Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1878-04-19
is the only person who could have a motive

10 make it public.
Judge Fullerton (of Tilton's eounseD y
There is no telling what Mrs. Tilton may oil
may not do. Throughout the trial she al
ways did what was least expected. Before
the trial she told the story Of her shame tC
various friends That is why wanted hel
as a witness. Since the trial she has COZ,
icsSed her guilt again in private. 1t would
be lust like her to make public confession
now.
Judge Porter-During the trial, and
since, she has repeatedly asserted her inno-
cence. Don't think it will bring on an
other trial.
Oliver Johnson place no confidence in
any such confession. She has likely been
hired to make what you are pleased to
call confession
Mr.. Morris (of Tilton's counsel)-l have
no idea what the effect may be. The old
suit was never ended, You know it may
be taken up any moment or not. As the
jury disagreed, it simply remained undecid
ed. But Mrs. Tilton has made so many state
ments and so many denials, so many
charges, and withdrawn them so often,
that don't consider that anything she
may now say will be of the slightest i'm
portance-certainly not in court
a World reporter, who called on Mrs.
Tilton, thus describes her present appear
arcc: Instead of the slight, delicate woman
in unrelieSed black whose haggard, pale face
was frequently seen in Judge Nelson's court
room during the progress of her husband
suit, there came to the door a plump, petty
little woman, with rosy checks and bright
eyes, quick, strong step and erect carriage
The mourning gown had given place to a
stylish, close-ftting dress of dark goods,
plentifully ornamented with blue ribbons
There seemed, however, to BIO much great
err proportion of gray in her naturally black
hair than there was two years ago. The re-
porter saw only vague resemblance of her
old self as she looked early in the trial, but
a closer likeness to her as she appeared
when, one morning towards the close of the
suit. she arose and awaited the reply of the
Judge to her written appeal for permission
to testify. Showing her card to her, and
asking whether she had indeed written it
and was DESTROYS that it should be published
Mrs. Tilton flushed violently and cast down
her eyes. Then, after a moment. she said :
"The card was written by me-"
"And you authorized Mr.. Wheeler to
make it public?''
YES sir" she said, and still with down.
east eyes; "did he not leave it with YOU ?
1t is all right sir
She wished that the interview might
not bs continued, and repeating sit is all
right, SIR babe the reporter good even
ing.
A few months ago, under the prctext of
providing for his children, Theodore Tilton
IL
lately gave her for herself costly India
shawl, also. There are four children. Tie
two who are now with their mother, and
who afforded Mr.. Tilton an excuse to see his
wife, are the boys, Carroll and Ralph. Flor
ence and Alice. their sisters, are in SUIT
| CART, in Germany, at school, and are under
stood, particularly the older one, Florence,
to have often urged a reconciliation between
their parents.
WHAT MRS. TILToN HAS PREVIOUSLY AFFIRMED
AND DENIED.
According to Tilton she confessed to him
in July, 1870. that an undue intimacy had
existed between her and Mr.. Becchcr. and
wrote confession which he destroyed Ac-
cording to her. Tilton made confession Of
his infdelities to her at the same time, and
wrote draft of her confession, for her,
which she copied and signed He says that
after period of peace she renewed the writ
ten confession in December, 1870. She says
it was at his mportunity-the document to
be used in settling his difficulties with Mr..
Bowen, Of the Independent. Ihereupon
Tilton wrote to Mr.. Beecher, bidding him
quit his pulpit and leaye Brooklyn. Mr..
Beecher visited Tilton at Frank Moulton's
house. He says Mr.. Tilton produced only
an alleged copy of an accusing statement by
Mrs. Tilton, which he at once tore up. That
evening, Mr.. Beccher visited Mrs. Titon,
and went home with the following paper
signed by her
DECEMBER, 30. 1870.
wesried with Importantly and weakened by sick
ness ! gave a letter inculpating my friend Henry
Ward Beecber undsr assurance tina. that would
remove all difficulties between mt and my husband.
That letter now revoke: | was persuaded to it.
mind. l regret /. and recall all its statements.
