The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1888-03-13
Qbf Sntellieenttr.
TUESDAY, MARCH 10, 1888.


Beecher, explaining low it was he came
to take tho course he did all through the
period when the great scandal with
which his name is connected was in its
first and concealed stages Of develop
nent.
Before Mr.. Beecher's death many peo-
pie Ind the curiosity to know what he
would say-just what he would confess
or deny in regard to it-when brought
face to face with eternity. But he was
stricken down out of health and re-
NAMED unconscious during his illness,
and 50 passed away without a sign one
way or the other.
Now, however, comes this paper, pre-
pared by his own hand, in which, four
years after the publicity of the scandal,
he wrote down his explanation OF how
he came to DO enmeshed in so many
tolls, deeply laid for him, as he AYERS
that before and during his trial operated
30 damagingly against him in the esti'
nation Of great many people.
The story is too long to be reproduced
in the IxrELLIdExcER, even il the mat
tor were new, but it may be alluded to as
furnishing some support to the theory
of Mr.. Beecher's innocence. We say
some support, for of course rs long MS
Mrs. Tilton, yet living, maintains that
her confession is true there can be no
verdict of acquittal for Mr.. Beecher.
Any paper, however, that n man OF his
general character would write, to appear
after his death, carries come weight with
il, and hence his friends will be glad to
read his explanation of the origin, pro-
gress and denouement OF this most
unfortunate episode in his remarkable
career.
Mr.. Beecher is willing that the world
shall think him grossly shortsighted-
in fact stupid-as regards the plot which
at the date OF his writing he discerned
plainly enough, but which he utterly
failed to see at the time it was so impor-
tant to him to penetrate the nature OF
Tilton's first manifestations against him.
1t WINS, Us he at the last saw, a matter OF
money. This is the plain English OF Mr..
Beecher's explanation. He was artisti-
cally blackmailed. There was so much
in all the interests involved, and so
much doubt in his own mind as to the
justifability Of some OF his ownacts, par-
ticularly OF his advice to Bowen in re-
gard to Tilton, that he felt compelled to
yield to the intermediaryship OF that
notorious mutual friend" (Moulton),
who, us it seems, was really nothing
more than an attorney or agent Of
Tilton, and us such, operating n conf
dence game on the sympathetic side OF
Beecher's nature, which Triton knew,
and once said, was his weak side.
And SO Mr.. Beecher was made to
bleed-to pay hush money as it were
and to write and talk foolishly and self
reproachfully because, for one thing, he
felt that some appearances were against
him, and, for another, because he was
made to believe that he had done Tilton
great injustice and pecuniary injury in
dethroning him in the estimation OF
Bowen, publisher Of the Independent.
h"t nc s"!S u. '''i9 eo''' -
gist OF his whole paper, ana is 30 I'M
portant to his case that We quote it, us
to,lows.
i''to"'' LII. a.. At.
Although ! nave no aouIe t'l"' ~:
Illton would nave lost M pay ~ o.!
rate, nave also no uo"p. tlla' iH ~,
ence was decisive anu Prcc!pl'astHi nis
final overthrow; W nen Saine " min H,a
1t all over l lelt very ,T T:In"pPy ~ w
contemplation OF MI , liasJ" r., I., .ppvai,
ing disaster: lau ioNeu NH HI n,u ,,',i
ana ~ ono tllhe ne HUI soe'ii'' INV " '''
10 me. MAJ, Ill, h. ,,.,, 20
But now al ,lookeu uarh "c W.? "
be cast ioItn from ms eili III Usi.tGm,
anu ms aLalts a' n n1 stro u ms wh;cb
thM sympathy un au ,,s s.,o Sas i,o.n in
makes one nouse, 10 li not,n m from tha
times oil adversely, }, = Ioi tS,us' ifoni '"'
storm ana tower (! o. ue i' .l'c oo.h o,no
II now apPea[s t T!!. On w.. ;oo' io ",
cempeE, ls1O, nlr; ti'I2, hso ,,s i Iot
that ma fepIleu " M 'i.i NY 1919 ~
UT UT py eA 81. Nh sp SSsm SnoIIy a"nirst
Nun "s 70 ~ MI IT, p to"e 20 iac" VIII, in'
nm anu bring MN IVY V ', l"ve W. NJ" vita
mediate rum, eAE .Sns nnnro ;ii liz "V,
theh suffering unne l.; se, ,''n , e. "
doCuineht ihcrl, .a nttans r Inv, "" P'
pared an elaborate ats%S upon Nmd n.y. az
IN my then u .I,a. ~ ohsr.a ~
mlnd l thought tnae tni ;h tna ars
though entireIS untr aS,oImt s min ir'"'T ha
great nls'IsIet, II , iIIv % 'Sorn ont;rc,v 10"
great interests Whlch WefS , r;Leiy ,' Ut
pendent on me, the Gaur'n w na ,r,i fnu
built up the D9oS % E;,,. waS MLtSS
my own lmln l...1 i ~ ny ;r;s,rv me
name, nov eng.geu n ~ inS ! hnS G6nna
sister = the s ,,o o % bn IN soNo sIigbt
lnlSht llNo HIVeI NV '.iN W ~ .I'