The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1874-07-24

his impUtatiuu> on Ut. B.-chrr, ana Ii
admissions that they were untrue. and
carefully secured TO himself Ji.- largest
liberty to pursue the great preacher for
ever with iuugeuiu-~. Nv testimony
before th- committee shows tie rtlau-e-
i'll the tripartIJr agreement a. originally
drawn and which all tile parties 10 1t had
heartily approved, and had promised 10
sign IL also show = earnest remOu-
>tranccs against gcr-u.-T.-.- tGr>.. chang
g. To be made and Ey warnings of the
miSchieVOUS cOH-egJ gJ..:ir-- that would
inevitably follow Of allira5.nu."
The following are tie omitted portions
of the original agreement:
Il Henry {. Bowen. know nothing
derugutory to lir. Bcecher's reputation
a. IL clergyman or d maG. AMI express
ly diSavow the charges, impuJations. and
innuendOes imputed to have been made
by me and set forth in a letter written
to ne by Theodore Tiitou on tine lsJ day
OF january, 1871, a copy OF which letter
Is hereto annexed. and ! declare that
those charges, iupUtations. and innuen-
does are without any foundation in fact
TO the best Of my knowledge and belief.
Il, Theodore Tiif0n, returning of my
free will 20 q man whom have loved as
a father. thus renew and confirm nay
faith III Henry Ward Beechera = grand
" good and generous man. !, TOO. dis
avOw each and all OF the imputatiouS
and charges in the said annexed letter.
repeated and contained. and any and all
other imputatiOns upon his character
and conduct which have been said TO
come from me, / disavow. and covenant
never to repeat or renew them
The statement of Theodore Tiiton TO
Plymouth Church Committee has been
placed before that body The charges
(as they may be called against Henry
Ward Beecherar are clearly set forth and
numbered, the first four charges con
tanning the gist Of the accusations. BE-
ing rs follows:
First. That Oh the second iayor Oc-
tobcr. 1855. q luar.id-. b.tw-rn Thro-
dore Tiltcn and Elizabeth Il. Richards
was performed by Henry Ward Bcpchcr,
which marriage, thirteen years after
ward. was di-!iouored and violated by
this clergymcn through criminal seduc-
ton OF this wife and mother. ~ herein
after set forth.
Second That fortha period Of fabout
fifteen years, extending both before and
after tiIi; marriage. AN intimate friend
ship cz:.-rI Between Theodore Tilton
and Rev. Henry Ward Bcecher. which
friendship was cemcntcd to such de
gree that in consequence thereof the
subsequent dishOnorinS BY Beecher OF
his true friends wife was Il crime of un-
common wroa-fuiuCs- and pcr!idy.
Third. That about nine years ago
Rev. i.eury Ward Beech"r began and
thereafter continued a friendship with
Mrs Elizabeth y. Triton. for whose na-
tive delicacy and extreme religious son
Sibility ha often expressed To her hUS-
band Il high admiration, visiting her
frc.a tiru" 10 time for years until tire
wear $50 when for reasons hereinafter
stated lie ceased such visits. During
which period by many tokens and atteu-
tfnus he won the aIiCctiouate love of
Mrs.. Tiltun. whereby, after long moral
resistance by her and after repeated as
SaulTs By him upon her mind with over
mastering arguments. he accomplished
the possession Of her person, maintain
ing with her thencefOrwarl during the
period hereinafter stated the relation
called criminal intercourse. this relation
being regarded by her during that peri
OIL as not criminal or morally wrong,
such ,aI been the power Of his ar"u-
mc'.t- . q Clergyman To satisfy her re-
ligiou- s-rIp!es against such violation
OF virtue aal honor.
Fourth. That on the evening Of Oc-
tober 20. 1868. or thereabOuts, Mrs..
Elizabeth e. Tilt0u held interviews
with Rev. Henry Ward Beecher at his
residence. .hr being then in tender
state o. mind. owing 70 the recent death
and burial Of q yoUne child. And dur-
iug this interview an act OF criminal
comrarrra took place between This pas
tor and tits pariSliGngr. the motive on
l."r part being, GS hcrcia5eIore stated,
not regarded hy her at the time a- Grim
inal or wrong. Which act was followed
by Il Si,!iIaract Of criuiinality between
fhcs.. same parl:e= NJ TiitOn'S residence
during pastoral visit paid by Beechcr
to l.or on the =E',-agEC1t Saturday even
in.. followed also I : other similar acts
or varfoG- occasions from the autumn
Of 1868 To the spTingof 1870. the places
being tie two residences aforesaid, and
occasionally other places 70 which her
pastor wou Il invite and accompany her,
or AZ which he would meet her by pre-
vioj.s appointments.
The eighth count Of the statement re
Iates to tie confession Of these acts OF
criminal intercourse i,y Nrs. Ti!Jon. and
is a. follow.
Eighth. That iu yi:r p.is.- %! 1870, on
Tiitoil, retUrr from "a w..it-r'~ absence,
he nD-i,."i ia III, sic -gr'I rviGrEces Of
absorption rE Icr .Iia@ 40 jH-"'i'r tiIIt IN
short time al f>fF,I.- -Hl-it. tupi- place
between her husband .Dl herself. ia
cousc,, ,-I"ar,. Of uh!ri -.,. '~".I, iu-" tie
cuuu;r, cartier ri1u "-Hai ivE III" STINT
n:cr ~pi1ugi. Afr 500 ..--ucr oi -.v-
erai weeks Size Voluntarily returned 10
her home IN BroaSlyu ou the evening Of
July ;. lS1u. when. Hud then and there.
within frgy hour after r!.r arrival. and
after eXactiug from har husband sol
emn promise that d.. would do Rev.
Henry Ward Bs,olIer 40 harm. nor COM
municate To him what Size wa about TO
say. she made q cirCIH--uItiai cOnfe>-
sion 10 hcr husband uf the criminal facts
hereiubeiOre stated. accompanied with
citations frUIa Berrhrr'~ arguments and
reaSOningS with her 70 overcome her
long maintained ScrUple against yielding
To his desires and declaring that she had
committed no wrong 10 her husband or
her marriage VOW. quoting. IN support
of this opinion. that her pastor had re-
peatedly assured her thar she was spot
less and cha~te. which She believed her
self 10 be. She further stated that her
sexual commerce with him had never
proceeded from low or vulgar thoughts.
either on her part or IL, but alwa-s from
pure affection and high religious love.
She stated Furthermore, that Alr. Beccher
habitUaIly Characterized their intimacy
by the term nest hiding" and Ae would
suffer pain and sorrow If Lis hidden 80
cret were ever made known. She sail
that her mind Wa often DUri-ueI b.:
the deceit necessary for her 10 pructic.
in order To prevent discovery. and THAT
her conscience hal many times impeiird
her 10 throw OF this burden Of enforced
falSehood by making a fIii confession 70
her husband. 80 that she would no
longer be living before him a perpetual
lie. In particular, she said that she had
been on the point OF making this c3nles-
sion few months previously during
severe Illness. when she feared she might
die. She affirmed also that B-echer ha-
assured herrepearedly that he loved her
better than he had ever loved any other
woman. and she had felt justified before
God in her intimacy with him, save the
necessary deceit which accompanied IT,
and at which she frequently suffered il
her mind.
The remainder OF Ir. TiltCu'- state
ment. which i exceedingly volumuiouS.
i made up for the most part Of CORE
snopdapce which rrrl-fI -,,yy Hls moi. -...rI