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r’s alone, he stated to those he intrusted withis confidence, that Beecher made “improper1 advances ” to Mrs. Tilton; that he olicited her to yield to his embraces.)n the 26th of December, 1870, he told lowen that Beecher had made unhandsome dvancesto Mrs. Tilton; in the “TrueStory,” ubmitted to Dr. Storra, over two years later, he offense was “ solicitation ” of Mrs. Tilton o become his wife, in all that the word wife 31 plies; in the Bacon letter, written last Summer, Tilton describes his grievances at Beech-T9 hands as an offenso against him and his amily. Nowhere, up to the time Tilton ap-ieared before the Church Committee, called y Mr, Beecher, did he make a charge of ctual criminality, in which Mr. Beecher and Ire. Tilton shared. Tilton explains all this y his desire to shield his wife, who had made0 him, if he is now to be believed, a confes-ion of adultery with Beecher, in July, 1870, ix months before he had had the eonver-ation with Bowen, following which Beecher’s etirement was demanded, two years and six months before the “True Story” was written, nd four years previous to the publication of be open letter to Dr. Bacon. Mr. Tilton’s ex-lanation was accepted as satisfactory by those rho credited him with a desire to Bhield his fffg with whom he had continued to maintain l'arital relations.On the, goth of December, 1870, the inter-iew took place between Tilton and Beecher,t Moulton’s residence. On this occasion, ud for the first time, Tilton swears he dis-losed to Beecher the fact that Mrs. Tilton ad made to him a confession of the criminal itimacy which had existed between her and lecher. Of course, there was no move for understating the offense to Beecher,u this occasion. The very object of the leeting, according to Tilton, was to disclose 3 Beecher the evidence of his criminal intima-7 with Mrs. Tilton, which was in the possession f her husband, and had been for six months revious to that time,Mr. Tracy; in his opening for the defense, esterdav, asserted that he was in a position d prove that Tilton gave false testimony when e swore that at the memorable interview reared to, brought about by Tilton for the veryurpose of notifying Beecher that his crime as discovered, he did not make any such sensation as. that Beecher had committed dultery with Mrs. Tilton. If he did not, Mr. ‘racy contends, Mr. Tilton is a perjurer, both e and Moulton are conspirators, and Tilton as no case at all in court, or out of court.[ere is Mr. Tracy's emphatic statement onbis point, which bids fair to become the ivofcal point in the case:Now, what was the charge which TiUon made against Ir. Beecher on that night? This is the most import-nt question m this inquiry, gentlemen, and to it I now ivite your serious attention; because if we satisfy you iat on that night Mr. Tilton did not charge Mr. eecher with the crime of adultery, you will consider lia case disposed of. You will not listen to anybarge subsequently invented of a graver offenBe lan that which was brought to Mr. Beecher’s ttention on that night. They are bound by that act; icy cannnot change that interview as one of their de-ices by which they have been induced to He to conceal lia crime. They brought Mr. Beecher info their pres-nce to make the accusation, and by the accusation lere made they must stand or fall. You will not permit them to change it. I intend to hold them there, od 1 intend to demonstrate to your understandings as iear as the noonday sun in heaven, that that charge as not adultery.From Mr. Tracy’s reference to the evidencehe defense intends to present in support of his position, it will be about as follows: That here was nothing in Tilton’s manner of life ietween July and December, 1870, to show that ie had in his possession, from the date first aentioned, a confession by his wife that hisome had been dishonored. As late as the6th of December, 1870, he informed Bowenhat he knew that Beecher had made urthand-ome advances to Mrs. Tilton, but, when l6 learned that Beecher had treated his stter demanding his resignation as the pro-uction of a madman, he did not defend him-elf, as he most assuredly could, and enforce i is demand at the same time, by disclosing he fact, now alleged, that at that very time e had proof of Beecher’s criminality in his ossession. The interview was not sought ith Beecher until .Tilton’s business difficulty rith Bowen had culminated, and then, Tilton iys, it was sought at the instance of Mrs. 