Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1875-04-03

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subject?
A. did not.
q. On that night, was anything said by
MoultOn to you, or by you to MoultOn, on
the subject Of sexual intercourse between
you and Mrs. TiltOn?
A. No, sir; no sir.
q. Was there anything said concerning
any confession of sexual intercourse be-
tween you and Mrs. TiltOn?
a. No, sir; not a word.
q. On that night did anyone speak to
you Of the fact Of sexual intercourse be
tween Mrs. IiltOn ard yourself?
q. No, sir; no, sir. Ii is such lOathsOme
and OdiOus stuff that 1 don't talk about it.
when Beeeher Felt as II Struck by
Lightning.
| q. What night, Mr.. Beecher, did you
use any such expression or make any such
observation to Mr.. MOultOn as this: That
this came upon you as if struck by light
ming?
a. 1 may have. My impression is that
it is a phrase used on the 1sL Of January,
but Il may have been on that night.
Q. Did you, on this night, ask MoultOn
to be a friend to you?
| A. No, sir; L did not.
2. When next did you see MOultOn or
| Tilton?
a. l did not see TiltOn again, that l re-
member, until the Sd Of January.
| q. And you saw MOultOn when?
| A. On the 3lst of December, the next
night following this interview.
! q. Where was there any interview be
| tween MoultOn and yourself on the 3lst?
A. At my house.
A Spicy Interview About Mrs. TIItOn's
RetraetIOn.
Q. And how did that occur?
a. He came to my house, rung, came in
and called for me. 7 went up stairs with
| him into my bedroom and shut the door.
/ He then went to the bureau, where the gas
/ lights were burning, and took his position
on the left hand side and l stood on The
Other-that is, as We went up to it-and he
made some Introductory remarks, which
cannot now give, and drew a letter from
out his pocket from Theodore TiltOn.
| TiltOn stated that after going home the
/ last night he found that / had taken
advantage Of my interview TO procure from
| his wife a retractiOn Of the charges that had
| been made against me. That was the sub
stance Of it. There was some little more,
which l don't remember. He then pro-
| ceeded to say, in substance, he thought /
had acted a very indiscreet part, a diShon-
| Orable one; that l had no right to take ad-
vantage of such a situation to obtain such a
retraction. / claimed the right Of self-de-
tense. He then said such a course was in
| discreet and inexpedient on my part, no
matter what my reasons were; that It tend
ed to increase the difficulty between TiltOn |
and his wife and between Tilton and me, |
and that, instead Of leading to peace and
to quiet, it tended exactly the other way,
and that ] ought 70 give up her retractiOn. |
l argued with him on that matter, and for
some little time there was an interchange |
backwards and forwards of thought. |
He then drew from his pocket |
a letter purpOrting &c be one from |
Mrs. IiltOn, requesting me
Mr.. Evarts. Wait one moment. PRO |
ducing an exhibit This note that you |
are now proceeding to speak Of, which |
Moulton took out and read, did you have it |
in your hands?
y. did not,
Q. Or hear it read? Look at that paper |
and see if that is as you remember?
A. Yes, l think that is the letter that /
was read 10 me-
Q. Read it, fit is rs he read It.
Mr.. Beecher read aloud the following:
Frank: l want yOu to DO Inc the greatest
possible favor. Ny letter which you have
and the one l gave Mr.. Beecher at his die
tatiOn lasi evening, ought both to be de-
stroyed. Please bring both to me and
will burn them. Show this note to TheO-
dore and Mr.. Beecher. They will see the
prUpriety Of this request. Yours truly,
Z r. Triton.
q. Well, do YOU recognize IL?
a. ] recognize it by one single word.
q. Well, he read that 10 YOU
4. Yes, sir.
q. Well, then what succeeded?
4. Well, l was peIplexed a little at the
existence Of that letter denying the accusa-
ton.
q. The accusation?
\. Yes, sir; however, that was 4 mere
transient thought in my mind. The main
TeCOnciliat on.
thought was what would tend to peace and
The Efficacy of Little Pistol.
q. Go on with the conversation.
A. There was considerable said. / said
my objection to giving up that retractiOn |
was that l should be left without a de-
Tense, if l should be in any way brought to !
account Of such a charge, and be said, in |
substance, that he would stand between me
and any such accusation. He said he |
would defend the documents, or he would | !
burn them, or would keep them if L wished.
After some further parley, l went to the
little drawer and brought The letter out. {
He had been sweating, and took Off his {
OyerbOat, aud, as he did so, saw the hilt Of {
a pistol. He took it out and laid it on the
bed. After he had the document, he put
it into his pocket. q
q. Was it after this promise Of MOul-
toms that he would either burn the two
papers, or if you chose, keep papers to
prevent arenewal Of the agitation, that you
gave him a TetraCtiOn3
A. It was.
Q. When MOultOn represented to you as /
be did somewhat that it was an improper 4
and dishOnOrable thing for you TO take ad-
vantage Of your position TO get this paper, L
what did you say to him on that subject q
a. l don't remember that any particular
words were used, but L know l said gener-
ally thought had perfect right TO pro- h
cure a reuactiOn from the source whence
The charge had come. I
q. In this matter Of pistol, did it attract
your attention any more than you have S
said? t,
\. l did not see the pistol until 1 just
'eAN nm ttEAS N-- LIS tAAAA II vi
he table.
Q. Laying the pistol on the table?
A. Il wasn't fired of.
q. Did you at that interview say any Z,
hing about being on the brink Of a moral b
Niagara? q
A. l did not. n
lnreply to further questions concerning t
lis conversation with MoUltOn as to Mrs. h
Elton, Mr.. BeeCher said:
I did not know hardly what 20 say; d
,Ou,d not understand it, how Elizabeth Il
hOuld have called me to 4 meeting J
% counsel her about a separation q
without letting me know either D
before or at that interview that there had D
'yer been a discrepancy in the household r
# such kind as there had been. l could t
rot understand. / was bewildered by it. a
By that it seemed to me that if she had Il
JeCn led to transfer her affections from her b
husband by reason Of my presence, l could A
lot but feel that / was blameWOrthy; that d
he was a woman so quiet and so simple, q
Ter exterior life was so tar from
hat, that l had never suspected Z
t; but that her conduct seemed to be now
UGH as led me to feel that there had been; ! Z
hat the allegation was not untrue that l l
lad warped her affection, which her hus-
and had made in the interview of the III