The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1875-04-20


from all trouble during the past year., meant
to keep her domestic difficulties from me- She
did send for me and made known her difficult
ties previously, but that did not occur to me.
There were other difficulties which I learned
subsequent to that letter. / don't know how
iptrepeted her letter then. / cannot say / in
trepeted the difficulties between her and her
husband / heard she had confessed July,
1870, inordinate affection for me, but l did
not understand it to be of improper advances.
/ don't recall that Tilton charged me Dec. 30,
1870. with making improper advances to his
wife. | now understand what she meant by
her weapons to keep suffering from me were
love, generosity and nest-hidng, but 1 don't
recolect how | understood it then.
A letter of Beecher's to Tilton in 1872 was
read saving her letter had come like spring
Between December, 1870, and then, he had only
met her once that he recollected. He did not
recollect meeting her in the fall of 1871. He
recollects one occasion in the fall of 1871 when
he did see her. There was no explanation of
her charge. 1t was his impression that he had
won her affections from her husband. Moth
inc was said at that interview about the charge
of improper advances or her written charge ana
recantatlOn.
Counsel read an extract from Beecher's letter
To Mrs. Tllton, asking her to cheer another
soul outside her home. he thought 1t meant
himself He wouldn't like to say it positively.
He meant by well doing in his own household
that nothing else would comfort him, "If you
would send me now and then letter of true
inwardness it would be SAFE was not what he
meant was to cheer to him. 1t would be safe
because he was so liable to be away and conf
DENTAL communications like that might fall
into other hands, but now he was at home with
His sister and it was safer. If his wife was at
home it would be safe, but if his wife was alb
| sent and his sister not there the letter night
| fall into unsafe hands When his wife was
absent no one out himself opened letters. Ser
| wants did not open, but they misplaced them
| After this he received a letter from Mrs Titon
| but does not recollect that he wrote any him
| self He couldn't tell how he sent his letters
| to Mrs Tilton, whether by mail or hand. He
| semi one by Monitor. He communicated to
| he was going to New Haven to lecture because
| he thong hit it would interest her.
| Odd you communicate this to other ladies
of your parish?
| A-No
| Q-Apd you sat down and wrote that to a
| affections to you?
| Al thought almost anybody would be in
| terested in knowing 1 was to lecture in Yale.
| Q-How did you think it would interest her
to know your wife was going by steamer to
| Havana.
| A-She would be interested in tie departure
| of friend. ),
| In reply to succeeding questions witness said
| on the occasion he called to see Mrs Il. as re-
ferred to above he only allowed himself to
/
| her before that letter there was not one allu-
sion to the charge against him of improper So
| licitations. Qittle note handed to witness
My Dear Mrs. Tilton:-If you don't see me to-
night you will next FRIDAY night. He THINKS
| that was in the fall of 1871, because In that
| time Florence brought him a letter from her
mother, who was in trouble, about her mother.
| He underscored "Friday" because t at was MS
| night for seeing his parishoners at the prayer
meeting. He meant next week, thongn ne
i INr.I xl,% avn
Letter of Mrs. Morse to Mr.. Beecher, COM
| mencing, "My Dear Son"-was 1ead Witness
| explained as on the direct examination, that he
met Mrs. Morse at Mrs. Bradshaw's wedding
| She spoke of her troubles, and had no son OF
| person to consult, and he said, Consult with
me as a son. He he's no idea of her age OF
whether he is older than her, or what she
| meant by 'Shall call myself mother, or do
you know think it strange you should ask me
call you son." He gave this letter for SAFETY as
what she meant by ''Secret of her life,' (refer.
| ring to sElizabeth.) My impression is did
not read her letter, said Beecher
81 do not remem oer," he continued, what
thought about contests of that letter or the pas
| sage about the secret of Elizabeth's life. My
| impression is that l never read the letter
| through / took it to Moulton after glance,
| to know if it was complaint about TiltOn and
his family do not recollect that read
| bout the secret not to be disclosed and the
letter would go to Mouton anyhow: L have nc
| recollection of going to see Mrs. Morse attel
| that letter, or where she was residing the1.
| The first intimation had that the scandal got
out was Woodbulfs card of May, 1871. ldon''
| recollect hearing that Tilton had told 1t to any
| number of persons. cannot say (re1errlng 10
the letter handed up) that recolect the pas
sage in this letter of Mrs. Morse, II know
| twelve persons to whom Tilton has told it.
| referring to the scandaD. / know | spoke to
| Moulton about Tilton'S telling stories. DOM
recall that when Tilton was present ne denleo
| having told the matter to any one but Mrs
Bradshaw and Oliver johnson. saw Tilton
shortly after the Woodruff card, and quite like
| ly had conference with Moulton, but don'i
| recollect that it was agreed that she should be
| seen and the threatened publication prevented.
| TiIton told me he had seen Woodruff to pre-.
| vent ANYTHING that would bring trouble to his
| family. [ don't know that 1 thanked him. l
don't recol 'ect that ne told me to see her, and
| never approved of his going there Accord
ing 10 my best recollection nothing was sara &c
me before hand about his going, but would
| not like TO swear to it.
| I think it was in the fall of 1872 next heard
of the scandal. That was when it was publish
ed. In that interval heard talk that there
was difficulty between Mr.; L. and me.
| | never heard T. had charged me with the
| commission Of that offence. l remember OIL
receiving letter from my. nephew, f. b. Per
k,ns. etter and reply here handed to VII
| ness anu 1u6uLu-uJ Lucy olO u"ooU -
| Nephew's letter informs him Tilton has beer
accusing him (Beecher) of aduteries., Witness
| said Bowen's stories had been hushed up. He
don't know how, and he didn't regard hls
nephew's letter as referring to them. Extract
| from reply ready "Whatever TiltOn formerly
| said against me- and know the substance Of
it, he has Withdrawn" Witness denied tina
| Tilton had made prior to this charge OF lm
proper proposals against him, but admitted
s'He read in my hearing what purported to be
a charge by his wife of improper proposals.
Very WELL" said Fullerton, I'VE will SETTLE
that by and by"
Counsel then referred to witness direct testi
| mony. "He (Tiltou) said that had made over
lures to her of improper character, and drew 1
| paper from his pocket purportng to be charges
! by his wife of Improper advances.
| Now, said counsel, did ne not charge vol
with improper advances?
A-Strctly speaking, he did not.
| OIL don't want anything but what is strictly
true. Isn't that true? Didn't you state tha
| he charged YOU with improper proposals?
/ Al didn't intend to be so understood, sir.
| O-Do you mean to state that you did not
convey in your direct testimony that TIlton
Dec. 30th, 1850, charged you with improper
advances?
Al do not regard Tlton from my present
point OF view as making the charge personally
| Q-(Reading from direct testimony "Ht
charged me with wicked proposals to his wife
Up 10 that time listened to him patiently, but
with that he drew from his pocket letter
&C." Do you now mean to say that prior t(
drawing that paper from his pocket ne did not
charge YOU with improper proposals?
| Witness answered: If it controvened BIZ