New-York tribune., 1875-03-06
THE TRUE STORY"

of New Hampshire, scandaous publication burst liko
a cloud over my home in Brooklyn and shed sudden
shadow my wifes good name. week afterwards,
when returned and first the libel, wrote card
donounciug the outrage bat acting on the advice OF
friends withheld it frou the press and maintained con-
temptuous silence. Moreover. form OF card that
could devise though drafted two or three, seemed an
adequate TO the circumstantial details OF the
calumnous Indictment. Instead OF card, then pro-
posed explanatory narrative meeting the false heads
point by point. but this also advised against par
tcuary by Mrs. Tilton who from the beginning begged
me 10 publish vndicatton Of her whatever The In
genious and plausible statement put forth against her
could be thoroughly reuted only by plain recital OF
the true story to contradict and refute the false one and
the true story involves dsagreeabe reference to
other names. OF which have not hitherto been
mentioned the case she prefers to suffer obloGuy her
self rather than fling it of to fall stain upon Others
| and whholds from me her permission to unyail the
whole facts. But even against her will going TO
put them in writing not however, for the use OF the
public but only of few personal friends. do this for
distinct purposes rst for her sake. because con-
strained silence will permanently niure her reputation;
and newt for my sake, because owe to these friends
frank explanation OF what they have deemed erratic in
my public for the last two years, since re-
trement from The Independentand The Brooklyn Unton
About 10 or years ago, Henry c. Bowen, for whom
then working a subordinate The Independent
Office, told ono evening while crossing the Fulton
Ferry Henry Ward Beecher guilty of adultery,
q practice begun in indianapolis and continued III
Brooklyn.
Between the years 1860 and 1870 Mr. Bowen repeated
tho accusation not less than hundred times frequently
exhibiting the deep OF injury and some
times saying that If he minded he could drive
Mr. Beecher from his pulpit. During part OF this time,
Mr.. Beecher editor in charge of The Independent
his lieutenant. Afterward he retired, and
succeeded to chair Both before Mr.. Beechers re-
trement and aferwad. Mr. Bowen was In the habit OF
saying that the pastor Of Plymouth Church was o
dangerous visitor among the females OF his congrega
tOn These charges were not made to me in confidence
nor to myself alone. This gossip always heard with
unwilling ears having taste for scandal then
than now and would note IL here except that 1t Is
Of the pvots on which the ensuing history turns
As further statement still unwlllingly opened,
yet necessary to explanation OF the subsequent COM
picatiOn Of circumstances must say that In the sum
of 1870 few months after / had undertaken, IN
addition TO editing The independent 10 edit also The
Brooklyn Union. Mrs. Elizabeth r. Tlton, my wife,
made to o communication concerning Mr.. Beecher,
which, use her own words. lest should wrong him
by using mine, she afterwards noted down in memo
randum follows Mr.. Ii. W. Beecher, my friend aud
pastor solicited to be wife TO him, together with
ali that this implies" borrow The above fact from my
wie's handwriting and forbid myself from pauslns ut
this point either to backen it with epthet or to
Tighten it with an explanation. The subject Of my wfe's
recital communicated o few weeks afterward by
me TO Oliver johnson and Francis D. Moulton and by
my wife to her mother and thence to some relatives
Mr. Beecher abseut from the State at the time, 1t
being his vacation During tho Summer and Fall OF the
year 1870 spoke Of the few friends exhibiting
anger than charity toward Mr. Beecher, though to
Mr. Bowen, whose two papers was then editing, was
silent-unwing to add any fuel TO his Indignation
against the whom he seemed preparing to destroy
1T the tiine by other persons and from other
quarters stories set anoat concerning Mt Beecher
of the damaging kind; for instance, there came
from Washington statement, traceable knew not to
whom that " Mr.. Beecher preached every Sunday to
dozen Of his mistresses."
My wfe's mother now began to play an important
part iD my relations TO Mr Bowen and Mr. Beecher and
relations these two 10 each other This
lady has been for chronic subject OF manas and
frenzes aud VIGOROUSLY irresponsible in her Trades on
any subject that excites her morbid feelings. One of
ply sicaDs, the late Dr. Barker OF Brooklyn recon-
nended several years ago hat she be treated III an In
sttuton for the insane. Among her eccentrces which
aude to- not to reprobae their author, whom disease
may largely exempt fIom censure she attempted, about
that tme take the life OF her husband, the Hon. N B.
Morse by clutching his throat and sranglng him with
such powerful energy that her grasp was oosened with
difficulty by the inmates of the house, and her fairy
quenched with chOroform, circumstance speedily
followed by fega separation between her husband and
herself In less degree she had used violence toward
other persons connected with her by blood marriage
ana ndu frequently ltttcEs Uo
my life. Her ingenuity OF statement against her reia-
tives during the spass OF her insane Mysteries Is
ming and malicious in the extreme. At the same time,
in saying this bear testimony to the innate kndiness
and beautiful affection Of her nature. BY those who
knew her well, her peculartes are understood but to
her acquantanocs they generally remain success
fully hidden in the deneanor OF one OF tho most peace
able and fascinating OF persons.
The unhappiness which she has occasiOned to every
member Of my own family had increased year by year,
until at last Mrs. Tilton and had been compelled to
forbid her to enter our house. As illustrations OF tho
mischief which Mrs Morse had wrought against she
spoke of Mrs. Tlton two to oldest daugh
ter Miss Florence Tlt0n hen Is years Od) IN terms OF
elimination revolving to pure girls mind, and most
terrible when spoken to such girl against her own
mother being nothing less than the central accusation
in the great scandal which another mad woman after
ward published to the world Mrs. Morse once went to
lawyer Brooklyn and with plausible air consulted
him about a divorce between my wife and me-a fact
which. learned only by accident not until 1t had
spread its bat's-wings aud gone flying abroad. She
wrote sundrY journalists letters preju
dice their esumaOD and trace to her fertile brain
the took my wife by the hair Of the head
and kicked her during ness But forbear TO narra:e
hundred instances which csne to my mind OF her mis-
making propensities 1t Is sufficient to say in ref
erence 10 my with Mr.. Bowen and Mr. Beecher, and
the case Of each against the other that she made
careful and malicious OF the few facts in her
sion and OF the many fances which these eneendered
in her diseased and unhappy mind.
Mrs. Morse, in plotting her insane mischief chose
confederate for brief time IN Mrs H. w. Beecher an
other lady OF abnormal type, whose pecuarites. hav-
ing less aggravaon also less pardOnabe than Mrs
Morsee For II years Mrs. Beecher and have not
been on speaking terms have ever had SO relent
less enemy. Strange 10, the cause OF the hostility
was an Of kindness which performed for one OF
her chdreu-an act for which her husband has never
ceased to speak gratefully, and which he eommemO-
firna Inv me- hean oil IN