Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1878-04-19

Mr.. BEEcHRR' spENIAL-INTERvIEw WITH MRS
TILTON-oPlNI0Ns OF PROMINENT BROOK
LyN PEOPLE.

Mr.. BEKcHRR 5 DENIAL-INTERvIEw WITH MRS.
TILTON-oPiNI0Ns OF PROMINENT BROOK
| LyN PEOPLE.
Monday evening Rev Henry Ward Beecher
lectured at waverly, n. Y. The New York
Tribune telegraphed to him Mrs. TIlson's let
ter. and in reply he telegraphed as follows :
81 confront Mrs Tilton's confession with
explicit and absolute denial. The testimony
to her own innocence and to mine. which
Tor four years she had made to hundreds,
in private and public. before the court, in
writing and orally, declare to be true, and
the allegations now made in contradiction
of her uniform solemn and unsaryins state
ments hitherto made, utterly deny. de-
clare her TO be innocent of the great trans
| erosion"
The New York Sun says lady mt ber Of
Plymouth church called on Mrs. Tilton last
evening" Mrs. Tilton opened the door
The hair above her forehead had hlsnched
to whiteness, and she seemed to have grown
10 years older within few weeks. The
lady asked her: Libby, did you write
the statement that rurports to be your con-
fession of guilt?
Il did," replied Mrs Tilton firmly land
every word OF it is true
SLOW could you" replied the visitor.
''sit for all this time perjuring yourself
every day2"
al don't know how | could do il" re-
piled Mrs. Tlton, "but did"
"Did your daugh know what you now
say is tho truth before they went to
Europe?'
Eyes, they did"
Mrs Tilton was almost broken down. She
displayed wonderful courage in maintain
ing the rightfulness OF her new attitude
toward Mr.. Beecher. but she was in state
of great nervous excitement.
elias Mr.. Tilton been supporting his
children" asked the visitor OF Mrs. Morse.
| "Sumptuously," replied that ladv.
elias he seen Mrs. TIlton lately?''
ale had two interviews with her after
his last return from lecturing. but he is
now eff lecturing again, thousands OF miles
away"
| In further conversation the visitor ascer-
tanned that Mrs. Morse had sent for Mr.. Til
ton.
WHAT s.v. WHITE. REV. Mr.. HALLIDAY AND
oTuEKs SAY.
| Mr.. S. V. White, treasurer of Plymouth
Society, alter reading copy Of Mrs. Tilton's
| confession, said that he was not surprised
at its appearance. The atmosphere has
| been full OF it for weeks past, and he could
not be surprised at anything from her. lie
| referred to some documents in his possess
sion. and it might be well to compare them
| with Mrs. Tilton's latest confession. One
| of these was a card signed by her about tho
time of the Price Loder affair. in which
Mrs. Tilton said that an affidavit had been
prepared by her and placed IN the hands of
counsel, in the expectation OF an opportun-
| ity to present it in court. No such oppor-
tunity having been given, and affiiavits base
ly false having been published against her.
she desired the affidavit published in her
vindication. The affidavit referred to was
sworn to before Judge McCue on the 10Th
Of June, 1875. by Mrs. TiltOn. In it she
declares in the presence OF Almighty God
that she was absolutely innocent OF all the
offences charged against her with reference
to Henry Ward Beecher. While she had
lived with Theodore. she had made charges
against Mr.. Beecher which were false and
entirely unioundod, and which her husband
knew to be false and she declared that she
left her husband Voluntarily and without
any solicitation or inducement from any
per,on. She aid she did so because she had
found by sad experience. that the only re-
suit Of her long endeavor to serve her hus-
band was that she kept herself in his
power, and that it was impossible for
her, 30 long as she lived with
him to resist his demands, or to speak the
truth when he required her to deny 1t Mr..
White further said that having the originals
of these documents in bis possession. he did
not think much Importance would be at
tached to Mrs. Tilton's latest confession.
lie had heard that demands Tor money had
been made upon Mr.. Beecher rec ,ntly, not
by MIS-. Tllton herself, but by her mother,
and threats had been made that if the money
was not forthcoming, this document would
be published. lie had also heard that Mrs.
Tilton was very angry because some one
would net procure the reinstatement of her
brother in the Custom House. lie had also
heard lady describe Mrs. Tnton's dramatic
action in q friends psrlor, where, looking
at pattern on the carpet. Mrs. Elton said :
" There's adultery" Then. pointing to an
other pattern, she said "There's lying |
am guilty CT both ~ "Oh. am the cham
pion liar. can lie so you would not know
1t by looking in my face ~
Judge McCue, one Of the justices of the
Brooklyn City Court. said Mrs. Tilton
made an affidavit before me, in which she
ca lied Almighty God to witness her inno-
cence. and then she assured me privately,
that the charges against her were the result
OF one of the basest and most malicious con-
spirscies ever known. She was emphatic in
every denial"
Mr.. Augustus Storrs, one OF the investi-
eating comm ittee, said it would be very
strange if Elizabeth Tilton hadn't some
thing IF her mother in her. | must say |
that, from all l have heard. think that |
Mrs. Tilton is crazy. Certainly, the spells |
which We have seen her in 60 to prove it. |
The confession may be authentic, but who |
will believe il?
Rev. Mr.. Halliday, assistant pastor
OF Plymouth church. was shown the |
confession Of Mrs. Tilton, and asked if
be had known Of it. lie replied: Il have
not seen it, but | am not in the least sur
prised by it. In fact, Lave anticipated
something Of the sort for some time. As
soon as l knew Tilton was visiting his wife
| expected some development, and. in fact,
said be would of course influence her to
make some false move. Mrs. Tllton must
be insane, she has crossed and recrossed
her track so often. Why, she once
wrote a confession OF her sin against Mr..
Beecher to the church, and, unless am
mistaken, the original is in the hand, of
Mr.. Sherman now. Ii she be insane, it
might not be fair to eIcommunicate her.
II she be sane. she certainly deserves to be
put out"
One gentleman said that Mrs Tilton had
received money and aid from her husband
lately. and that he had made arrangements
for her board at Warwick, Orange county.
N. Y. "When Mrs. Tilton gave him per
sonal inter view, said he, .she was lost"
Mrs. TiltOn's son Carol. when BIO heard
that his mother had made the confession,
was overcome with grief no WAS seen walk
ing about the yard with his hands to his
head. and would listen to no one.