The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1875-02-25
TILTONrREECHER.

lyn City Court met this morning, the
greater number Of those present being
lawyers 70 hear the opening address for
defense, Gen. Tracy arrived quarter Of
an hour after the formal opening Of the
Court, When q few preliminariss had
been arranged ho began his sRddress to the
jury al, ana
Mr.. Beecher moved 10 this city from
indianapolis in 1874, and was already q
matured man Of assured fame, When Til
ton was enrolled among the young men Of
Plymouth Church he had nothing 10 gain
from young Tilton, and the latter had
everything TO gain 4iFOm the countenanCe
which he afforded HIM, Beecher's friend
ship for Tilton was increased by the mar
riage Of the latter to q young girl In his
Church in whom the pastor had taken an
interest. Tilton became an editorial Wri.
ter upon the Independent and was brought
into still closer relations with his pastor,
who was u frequent contributor to that
Journal, Even at that time Tlton began
TO feel jealoua Of Beecher, although this
was not suspected by tho latter, Bcechcr
having country residence at which his
family remained during certain seasons
Of the year no was, as Is we'll known, In
the frequent habit Of taking his meals In
Brooklyn at the houses Of his pariShOnerS,
As early Us 1861 or 1862 Tilton frequent-
ly urged Beecher to visit his home,
this manner urging the regard which was
entertained for him by his wife, Beechsr
complied to some extent with these
solicitations, Mrs, Tilton, who was the
real defendant in this case, was q woman
Of small stature, chlldlike nature and Of
marked religious enthusiasm. Mr., Til.
ton himself had said that II she had lived
In the early times Of the Catholic church
her name would have been surrounded
by halo. She was entirely devoted to
her husband and looked to him In every
thing and consulted his every wish, She
watched with pride his progress in life,
but was doomed TO tho sorrow Of seeing
him blinded by egotism and surrounded
by AattcrerS, and losing his hold upon
what she believed 10 be the foundation Of
religion. She tried with tears and
prayers 10 turn her husband to the right
and she loo ked TO her trusted pastor
10 aid her In this labor. II Mr., Tilton
had but followed the advice In the
beautiful letter which Beecher wrote
to him In 1857 he would now have q
happy home; yet we were asked 10 be.
lieye that at the very time when this wife
was trying to save the virtue OF her hus.
band she committed The very sin against
which she was warning him. In 1868,
Tracey continued, Beecher sailed for
Europe, leaving Tilton in sole charge Of
the independent, In the absence Of bis
former guide, Tilton's jealousy Of him
was increased, but he still maintained
the outward form OF friendship. In 1855,
on the night Of November 30lh, he wrote
to Beecher q letter In which he spoke OF
his long affection for Beecher, Of their 10.
timacy, aud Of the obligations which he
owed to him. lie begged BeechOr In this
letter to forgive him for my word or deed
Of his which had given offence, and spoke
Of his religious depression. In this year
Iilton became managing editor Of the
Independent, and In his Segotism took every
method Of showing his independence Of
BeeCher, whose equal or superior he now
considered himself to be. He took the
advantage Of the political differences TO
mako such violent attacks upon BeOCher
In the Independent that the latter was
Obliged to dissolve oil connection with
that journal. The pFetext for these at.
tacks was Beechers Cleveland letter which
had been read In evidence, advocating a
moderate policy towards the Sotlth-a
letter which read now, nine years after.
ward, showed Beecher 10 be no less emf.
nant as q Statesman than as q pastor,
But the views Of the extreme men pre-.
vailed, and Tilton at that time, as he had
testified, found himself with the majority
ofhis party Tilton In his editorial chair
was surrounded by extremists Of every
sort, who found in him man disposed 10
take the most radical view OF every ysubieCt.
A marked change took place In hls rGlig-
iops sentiments, as appeared from his
own testimony and from his letters. As
also appeared from his own testimony
and from that Of Mrs. Bradshaw, this
change was cause Of great sorrow to his
wife. .5. rt..-
General Tracy, TO illustrate this, read
extracts from filton'S letters already in
evidence, and from Tiltbns testimony
before the Church Committee. Tilton
had testified that his change Of opinion
in regard to the divinity of the Saviour
had caused his wife greater sorrow than
any event In her life except this scandal.
In this extremity Mrs. TiGton applied to
hOr pastor, and the latter talked with him
kindly On the subject. BeeCher also wrote
to him the, beautiful letter 10 which he
(the speaker lad already referred.
In this letter, already introduced In evil
denCe, In which Becchcr said that he
thought Tilton's religious views were tin.
defgoing a state Of transition 10 which
most Of tho thoughtful men were sub.
ect al some period oil their lives, Mr..
BeeChcr gave Tilton words Of sympathy.
and kindly advice, referring to his own
experience. At die close Of The letter he
said that he had giveh- 0p' the Idea Of
starting newspaper, statement the i'm
portance Of which would become more
apparent later III the opening.
General Tracy then said that Tilton's
views alSo underwent an important
CHunRu III IeBuTu W tNb IblutlUHH VI lllo
sexes, Believing that q great social rev.
olution was impending In regard y this
matter according TO his usual custom he
embraced The radical side. He made
this the subject Of freqdent conversations
with his associates who visited at his
house, taking the ground that every rela.
ton between the sexes was proper which
was attended by mutual love. These
views and these associates were extremely
offensive to his wife, and were a source
Of even greater anguish To- her than the
change In his religious opinions. In 1866
T'ilton induced his wife against her will
TO invite to her house young lady whose
acquaintance he had made In the West,
and with whom there was no doubt he
was desperately In love, as appeared
from bic own letters, II was hs own
intimacy with this woman which nearly
drove his mothef.in!law 10 insanity. The
lady In question, seeing the danger to her
from Tiltona admiration, finally left and
broke of her relations with him, In hiS
letters 10 his wife, Tilton spoke Of his
friendships, as he called them, for various
women with a freedom which was astons
iShihg. In q letter written TO his
wife on the 18th Of February,
1867, he refers to his intimacy
in certain western family which he had
-l-ga..V 4 III Al "A L A.. ..sl.atA III. s..,.il