Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1875-02-03
TILTON.
He Stiu PrOclaims His Wrongs
from the Witness Stand.
A Graphic History of the Wood
hull Complication.
Beecher's Desperate Efforts to
Keep the Scandal from the
Worlds People.

NEW ORK, Feb. 2.-The second dav OF
the ifth week OF the TiltOn-Beecher trial
| opened this morning with as crowded a
| courtroom as ever. Mrs. Tilton and
female friends were ea-ly in attendance.
After the formal opening Of the court, Mr..
TiltOn took the witness chair and resumed
his evidence. He said: The next interview
with BeacheF occurred shortly after; I
think the second week in February, at my
house, al my request, given 10 Mr.. MCul-
ton. l told him when ne came that I
wanted 10 know if he could tell me with
reference to the little boy Ralph, and lie
said that the date fixed by Mrs. TiltOn was
the correct one. Mr.. Beecher asked me
the date. / told him Elizabeth bad told
me that the date at which their criminal
intimacy had begun was the 10th of Oc.O-
Der, 1865, and he said he had no remem-
brance Ct it, but be thought she was
right. Some expressions of grief
and misery fell from him, and that was the
cad Ofrthe interview. He went to Mr..
MoultOn's house. This interview lasted
ten OF fifteen minutes. Recollect the time
Of the publication Of Mrs. WOOdhulTs card.
had an interview at MOulton's house with
BeecheF st the time Of that publication. l
told him she brought it to me al the Golden
Ag6 Office and put a card in my hand, and
she wished me to read the portion stating
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. ii. ". Beecher and my wife. She re-
lated other particulars which were gathered
in her card Of November ,, 1872. Her
other story was that L discovered
the intimacy, and had used personal viO-
lence to her; had taken the wedding ring
off her finger and ground it in the earth
with my heel. l told Beecher that MOul-
ton and | went to Mrs. WOOdhuli's house
about the matter and had an interview with
her. She had referred only slightly to the
scandal, and Mr.. MOUltOn admOnished her
that she should not speak i'll of her. Mr..
MOultOn told me afterwards, when coming
away, that he thought this woman was not
in her right mind, and it was from that
time that MOUltOn, Beecher and myself
were in consultation to stop the circulation
Of this wOman's stories. Beecher was
greatly agitated, and MOultOn told him
there was no cause for alarm, as they could
keep her quiet. he advised kindness to be
used 10 her and put her under some obliga-
tiOn to us. Beecher cOincided in this
view, and we agreed to become personally
acquainted with her, and treat her as
gentlemen should treat a lady. We
resolved to make her acquainted with Mrs.
TiltOn and Mrs. MOultOl, but Mr.. Beecher
said Mrs. Beecher would not become ac-
quainteC with her. Beecher said be hoped
the ladies would exercise a good influence
over Mrs. Woodruff. In pursuance Of that
arrangement, l published an article in the
Golden .1gs about the enfranchisement of
women, in which l alluded to Mrs. Wood
hull. l drew up an article claiming the
right for women TO vote, on the ground Cf
their being citizens Of the United States,
and had it published in the form of a tract,
and addressed to Charles Sumner. This was
one favOrI did for her. She then brought me
a biographical sketch of herself, written by
her husband, which she asked me to revise.
l did 50 and completed the manuscript,
after which published it. Six or seven
weeks after this, MOultOn told me be had a
letter written to Mr. Beeeher by Mrs.
WoOdhUll, with reference to presiding at
the Steilway Hall meeting. BeeCher had
been asked to preside at her meeting.
Beecher was present. l told him l had
presided at a meeting Of hers in Cooper In
oNALulNf MAEA eAAg ANNAAAAEA AAA A4AllAA-Ns
Beecher said he would not like to preside,
but if be changed his mind he would let
me know. MOultOn and l went TO the
Hall, which was crowded, and introduced
her with a few words. left town a few
days after on my lecturing tour, and with
MOultOu made a friendly call upon her.
It was on account Of the publication
Of her pamphlet, "Tit for Tat"
that / relinquished Mrs. Woodruff, and 81
say here, that Henry Ward Beecher is Ie-
spOnsible for my 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 "Tit for Tat" was
brought to my Office by some person and
shown to me. l think it was a lady from
California showed it to me. In the first or
second week Of December, 1871, Beecher |
came into MOUltOn's study when 1 was
present. He asked NE if MOultOn had |
conferred with me on my formally retiring /
from the church, and l said he had done 50, |
but that thought there was nOTeasOn why |
l should resign. Beecher said it was re- |
ported among the church members that l |
was a S9iritualist and had fOrsaken the |
church. Hesaid he understood my situation /
and how / was placed. he asked me 10 /
write a formal letter to the church asking /
for dismissal but 1 said no; that he knew /
the reasons Of my being identified with Mrs.
Woodruff. l said if il was dangerous to
have nv name ON the church roll, strike it /
out or get a new one printed, and l
told him if he treated the matter boldly /
ne would soon get nd Of the
q t6oulties by which he was surrounded. l
said it was false thing to require that 1
should retire from his church on account
Of my liberal views in religion. 1 peremp-
10. lily declined to ask a letter Of dismissiOn
from the church. On that occasion / met
Beecher IN the ears, while travelling. l
was writing, and he came up and said, Il
hope this il not another poem like Sir
1 said no, it was an essay.
lie said he thought there was no peace any