The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1878-04-24
MRS. TILTON's CONFESSION.
Calling on God to Witness that
She and Beecher are Guilty.
What the Newspapers Have to
Say on the Subject.

!. Playmouth Church was stirred t
its foundation last Monday night b
: the following thunderbOldt, Launches
! by the hand of Mrs. Tilton:
Mr. Ira B. Wheeler. So 1.
r MY DEAR SIR: A few week
since, after long months of menta
anguish, told, as you know, a fev
; friends. whom I had bitterly deceiv
ed, that the charge brought by NJ
husband of adultery between mysel
and the Rev. Henry Ward Beeche
WAS true, and that the lie I had liv
ed SO well the last four years hat
become intolerable to me. aa
That statement I now solmnly re
affirm, and leave the truth with God
to whom also | commit myself. my
children, and all who must suffer.
/ know full we'll the explanations
that will be sought by many for this
acknowledgement a desire to return
to my husband. insanity. malice,
everything save the true and only
One-my quickened conscience, and
the sense of what is due to the cause
of truth and justice. During all the
complications of these years you
have been my confidential friend,
and therefore | address this letter
to you, authorizing and requesting
you to secure its publication.
ELIZABETH R. TMTON.
BRooKLYN, April 13, 1878.
The New York Tribune telegraph
ed Mr.. Beecher a copy of the letter
at late hour Monday night, and
received the following in reply:
WAvERLY, N. Y. April 10, 1878
To the Editor of the New York
Tribune: / confront Mrs. Tilton's
confession with an explicit and alb
sOlute denial. The testimony to
her own innocence and to mine, which
for four years she has made to hun
dreds, in private and in public, be-
fore the court in writing and orally,
declare to be true, and the allega-
tions now made in contradiction of
her uniform, solemn and unvarying
statements hitherto made, | utterly
deny. [ declare her to be innocent
of the great transgression.
HENRY WARD BEECHER.
The Tribune says: ''Mr. Wheel
er called at the Tribune, yesterday
afternoon, with the original Of the
above document. no matter under
what circumstances it had been OBJ
tanned and promulgated, and at Mr..
Wheeler's suggestion and wish it
was put into type. A Tribune re.
porter subsequently had an interview
with Mr.. Wheeler. but he was very
reticent. He stated that he was a
distant relative of Mrs. Tilton's. He
said that he was very reluctant to
be known in any connection with the
matter, and that in fact his only con.
nection was the submission of the
document for publication. Mrs.
Tilton had at once requested him to
see that twas published. He ad.
ded that he did not feel willing to
state any Of the circumstances which
had led to the confession.
About four weeks ago Mrs. Til
ton had verbally confessed in detail
to Mrs. Annie w. Field and four
other ladies Of Plymouth Church,
stating all the circumstances all the
various adulteries, and about the
same time she had written a letter
to the same import to members of
PlymOath Church, probably the
same persons. This letter he could
not furnish, and he said it was of
such a character that it was not to
be published. Ha
New YORK, April 16.--Mrs. Til
toms confession is the theme of ev-
cry tongue. Mr.. Frank Moulton
Gays: Why, knew the confession
must come. I knew it from my
knowledge Of the woman, Eliza
beth Tilton was so upright, SO sim
cere minded, that it was only ques-
tien of time when she would tell the
truth" Secretary Evarts who was
counsel for Beecher in the Brooklyn
trial, telegraphed from Washington
that he could not believe that Mrs.
confession was true. It was
not a good subject for discussion.
That which pleased him more was
the prospect of legal tenders being
worth premium in gold. Ex-Judge
Porter, the counsel for Beecher does
not think Mrs. Tilton's confession
will bring the case into court again.
Oliver Johnson says: Who will
believe a woman who now confesses
the same thing she has decidedly
and emphatically denied? Beecher
don't care snap for her con nfessien.' =
Benjamin F. Tracey is nonscommit-
tai; Mrs. Morse. Mrs. Tilton's moth
er, refuses to talk S. v. White
laughs; Augustus Storrs smiles
Rev. S. B. Halliday is cheerful !; F.
B. Carpenter says he has no reason
to believe Tllton was privy TO any
such communication as Mrs. Tilton's
confession. Tilton's contributions
to support his wife were dictated by
what he believed to be an imperative
obligation not to leave her at the
mercy Of the world or those profess
ing to be her friends. The Herald