L. Il. 1ILroN.
desire to say explicitly Mr.. Beecher has never
t-eated me in a manner becoming Christian
and gentleman. ELIZABETH X. TiLroS.
This is the first of Mrs. Tiltons written
statements that was preserved. Mr.. Beechcr
says she wrote it voluntarily when he had
reproached her for falsely accusing him.
That night, while Mrs. Tilton was very sick
and abed, as she says, her husband dictated
and she write, without resistance, a recanta-
ton OF the retraction, as follows
DECEMBER 30, Is7O-Midnight.
My DEAR HssHANp desire to leave with you
before going to sleep statement that Mr. Henry
Ward Beecher called upon me this evening. asked
me if would defend hun against any accusation in
a council OF ministers, and replied solemny that
! would in case the accuser was any other person
than my husband. lie III. W. } dictated letter
which / copied as my own, to be used by him as
against any other accuser except my husband.
This letter was designed to v!ndo ate Mr.. Beeoher
against all other persons save only yourself. l
reany to give him this letter becaus. he said
with pain that my letter in your hands addressed
to him, dated December 20, had struck him dead
and ended his usefulness
You and both are pledged to do our best to
avoid publicity. Good grant speedy end TO all
further anxittics. Ahectionately,
(signedO ELIZABETH.
The accusations against Mr. Beecher be-
came public scandal in November, 1872. In
December, Of that year, in order to guide
Mr. Carpenter and Rev Dr. Storrs in an III
CURRY according to Mr.. Moulton), Mrs. |
TiltOn wrote;
DECEMBER l6. 1872.
In July. 1870, prompted by ny duty, informed |
my husband that MIR. ii. W. Beecher. my friend |
and pastor. had solicited me to be a wife to him,
together with all that that implied. Iwrote |
a brief statement, which my husband showed to |
Mr.. beecher. Late, the same evening, Mr.. Is. came
TO ne (yi ing very sick at the time and filled me |
with distress, saying had ruined him snt wanting |
10 know If meant To appear against him. This 1 |
certainly did not mean to do. aud he thought WAS
agonizing 10 me. then signed paper which he
wrote 10 clear MIN in case Of a trial. l |
found on reflect on that this paper was drawn as
to place me most unjustly against my husband and
on the SIDE of Mr.. Beecher. 30 | wrote an
explanation OF the inst paper and my ssna-
ture.
As matter of fact, the retraction was not
in Mr.. Beecher's handwriting at all. but in
Mrs. Tllton sand Mrs. Tilton afterwards
testified that the recantation was written at
her husbands dictation. There comes next
a letter without date, which Mr.. Moulton
saws was written few weeks before the one
just quoted. ltsays;
Mr.. Moulton=
MY DEAR rRIESD: For my!husband's sake and my
chi ldrcn's, hereby testify. with all my wvman's
soul that am innocent OF the crime OF impure con-
duct alleged against ne. havo been to my hus-
band true wife.
1t was argued on Mr.. Beecher's behalf
that the first accusation made against him
was of improper proposals only, and that no
crime" was spoken of till the Woodruff
scandal was printed Just before this last
ettcr was written.
Vn JuiS -or ioit MIS- lhtoh eStiHeu
,efore the Plymouth church investigating
that her husband was u shameless
lar and that his charges were ialse-the
,harge Of improper proposals as well as the {
ha-ge of crime that Theodore had written
"truc statement" indicating Mr.. Beecher,
nut had at tho last moment turned around
nd accused him anew. Mrs. Tilton had at {
his tiuo and on this ground abandoned her a
husband and gone to live at the house OF a
,cacon Ovington, Of Plymouth church. She
lso informed the committee that she had
isited DR.. Storrs and told him that her 7
tatement of December Ii, 1872, above
uoted, beginning. "ln July, 1870, prompt |
d by my duty" was false, and that she c
Tas not its author, and had not composed
! in any way. The letter is in her hand I
Triting, hut as she expressed it, There is a :
ertaiu power Theodore has over me, es- :