Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1878-04-19
TILTON- -BEECHER.
Ehe Ola scandal Revived Mrs. TIIton
COntesscs ana Nar. Reecbcr Denies.

The Old Scandal Revived Mrs. TIItou
COniesscs and Nsr. Reecbcr Dentas.
NEW YoRK, April lG.
The following letter from Mrs. Tilton
appeared in this mornings papers:
BROOKLYN, April l3.
Mr.. Ira B. WHEELER-Hy Dear Sir. A few
weeks since, after long months of mental
anguish, / told, as you know, few friend.
| whom had bitterly deceived that the charge
brought by my husband of adultery between
| myself and Rev. Henry Ward BeeCher was true
and that the lie ] had lived so well for the
| past four years had become intolerable to me-
| That statement now sOlemnly reafiirm and
| leave the truth with God, to whom also com
| mt myself, my children and all who must sui.
| fer ! know full we'll the explanations that
will be sought by many for this acknowledge
! ment-a desire to return to my husband, ili-
sanity, malice-eyerythng 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 wears You have been my confidential
| friend, and therefore | address this letter To
| you, authorizing and requesting YOU to secure
its publication. ELIZABETH Il. TILToN.
Frank B. Carpenter, the artist, in an
! interview last evening stated that there
was no doubt about the genuineness of
the letter. Mr.. Ira b. Wheeler, he said.
| had been the private legal adviser and
confidential friend of Mrs. Tilton all
through the trouble.
| Mr.. Beecher was out of the city last
night when Mrs. Tilton's letter was
made public, and his whereabouts was
not known save to few friends. The
Tribune telegraphed him a copy of the
letter at la.e hour and received the
following dispatch in reply from Mr..
| Beecher:
WAvERLY, N. Y, April 10, 1878.
To the Editor of the New York Tribune:
confront Mrs. Tilton's confession with ex-
plct and absolute denial. The testimony to
her own innocence and to mine, which for
four years she has made to hundreds in pri-
vate aud in public, before the court, In writ
ing and orally, declare to be true, and the
allegations now made in contradiction of her
uniform, solemn and unvaryng statements
hitherto made utterly deny. | declare her
to be Innocent of the great transgression.
HENRY WARD BEECHER.
The Tribune says; Mr.. Wheeler called
at the Tribune office yesterday after
noon with the original of the above
document and submitted it for publica-
ton. There was no question of the
genuine character of the document, no
matter under what circumstances it had
been obtained and promulgated, and at
Mr.. Wheeler's suggestion and wish it
was put in type. A reporter subse-
quently had an interview with Mr..
Wheeler, but he was very reticent. He
stated that he was distant relative OF
Mrs. Tilton. He said he was very re-
luctant to be known in any connection
with the matter, and that, in fact, his
only connection was in the submission
e. Al. i. g., Irl
Tilton had once authorized and re-
quested him to see that it was pub
lished. He did not feel Mt liberty to
state any of The circumstances of the
confession. About four weeks ago Mrs.
TiltOn verbally made confession in
detail to Mrs. Anna NJ. Field and four
other ladies of Plymouth Church, stat
inc all the circumstances of the various
aduIteries, and about the same time she
wrote letter of the same import to
certain members of Plymouth Church,
probably the same persons. This letter
he could not furnish, and he said il
was of such confidential character
that it was not likely to be published.
At the same time, or about that time,
he had received private letter from
Mrs. Tilton, but he could not think OF
publishing it. The document given
now to the public was all he was au-
thorzed to publish.
Reporter-Does not Mr.. Tilton know
of the confession?
Mr.. Wheeler -Emphatically not.
A gentleman who was prominently
connected with the defense in the
Beecher suit, on being shown II proof
slip of tire letter, after reading it care
fully, without eviGoinT any surprise,
looked up and said: "NHll." On be-
ing asked his opinion of it he at first
declined to express any, but subse-
quently remarked that Mr.. Beecher' $
friends had expected something of the
kind for some time. Frequently dur
ing the winter" said he, "Mr. Beecher
has been applied 10 for money TO aid
Mrs TiltOn, the request, or demand,
not technically coming from her, nol
purporting to be made with her knowl
edge or consent, but as for her benefit
| This demand was accompanied by
threats and intimatiOns that if it was
not met something would turn up. Mr.
| Tilton's influence over his wife is very
great and she cannot resist il"
A gentleman living near Mrs. Morse
and Mrs. Tilton, and intimately ac
quainted with both, said:
The events of the past few months have
led me to believe that arrangements Tor !
| reconciliation between Theodore TiltOn an,
his wife have been completed. He frequent
lv sent a carriage to Mrs. Morse's house fol
his sons, meeting them on Yates avenue
two or three blocks away, and after a drive q
several hours the boys would return alone
On one occasion MIR, Tilton drove back t,
the house, but he did not alight. He ha
| sent Mrs. IiltOn money on several occasions
| Mrs. TiltOn went 10 Warwick, notwlthstand
ing Mrs Morse's denial, and the sons are m
authority for the statement that she engaged
rooms there for the summer, and that upol
Mr.. Tilton's return from Europe In Angus
with his daughter the family viii be reunited
Rev. Samuel b. Halliday, assistan
pastor of Plymouth Church, said he wa
not the least surprised at this new de
velopment of the scandal. He saiC
some months ago, when he heard tina
Mr. Tilton had gone to see his wifi
with her consent, that now we nigh
look for the beginning of the end:
1t is susceptible of only one explanation
one which naturally will be given to any ac
Of such a poor crazy person who is putty Il
the hands Of her husband whenever he is VIII
her. Her course at the beginning Is at leas
such as destroys her weight as witness 10
either side II proves that she is weak, in
sane woman. Her statement ON any subiec
is worthless, aud that is all there is about II
England and Russia.
RUssIA'S REPLY.
LONDON, April 9.