River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1875-03-05
TRACY on THE SCANDAL.
Reading from His 600 Pages Of Man
uscript.

Reading from His 600 Pages of Man
uscriPt.
The following report contains the most
interesting points in Gen. Tracy's open
ing argument for Beecher, up to noon on
the 26th nit.
This plaintiff, resumed Gen. Tracey,
was conspirator with Henry Bowen
against the character Of Henry Ward
Beecher. If Henry 9. Bowen should
deny his ignorance Of the letter demand.
ing that Beecher should leave his pulpit,
then ! could not ask you TO believe the
plaintiff against himself. But Bowen had
backed out early. He did not want to 90
on further in that, and Tlton was forced
to seek another friend. After the letter Of
Dec. 20, 1870, Beecher saw Bowen and
convinced him Of his innocence and the
falsity Of Tllton's stories, and Bowen re-
tracted his utterances, and during the
10th, 9th, 2Sth and Goth of that month
the defendant had no interview with Til.
ton or wife in regard to how much the
husband knew Of the intimacy; and the
counsel submitted this was not the action
of guilty man. Beecher did not know,
contended counsel, what the charge was
on which he was asked to quit the pulpit
when he read the letter, nor was he
aware Of it until the stormy night on
which the interview was held at Moul-
tons house.
MoULToN TO THE RESCUE.
On the Goth Francis d. Moulton first
learned of the foolish act of his friend in
sending letter to Beecher, and said that
would leave him alone to support the
charge which he (Tilton) had made against
Beecher. | appeal TO the True Story, as
written by Tilton, said counsel, to refute
the evidence Of Moulton and Tilton. Coun-
sci briefly glanced over the various incl
dents contained in the True Story. He
said that Tiltou, after he was deserted by
Bowen, was placed in position Of great
embarrassment. He had issued a chal-
lenge TO ore Of the foremost men Of the
age, and he had nothing to support il but
his own word. II he had told Beechcr
that he had been deceived the latt r
would ask him how he came to write so
insolent letter. II he said his wife had
told him the story, the wife would deny
it.
WHY MRS. TILToS CONFESSED.
The cool and calculating villainy of
Mouton he resisted till the Mephisto-
pheles at Tilton's elbow suggested that,
as Mrs. Tilton was then lying sick that
was a good opportunity to secure sigma
ture to writing duplicating Beecher.
. h
lie turned away the nurse and companion,
shut himself up with his sick wife, and
finally persuaded hersto sign paper, the
import of Which she dimly if at all compre-
hended. If she had an idea that she in
any way did wrong to Beecher she be-
leyed it would in the end be the best for
him and all concerned.
MoULToN's MOTIVES.
Mr.. Tracy then asked who and what
was Francis ID. Moultonl He went on to
say he was man eminently qualified to
sustain the part he had taken in this CON
spiracy. The jury had seen him upon
the stand and known his GOODNESS and
plausbiiity. As he himself had confessed,
he was heather, hut could present h m
self as an angel of light, and he had so APP
peared to Beecher. Moulton and Tracy
said, at the same time when he became
known 20 BeecheT, was a member Of the
firm Of Woodruff 4 Robinson, one Of the
prominent and respectable firms in Brook
Ign. This firm, like others which had
dealings with the custom house, needed a
man who could secure favorable legisla-
ton, and could serve the house TO advan-
tage in cases Of difficulty with the gov.
eminent. Moulton was the member Of
this firm who occspied this position.
To succeed in his work it was necessary
for him to have friends in high
places who could influence the newspaper
press. Tilton, whom he knew from boy
hood, was such a friend. Tilton was then
not only an editor of the Independent, a
journal which was originally religious,
but Tilton made IL largely secular, but he
was also friend of Horace Greeley, and
the latter was supposed to look with favor
on any one whom Tllton recommended
II Iilton was menaced with loss of his
position, Moulton was therefore menaced
with loss Of the all.important source Of
his influence in business.
NOT ADULTERY.
There were no charges Of adultery un.
al Mrs. Tlton left her house at the insti-
CATION of Morse, and it was found that
Beecher was in consultation with her, and
he was threatened with dismissal from
the Independent and this plot he hatch.
ed with II. c. Bowen. lie formed this
conspiracy TO drive Beecher out of Brook.
Ign, and this was the only question when
+. d. Moulton entered it, lf Theodore
Tilton was a man Of flesh and blood he
could hot have carried this
dread secret in his bosom
for six months without making il
out before this. II was not adultery, but
a charge Of making prop sails and adj.
yances TO his wife. Counsel would show
them, by five persons, that Tilton had
charged Beechcr with being instrumental
in causing his dismissal from the hdepen.
dent, ana also 10y his (Tlton's) wife and
Mrs. Morse, that he had charged Beecher
then with improper advances to his wife,
aud when Beecher asked An explanation
filton referred him 20 his wife. Tilton
tells You ia his True Story that AFTER he