'ilton. Tilton, in his “True Story,” written1 1872, describes the interview at Moulton’s imost precisely as Beecher baB in his stafce-lent to his church, and in neither document \ the charge of adultery mentioned. Again, ae retraction obtained by Beecher from Mrs. ‘ilton refers only to “improper solicitation.” 'he following further proof is promised by Ir. Tracy:We shall show you that Mr. Tilton has stated to notibh than five different people of the highest respectability of any persons in this eity, men whose reputation ;and8 unquestioned, in narrating that interview which ok place between himself and Henry Ward Beecher mt night—we Bhall show yon that he eaid that he barged Henry Ward Beecher with improper proposals, nd nothing else. We shall Bhow you that to one of lese persons he made that declaration within a week fter the interview occurred.Now, gentlemen, we shall show yon by a witness who aa no superior for integrity in the city, a man whose rord will stand unquestioned by you, a man who was ne of Theodore Tilton’s most intimate friends when his ourse entitled him to the friendship of honorable men; re shall show you that after the publication of the Wood-luli scandal Mr. Tilton showed to this man the identical aper that he said he had presented to Henry Ward leecher on the night of the 31st of December. They Bay t was destroyed immediately after the “tripartite agree* neat.” We will show you, I repeat, that he produced t to a man, and read it, and said: “This is tho paper hat X presented to Henry Ward Beecher on that night; nd when that man, looking at the paper says, “Is that n Mr*. Tilton’s handwriting,” he says, “No, it is a opy, but tho original is with Frank Moulton.” And hat was after the Woodhull publication. Now, gentle-aen, If we show you that fact, I think that will end hia ca«e, and reveal this conspiracy in a light so plain hat even “he who runs may read.”Mr. Tracy, all through his speech, presents Moulton as the chief conspirator, the man hrough whose machinations, devices andreaehery Beecher was at last surrounded by lomplications from which he could not reease himself, short of accepting an alter-lafcive from which Beecher shrank—that)f telling the whole wretched story to the vorld, which he claims to have been driven to io, eventually—but not without Moulton's op-Dosition to the last—even beyond the time.vhen the Church Investigating Committeemet.Mr. Tracy went to the very verge of the liberty which seems to be accorded to an advocate, and to nobody else, in his denunciation of Mr. MoulCon. In the line of ferocious invective it will be founddiD mlt to match the following—Moultau :But uo mere words ctn do justice to this man; none but an artist wishould pssnt the man as he is, can bring out his rc«n «narac£er before mankind; and, thank heaven, gentlemen, mat portrait has been painted, and by one of the greatest artists the world has ever known. If any of you ever visit the beautiful city of Milan, you will find that, next to its magnificent cathedral, ou which thousands of saints and angels stand carved In heavenly white, in the attitude of silent prayer,the pride and glory of that city is in the humble refectory of an ancient monastery, upon the wall of which, fourhundred years ago, the iuuntrious Leonardo da Vinci painted his almost inspired picture of the “Last Supper”—a picture, the colors of which aro two rapidly fading, but the fame of which will never die. And, gentlemen, in the moit striking portrait of that group of disciples you will recognize tne startling likeness between the red matted hair, the sharp and angular face, the cold and remorseless eyes of Judas Iscariot, and the same features in hia legitimate successor, the “mutual friend.” (Laughter and applause.] There, on that consecrated wall, the portrait of Francis 3D, Moultonhas stood wafting for his birth lt;00 years-The noise still cor tinning. Judge Neilson said: “Mr. Tracy, please stop,” (To the audience.] “I will adjourn this Court if there is any more demonstration of that kind.” j£r, Tracy (resuming}--And will stand for twice four
Newspaper Details
Brooklyn Daily Eagle
Brooklyn, New York, US
Fri, Feb 26, 1875
Page 2
Full Page
Clipped by
Walter B.
AL, USA 10 Aug 2020
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