Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1875-02-25
THE SCANDAL TRIAL.
Traey's Defence Of Beecher.

snip between them. "lf,' said the letter, Z" 1
should die before you, be father to my chill
dren. believe human friendships outlaSt
human life. and meanwhile may our Father
above protect you The letter was signed,
:. \ our eternal and devoted friend, Theodore
IlItOn.' The first thing Theodore TiltOn did
after becoming editor of the Independent was
70 satisfy people that he had emancipated
himself from the power OF Beecher. About
this time there was a question before the
people as 10 what should be the attitude Of
: the northern states toward the southern, and
controversy existed amen- the members of
the republican party as 10 what shOull be
the course Of the Independent. Beecher then
wlote his Cleveland letter, which was male
the subject Of
4 BITTER ATTACK BY TILToN.
who found himself with a majority Of the
PARTY. Men holding extreme views
Hooked around TIltOn, obtained possession
OF him, and controlled hinl as long as he con-
dUcted that paper. Even his religion became
ODged with these extreme views. as is shown
in his letters to his wife. This change in his
religious sentiments was the source of un-
easincSS To his wife. In his examination be-
fore the committee ne denied the divinity OF
Christ and the inspiration of the scriptures.
He also said on that occasion that he deSpiSed
the church. and thanked God that he was
not clergyman. In this hour of the wife
sorrow about MT. TiltoG'S religions Sanfi-
mentS she sought Beecher for advice.
Counsel then read portions Ol letter sent
by BeCCher in 1867 To TiltOn. givinghim cOun-
sci and advice on religious matters. Shortly
atteT this. said counsel.
TILToN SHOWED A CHANGE IN HIS VIEWS
Win regard to the woman suffrage. mar
riage, anda divorce. He began to talk to hi.
friends or the subject. and did not hesitate
TO tell his wife that h" regarded the marriage
relation in different light from that in
which II formerly appeared To him. The de-
voted wife and mother was forced. day after
day and week after week, To listen TO tho
views. which were extremely offensive To
her. In the year 1861 TiltOn formed a friend
snip with lady, whose family he mad visited
in the west. He invited her TO his house. and
introduced her 10 his wife. His acJuaint-
ancc with her made Mrs Morse furious. and
the lady. finding now deCe!ttUl he was, and
hearing his views a to how .e regarded
ladies. dropped his friendship. He wrote
letter from where ne was stopping with this
family in the west to his wife, telling her
how much happier ne was with this western
family than he was in his home. in LiVings-
ton street But in 1865 his wife
COULD CONCEAL HER FEELINGS No
LONGER.
ana when spoken to he confessed his weak
ness, and husband and wife prayed for
strength TO uphold him in the future. On
June 2j, 1S6S he wrote his wife memorable
letter from the Hudson River railroad, in
which he said that She was all that man
could desire; she answered this letter on the
21st and admitted ii in her harShneSS, and
took all the sin of his failingS on herself The
letter says: | am the chief of sinners, and
understand how you feel. We must both
cultivate our respect by being what we
seem; and let us not have even shadow of
doubt in each other; though all the wOrl Il
disagree, let Us be as one" letter of Feb
TuaTy 3, 1sGS, from Mrs. Tilton, says: The
picture of your dear face is ever before me,
marked as with your Sufferings. To love is
praiSeWOrthy, but to abuse your gift OF in
tluence is sin" This, gentlemen, is the
letter which has been garbled here in this
case, in which she has been placed in a wrong
position. She was demonstrating against
the abuse of his influence over women. He
had made her believe that her harshneSs had
made him ahypOcrte, so that he had hidden
his feelings from her with regard to other
women. Mr.. Tracy quoted from
TILTON'S LETTERS TO HIS WIFE
of February9, 1865: 81 am once more a man
among men," said the letter, through your
cCaSelesS prayers and efforts. Each Of your
letters fills me with increased love for my
wife. You have the richest of all human
hearts, and | am pledged 10 YOU forever
Another letter Of February Is, 1858 from Mrs.
Tilton TO her husband was also quoted, ac-
knOwledging the receipt of the former letters.
Another letter was written by him, said
counsel, 10 Mrs. TiltOn on the 10Th Df Febru
airy, answering her that "he had broken his
connection with this western family" These
letters were all written in the west, and con-
tanned assurances OF his fidelity to her. In
the summer Of that year he returned To New
Ork and renewed his acquaintance with his
Old associates. Another letter. written in
his office i'm New York in November, 1868, To
her, says it is his great rcgrcJ in life that he
couldn't see her as happy as she deServcdtO be.
She had the kindeSt soul that ever was put IN
body. The greatest misery To me is that |
have hparkened to others. The troubles are
Oi my own making. Would 10 God they were
of my own enduring. Bat your kind letter
of this morning is very dear to my soul, and
! write this To thank you for il. Another
letter from Mrs. TiltOn, dated February 20,
1SGS, to TiltOn says how glad she would be To
have him home again with her. On March
X 1863, she says To him she never saw her
path as clear as she saw it now, and whatever
he should do she would act as Christian aid
a mother. Notwithstanding his promise Oh
January 26, Theodore TiltOn i'm 1859 and 1870
was forgetting his cool resolves, and falling
back 10 his old habits. TiltOu then feared
CONTINUALLY DISPARAGING BEECHER.
In 1865 new paper was started in New
York called the Christian Union, and ia 1870
Beecher became its editor. The rapid in
crease OF this paper alarmed both Bowen and
Tilton, and the latter'S views became wilder.
In 1870 rumoTs of Mr.. Tilton'S immOralitics
reached BOwenS ears, and the details of the
Winsted affair. The y0ung lady was no mere
child, as he says, but was a larger woman
than Mrs. TiltOn. This reached Bowers
ears, and there also appeared in the New
York papers report that TiltOn was going
To elOpe. Here was the picture OF the woman
going 10 her alleged paramour for advice. and
he gives IL. advising separation. Would he
have advised this if he were guilty? No for
this would not have been the action OF a
guilty man. She never told him OF her con-
iesslOn 10 htf husband, and he never knew of
II until the interview between him and plain
tif in MOultOn's house. The two contracts
OF the plaintiff with Mr.. Bowen were
and sn the 22i Tilton seized the
child from its mother, and on the follow
ing day Mrs. TiltOn had the miscarriage
The stories OF TiltOns immortality had now
come down ON Mr.. Bowen, as the plaintiff
described, like an avalanche. and led 10 an
interview between them as TO the truth OF
these stories. TiltOn mounted his high horse
and demanded an investigation. Then came
mp conversation about the Christian Union
and the influence il was having on the circu-
lation of Mr.. BOwen's paper, and TiItou told
Mr. Bowen that he had spite against Mr.
Beecher, and related TO him the s tory of his
wife's adultery. Now, gentlemen, said the
counsel, when you begin 10 investigate the
case, you will see that the scandal, if any
rests on Tilton alone. Bowen suggested
letter written by Tilton demanding OF .,r
Beecher that he should resi",,. ,na nSsforshiin
u rlSino ...su church and leave iBro5;kivn,
1lIton was perfectly willing 10 throw the first
fire. brand into the camp if Il was followed up
sy Bowen at the same time, wishing to save
his two contracts with Bowen.
The court here adjourned.
THE ECSTATIC ENTHUSIASM displayed by
some OF the Washington correspondents in
their description of the alleged "belleS'' OF