' story
and that all the odium was left upon my Shout
ders. .-- ...-.
The court here took recess. Tilton delv-
cred his testimony with the same calm impress
sive manner, requiring but few questions to be
put to him and having few objections raised by
the other side to his testimony. -l- iftst
After recess Tilton resumed his place on the
witness stand and continued: ffF
remember an interview at Moulton's house
at the time of the publication of the true state
ment, between Mr.. Woodruff, Gen. Tracy,
Moulton and myself. / was sent for and Moul-
ton met me in the front room. When went
into the study saw Gen. Tracy and Woodruff.
1 said, 'Mr. Tracy this whole interview is with
out my consent and against my protest to your
knowing any of the facts. You know some OF
the facts, and want to exact promise and
pledge in advance, and want you to give me
your word of honor, if Beeeher and myself
come into collision, that you will not act on one
side or the other" and he gave me his word,