Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1875-12-10


may disappear from view. The coroner
inquest has been commenced at ElmOr'
Corners. before DR.. Mckenzie, of Kingston
Bur three Witnesses have yet been exlmin
ed-Capt Tcson. Jos. C0rcc,. and Franz
Walker Nothing different from the previ
Gus statements has been elected thus far
The French iewery dealer who was los
was Joseph Platky, Of New York.
PI, month Church, Of Brooklyn. s,en.
CON Vests Reply.
INV Yo&N, Dee 1.-The following lette
Wa addressed to-day by Deacon West t
members Of Plymouth church "Dea
Brethren thank you for your promptnes
and upauimity in roconsitering the vote b.
which my nlme was dropped from tht
roll OF the church VI the request OF III,
examining committee | appeared be!o.
them this morning. and stated the reason
for my absence from church. While the
gave me uo advice in technical sense Of tina
word understood from them that the
thought It u De my duty either to with
draw from the church or IL future to az
tend IL services. Do not see that car
honestly ard corscienii1usly take eithe
course. aud as slil % the committee tina
| should make any further communication
/ QlItfAaN 10 Aut Nuultl W III uON
state g. lAl wherein differ from
the view expressed by the committee, anG
propose q ian hy which think that al
dihcuJie that exist between US may be set
tied In the t.rst place believe that an
right in the request which have made tol
complete and regular Investigation OF
the scandal which has 80 long troubled th'
peace Of onr church, and | believe moreover
that it's still my daty as member Of the
church to obtain such an investigation il j
be possible by any fair and honorable means
Therefore ! cannot consent to voluntarily
sever my connection with the church Will,
a way l. sill! open Tor the performance Of
this duty. Is regards ms attendance at
| the services and sacraments of tn,
church. can only repeat what
stated Ia nv former letter - you
that cannot c3ascientiousiy attend them
until - regular and impartial invest
| igatiuu ri .he charges against the character
Of the pastor shall be made by properly
| constituted council. such al inye-tiga-
ton At the ur1s,nt tine j. especially I'M
| peratiye. because our church /, not unanim-
! Gus in it- halle. in the innocence of our pas
tor. and this feeling of doubt and apprehen
sion Is shared ly thousands OF christian
men and women throughout the land
I
/ terry ana perjury have been made against
cur pastor and IS in M opinion q regular
investigation Is nece ssary for the vindica-
| ton ot the innoccn. and for the preserya-
ton Of ila peace AM panty OF the church.
! | hereby relueS. You 10 unite with me IN
calling mutual council 10 which shall be
submitted the following questions
lst. Is Rev. Henry Ward Bsechcr guilty
Of adultery? Pad. Is Henry Ward BsecAer
guilty OF perjury?
make this proposition with the hope
! that 1t may be means OF indicating the
] character Of Ou- pastor. and should this be
! the result no one viii rejoice thereat more
| heartily than | hope the church will meet
me frankly and ahecJ:0nately in the spirit
/ in which ! approach them, and Will unite
with me in the reference of this whole sub
! ject 10 q council which Will be able to com
I pose the difference that now unhappiiy ex-
ISIS among Us. A. this matter Is OF such
great importance, solicit immediate ac-
ton on the part of the church and that
n time may be lost. besides sending this
letter to the clerk, shall cause copy Of
1t TO be published In the morning papers
in order that !, may sooner reach the mem
bers Of the church. Yours fraternally,
WIZ. +. " E>T
Eroo.lyn Heard from Again.
MS. M0CLr0N's aErLr TO PLYMOUTH CHURCH.
New York. Dec 4-fhe sun says Mrs
MOulton has addressed letter to the mem
bers u Plymouth church, in reply to one
addressed to her, and adopted by them on
Friday evening last She says:
- | DO not believe there Wa, any one moro
faithful t. Plymouth church than was. up
to the TINE became acquainted with the
great wickotncss which Mr.. Beecher had
committed in his relations with Mrs. Tllton
After that II did not seem possible for me
TO 20 to the church and hear him preach,
or take the sacrsmen. from his hands. and
| stopped doing 50. ! could not. with any
sa tisiac;i0u, hear him preach of purity and
Christian joy while knew OF his secret ago
ny ard his Acknowledged but hidden sin
That did not 20 elsewhere for worship and
the sacrane Was almost wholly owing
10 h,m. lie begged me again and again
to come back ami when | said that !
could not till he had acknowledged
his sin. and So atone for it rs
far as he could. he was sad and depressed
even u tears. Yet If | went away from
from Plymouth church to any other, while
he was all the time coming 10 our house /;
would OF course excite attention, cause sus-
picion aud embarrass him very much, as
We'll - my husband. who was then trying
hard under Mr. Beecher' 5 constant urgency
To keep the awful secret ir0.i the public
should not know what to say il | was asked !
the reason for 1t and II might be the means
OF doing great injury 10 those whom want
cd to shield and help. Mr.. Beecher. too,
had more than any other represented 10 ne |
the Christian religion and to bring reproach |
upon him seemed an injury to it: 50 ! /
abstGinod from going lsewhere. lest it |
should harm him and Indirectly bring |
things to light which he was all the while /
afraid woaid become known. and which it |
did not belong to me 10 disclose Mr..
Beecher surely ought TO be the last man IN
the world 10 blame me Tor what | did in his
behalf. lie knows that | could not speak
the truth more perfectly than have spoken
It here, 1T | was standing this moment before
bods throne OF Judgment. When Mr..
lilton's name was dropped by you. TWO
years ago, | told Mr.. Beecher that | was I
afraid you would sometime want to
irop mine in the same way, and he then
most earnestly assured me that it should
lever be done; that he would see to it him
elf that should never be in any way iniur-
d by his church. really do not see how Mr..
Beecher knowing as well as he does the per
ect truth of what say, knowing how he
lsed TO weep at our house and heap shame
lpOn himself for his great sin, and how
tten he spoke to my husband and myself
# the utter despair IN which he would be
kept for our comfort aud help,-I cannot
ee how i; was possible for him to stand up
nd read this letter to me in your presence
Without his very soul giving away
Mrs. Mouton refers to other parts of tue
etter and says:
You say that 50 far as the church or
know l had never made any
tatement impugning the purity of Mr..
'eecher except in a court ofjustice but
q that very court | had stated
nder oath that | had made precisely :
be same statement. which | have since /.
,ade in my protest to you. long ago. to
ne Of the leading members and officers OF !
our church, telling him that Mr.. Beecher's
in was adultery aud that he and Mrs. Til
On had both confessed to me. If the state
lent was a SANDER before all the world, |
light months ago have been called to an i
ccount for it. | never knew before that t.
alse swearing in court of justice is an c
fence which the church of Christ is IN 7
-illing or unable to punish and if you
link that lied In that public manner and
that solemn hOur-that lied in order to \
ijure the minister whom | had loved as
Iuch as any of you, and whom had done
" very best TO uphold and comfort for
lree dismal years through the time Of an
nguish which he was carefully hiding IRON
Du-you ought all the more, | think, to 8
ave tried and condemned me. instead OF y
ropping my name"
The letter concludes as follows:
II had heavy burden to carry and am
try to say that the first act of Christian
,tention which have received from the
'urch in the five years past was the noti-
a ton that my name was to be dropped
I'm the roll next evening. Ny proposal to
u ~ my previous letter was that you
puld ,snite with nc in calling council