The Portland daily press., 1875-02-02

Subscribers Of the Golden Age. L had no debts
other than the lien on my property dld not
know the source from which the money came
which was given to be by Mr. M0ulton. L dld
On the 30th of Dec. 1870, l had an interview
with Mr.. Beecher.
Mr.. Evarts here objected to the witness Civ
ing in evidence IN relation to any statement
made to the witness by his wife.
Judge Nelson 1uled that the witness could
saw what passed between himself and Mr..
Beecher but not to what his wife had told
him.
MIR. Moulton brought Mr.. Beecher and re-
tired. not salute Nh Beecher nor he me. L
crossed the room and locked the door; went
back and sat down opposite Mr.. Beecher. L
began in this way. think said, II presume
Won have received from Mr.. Bowen letter de-
handing your retirement from your pulpit and
from Brooklyn" He answered, Il did sir" L
fold him he need not fear that letter. He
thanked me and told him he need not do so.
Elizabeth deserved his thanks and not l. He
said he understood the object of this interview
only in general terms and asked me to tell him
what Mr.. Bowen had said, and L told him it
would be better for him to go to Mr.. Bowen
himself l told him Mr.. Bowen had said he
was intimate with members of his congrega-
ton for the past twenty-five years; that he was
not a safe man and had ruined family house
holds: that he was a wolf in the fold and
should be extirpated, and that Mr.. Bowen had
Beecher out of Brooklyn in twelve hours. L
told him that after | had this interview with
Bowen told it to my wife, who was distressed
and reminded me that said in the previous
summer that would not break my promise to
hurt Beecher, for if he was driven from Brook
lyn it would be her shame and that OF her chill
dren.
Mr.. Beecher asked me what 1 meant by her
shame. read to him Elizabeth's letter OF con-
fession This confession was destroyed by her
two years after and the copy OF III was Destroy
ed on this evening.
The wtpess was going on to relate the con-
tents of this letter of confession, but it was OBJ
iected to by Mr.. Evarts and = long argument
ensued over this point.
The Judge decided that the contents of the
letter should be left out for the present. The
witness then continued: ~
Mr.. Beecher was about to reply, but said
hear me out and then speak, and then told
him the story Mrs. Tilton told me, saying to
him that III the early part of July Mrs. Tlton
had come home Unexpectedly from the country
and told me she had burden on her mind
which she wished to throw off; that she had
several times tried to do it but failed. Before
telling me she exacted a promise that no harm
should come to the person or disclose the
story to him. .aat--4 I1f i'|. ~
She said it was secret between her and the
Rev. Henry Ward Beecher. That her friend
ship had developed into love and their sexual
intercourse beginning after the death OF her
10th of October, 1868, she had surrendered her
body to him. and that on the following Satur-
day evening at her residence the act had been
repeated, and that this had continued from the
fall of 1868 to the spring of 1870; that IN the
fall of 1870 she had communicated these facts
TO me- that she had protested to me that Mr..
Beecher had for her a warmer love than for
any other woman, that his home was not hap
nv; that his solicitation had been frequent and
in many cases almost violent; that she felt she
1nalr in no fQan
made free and open confession, and that she
had come from the country to make this con-
fession. 81.
I would not say this was entirely as this in
terview happened, but is near as L recolect
and taken from small memorandum book
passed L then told Mr.. Beecher that Mrs.
Triton had gone to the country broken heart
ed woman and had returned few weeks pre-
vious to this interview. 1 told him that my
wife had insisted on my being. the bearer OF
begged me TO have a friendly interview with
him, and said that if she agreed L would re-
quest Mr.. MoulUon to bring about an interview
between Mr. Beecher and myself, to which she
agreed. felt great reluctance that Mr.. Moul
ton should know the facts. l pledged Mr..
Beecher my word that would not assist Mr..
Bowen in any attempts he might make on him
(Beecher.) .t.4..,
At the conclusion of the narrative Mr..
Beecher's head and neck were flushed with
Dl0Ou anu ledItu az AAO c~.H
Theodore, l am in dream. This is like
Dante's Inferno" He rose up and opened the
door and said he was free to go. he asked me
if would allow him to see Elizabeth which L
granted as he promised not to upbrad her, Tor
il he did SO threatened to strike him ten-fod.
He stood moment on the threshold and put
ting his hands on his head, he said: This is
all a wild whirl."
Mr.. Moulton met Mr. Beecher on the stair
way and l heard Mr.. Beecher say to him,
.fArcr aond
he answered that he had and Mr.. Beecher said
'This will kill me-"
Mr.. Moulton and Mr.. Beecher then entered
the parlor and the door was closed. The court
here took the usual recess.
During the relation of this narrative MIS-.
Beecher smiled frequently and Mr.. Beecher &C.
casionally, but no other signs or manifestations
were produced by the testimony were observed
in their faces. Mr.. Tilton gave his evidence in
a calm, cool way, which to all appearance car
ried the air of truth about. After the recess
Mr.. and Mrs. Beecher were surrounded by their
friends, and after few moments spent in COLI
gratulations they left the court room. f ~
After recess Mr.. Tilton resumed the stand
and continued his testimony. He was asked
by ex-Judge Fullerton to state the contents OF
the letter to Beecher at the interview. This
was objected to by Evarts as the letter had
been destroyed. 1t was accordingly ruled out
by the court. Mr.. Beach argued that this pa
per had been prepared aud should be submit
ted The counsel quoted from legal authorl-
ties to show that communications between
husband and wife shown to third party could
be proved. go
Judge Nelson said it would be difficult in
the face of a case like this, and he would like
to hear Mr.. Evarts on the subject Mr.. Evarts
then rose and argued that the confidence OF
the wife in her husband was such that it was
to be used in an interview to suppress any con-
troversy that might arise. He had not heard
any views to entitle witness to take part OF
that paper and relate its contents. He he Id
the whole narrative was inadmisabe as being
out of confidence Of wife and the letter and
copy had been destroyed.
After further argument Judge Nelson said
he would still rule out the paper. 5lHI
Mr.. Eyarts then moved to strike out this
evidence on the ground that it would dispar-
age the wife as giving proof of the adultery of
the wife, it not being competent according to
law, ..- ...f ... -5 .t .-.... 4
Judge Nelson refused this and an exception
was taken.
Witness continued: On the Sd of January
went to Moulton's and shortly after Beeeher en-
tered the room. Moulton said should not re.
fuse to speak to him in his house. replied,
How could l do so, knowing that he had
ruined nv wife" Moultnn said, ''How could
YOU act SO to man who humbles himself be-
fore you as before his God? then said,
isGood morning. Beecher said, II do not
but in any plea for myself. If you wish me to
retire from the pulpit only say the word and
will leave. There will be no selling OF TIE
pews and will go out of public life. l viii
20 out of life by suicide or journey to some
other H part of the world my wife,, said he,
fought never to know this for in addition to
becoming his enemy she would also become
mne.'' He said the relations between hlmseif
and Elizabeth was NIT always marked by sex
ual intercourse, and he could not offer any ex-
cuse for himself He asked me to believe that
be had never sought her for selfish purposes,
| and the insercourse was from motives OF love
| and not lust; that she was The only woman he
| had ever loved He asked me if / could rein
| state her in my love and esteem and drew a
| picture of a man sitting on a brink, and said
| that he was on the edge of hell. remember
| Beecher said something which led him into a
| violent burst of grief, and his face assumed a
| radnaaq and MOulton asked mo IN rat;ra q nd