Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1875-02-26
BEECHER'S DEFENSE.
Tracy ON TfItOu and M0ulfox,

Tracy ON Triton and MouItou.
When our Geographic report of the trial of
the Triton Beecher suit in Brooklyn closed
yesterday, legal quotations were being read
in regard TO the Importance of oral confess
slons TO show that they are unreliable, for
" IT was easy to see how men relating what
another party had said were liable to be mis-
understood" The defense. said Gen Tracy
VIII produce witnesses whose testimony can
rot be doubted, who will repeat accurately
what they heard, and who have no motive
but to tell the whole truth. He would show
that the witnesses for the prosecution were
NOT TO BIZ RELIEVED,
and that they had the strongest motives for
fostering the guilt of the defendant. The
speaker then went back to the period when
TlltOn told Bowen that Beecher was guilty
OF making unhandSOme advances to his wife.
This was done to prevent Bowen from uniting
with Beecher against Tilton, the latter only
seeking TO save his contracts with Bowen.
Bowen had no objection 10 join TiltOn in a
war against Beecher- provided he could do so
safely. The letter demanding Beechers
resignation was sent, and Beechers reply to
Mr.. Bowen was, " Bowen, what does this
mean? This man is mad,' and he there
upon told Bowen OF Titon's former life
Bowen having made certain that Beecher
and TlltOn could not unite against him. he
hastened to discharge Tilton, as was told
here by the plaintiff himself Bowen then
told TiltOn that if he ever made public the
stories he spread against Beecher he would
cashier him. This, said counsel. was the con
spiracy brought by TiltOn and Bowen against
Bcecher, but from which Bowen had slipped
Jul luls' SSuJl6Inell, WAS cone III the way
of business.
so MUCH LYING FOR so MUCH MONEY
IN dollars and cents. This was done to dwarf
the growing progress of the Christian Union
and advance the cause of the Independent.
Bowen had backed out early; he did rot
want to go any further in that path, ana
IlltOn was forced to seek another friend.
After the letter of December 90 1913. Beecher
saw Bowen and convinced him of his innO-
cence and the falSity of TiltOn'S stories and
Bowen retracted his utterances. Beccherdid
EnnVU a tt,ot fI,,
charge was on which he was asked to Quit
MS pulpit when he received this letter, nor
was he aware of il until that stormy night
ON which the interview was had at MOultOn'S
house. On the 26th Francis ID. Moulton
learned of the foolish act of his friend i'm
sending the letter TO Beecher, and said that
Bowen would leave him alone to support the
charge which he CTilton) had made against
Beecher. ] appeal to the "true story" as
written by Theodore TiltOn, said the counsel,
10 refute the evidence of MOultOn and Til
ton. In reference to Moulton, he was
A COLD, FEARLESS AND CALCULATING
MAN,
one who was calculated 10 deceive even the
very elect. He admitted he was q heather.
He was Junior member of one of the largest
commercial firms in the city. There were in
tereSts at Albany and elsewhere which called
ms attention there, and his partnership with
this firm ceased when his influence in these
quarters was destroyed. MOulton had access
10 the republican organ controlled by TiltOn
In 1870 MOultOn states that he became ac-
quainted with Beechers crime and obtained
his friendship after learning that he had de-
Daucned his old friends wife. Every note
written by MoultOn was with Tiltons con-
sent, and every statement he made was die
tated by TiltOn. Tracy referred to their ac-
Moultons wife kissing her. He likened
MOulton, withshis cold, calculating face, 10
picture of
JUDAS ISCARIoT
In the Cathedral at Milan. To destroy Mr.
Beecher they resorted to this SANDER We
have seen how Mrs. TiltOn was haraSsed TO
O1Va-f lan.-.
this suggestion was made by the devil.
Moulton says he had acted in the matter at
nIst To preserve the peace Ofthe two families.
he introduced this man, whom he had
cused, to his wife, took him TO her bedroom,
and on one occasion she kissed him on the
forehead. But when the time came for his
interests To be served he left the peace OF
families, Plymouth Church, and Christian
society TO take care of themselves. On The
stormy night of the interview at Mourtol'
tney brought Beecher there TO make their
charge against him, and that charge was OF
To be adultery. There were no charges of
adultery until Mrs. TiltOn left her homa at
the instigation OF Mrs. Morse and they found
that Beecher was in consultation with her.
and 11ltOn was threatened with dismissal
from the Independent. This plot he Matched
with Bowen. The only question was
WHEN MoULTON ENTERED THE CON
SPIRACY.
IlltOn tells you in his true story that after
ne told Beecher of his wifes accusation. he
(Beecher) asked permission to go and see her,
but will show you, said counsel, that
Beecher denied the allegation that Mrs. Til
Ton had made any such accusation. Mrs.
Tilton had forgotten the wording of the letter
Of accusation which she was forced to write
but when she met Beecher and knew the use
mat was being made OF her letter, she has
tened TO write the letter of retraction. TiltOn
had ten days to prepare his statement, and
had access TO all the correspondence In il
lie states that after Beecher left MoultOn the
night of the interview, he came to Tilton's
house, and he puts words in his mouth in the
statement which amounted to a confession of
MS guilt. Mrs. TiltOn was in bed asleep when
TiltOn returned that night; her nurse was
sleeping with her She awoke, hearing Tilton
talking, and was ordered to leave the room.
She stayed in the next room and heard Tilton
in angry tones
FORCING HIS WIFE TO SIGN
the explanation of her letter of retractiOn
saying that Beecher had eXtorted the retrac-
ton from her. Beecher had Tilton in his
power when he obtained the letter of retrac-
tion, end could have crushed him with il
had he wished, and TlltOn finding that he
vas in Beecher's power, obtained the letter
from Mrs. Tilton to Moulton asking him TO
get the letter OF retraction from Beecher, as
she wished to burn IL. MoultOn, armed with
this letter, went to Beecher for the letter of
retractiOn. Beecher asked what he should
do II the retractiOn was given up. Moulton
pledged his word of honor that he would
keep both the letters of confession and re-
traction or destroy them. Beecher said he
did not want the retractiOn letter destroyed.
The reason these papers We're destroyed,
claimed the counsel, was because thew did
not contain word about the charge of adult
terry, but only improper proposals. Was this
paper destroyed with the knowledge or con-
sent of Beecher? No; he would show them
That this paper was not destroyed, if il was
destroyed until
THIS CONSPIRACY WAS MATCHED
between Theodore Tilton and Victoria Wool
null, for the destruction of HenTyW. Beecher
They would show them by the testimony of a
. man whose word was not questioned, that
after the publication of the Woodruff scan
dial Tilton showed to him the paper which he
said was copy of the document shown
Beochef on the night of the 30fh of December
This man asked Tlton IL that was in the
handwriting of Mrs. Tilton, and. he replied
that Ii was not; that the statement was i'm
Aoulton's possession, and yet Moulton does
not know where or from whom he received
the letter from Mrs. Tilton asking for the let
ter OF retraction. He did not remember IN she
was in bed or not when he got the letter IN
was not very important as ehsraeterizing
THIS witnesses conduct as 10 when he got the
letter, or in what manner, but il was iTnporf-
ant as To the credibility of his statement,
, and as 10 the amount of belief to be placed i'm
his testimony. Was the friendship OF NouI
Ton 10 Beeeher sincere one, after the former
testlfying that he had been a friend of Til
TONS since his school days, and when he
heard of Mr.. Beecher debauehing his friends
wife? Adjourned.
A LIFE INSURANCE Observation-Disclosures
HQQQn IF psrff.a 10. a.,