The New York herald., 1874-07-22
Carpenter, as Will appear from tne ronowIng am
davit:-
AFFIDAVIT OF y. d. CARPENTER.

HoxFR n n, July Is, 1874
pushesoa o the triparass sssween
IS Mr. eecher Be- sqTs% rom 11s PmoS Church
denee Of Mr. Mouon NJ 10 sseseP ss,sr sa 70 me that
MIR TiIton would stand by him he would share his his
1%s sao his fortune and everything Is 9G'ssN
sworn TO ana subscribed before me- this 18th day OF
July, lNL-WILLIAM T. HIcoK, NotAry runhc.
Mr. Carnenter. in communicating to Mr.. Tton
the ABOVE afndavit, says IN ietter accompanying
1T
Ihave no hesitation in giving the statement, as
understood al the that It was tor me to repeat in
mervew Nj Beecher spoke to me OF his apology to
you.
The charge that Mr. Tliton ever attempted to
levy blackInail on Mr.. Beecner Is false. On the
contrary Mr.. Tilton has always resented every
attempt by Mr.. Beecher to put him under pecu-
TtoeHtiefh-Not long after the scandal became
public Mrs I1ton wrote on slip OF paper and left
on her husDand's writing desk, the following
words
volts 10 Join with you or standing with you.
Through the influence OF Mr.. Beecher's friends
the opinion has long been diligently propagated
that the scandal was due to MIR. Tilton, and
tnat the alleged facts were malicious inven-
tons oy bim to revenge himself for supposed
and imaginary wrongs done to him by Mr..
Beecher. Many words were spoken from time to
time oy Mrs. Titon to the praise and eulogy OF
Mr.. Beecher, which, being extensively quoted
nreson fs % sse am
derer, Mrs. Tilton being herself the authority Tor
the statement. In this way Mrs. Tilton and one OF
great difficulty OF suppressing the scandal; They
have had habit OF saying "Mr I1lon believes
these things by way OF denial has been miscniev-
Gus way OF circulating them broadcast. IN tnls
famer whereas he has made every effort In MS
power to suppress the injurious tales wnich ne mas
been charged with propagating. On AL occasions
he has systematically referred to his wife In terms
favorable to ner character ,
Gated to the committee the facts contained in this
statement except for the perverse course OF the
Rev. henry Ward Beecher and MRS Ellzaoetn X.
Tilton TO degrade and destroy him IN the puoilc
estimation.
7,oen y.rrst-That one evening, about two
weeks after the publication OF Mr.. hlton's letter
to DR.. Bacon, Mrs. Tilton, on coming home at late
hour. informed her husband that she had been
visited at a friends house by committee ofinves-
tIgatioD, and had given sweeping evidence acquit-
ting Mr.. Beecher OF every charge. This was the
first intimation which Mr. Ttton received that any
such committee was then in existence. Further
more, Mrs. Tilton stated that she had done this by
advice OF lawyer, whom Mr.. Beecher mad sent
before the committee, arranged with her
the questions ana answers which were to constt-
the next day, alter giving this untrue testimony
before the committee she spent many hours OF eX-
ing testided falsely. She expressed to her hus-
band the hope that God would forgive her perjury,
but that the motive was to- save Mr. Beecher and
her husband, and also to remove all reproach from
the cause OF religion. she also expressed similar
contritlon TO one OF her intimate friends
Ttoe1stv- that in addition to the
foregoing 1acts and evidences other combinations
could be adduccd, II needed, to prove the follow
ing recapitulased statement, namely, that the Rev.
Henry Ward Beecher, as pastor and friend Of Mr.
Tilton and lis family, trespassed upon the sancty
seduce Mrs. EIlzaOstn r filtOn; that BY the art
1ul use OF his priestly authority with her.
sos As tnI pup n snat for i
period OF q year and hall or thereabOut he
CiAntained criminal intercourse with her, over
coming her previous modest scruples against such
conduct by investing 1t with q raise justification
sanctioned by love and religion; that he then par
Titon before the public by loss OF place, business
and repute; that he abused Mr.. Tiltons forgive
izing a series Of measures by plymouth church
having for their object the putting OF stigma
upon Mr.. Tilton before the church, and also be.
fore an ecclesiastical council lns0much that the
Moderator OF that Council, interpreting these acts
by MI. Beecher and his church. declared publicly
Unanimous OF men and Mr. T1t0n to be o knave and
dog; that when Mr. Iflton thereafter, not in
malice but Ior self-protection. wrote letter to
apology by the Rev Henry Ward Beecher he
o. & his Church church members 10 i Inquire into the IN
jury done him by Mr.. Tlton by the Aforesaid
never been the author OF such onence and apology,
and that Mr.. Tllton was slanderer; tnat to make
This inquiry bear grievously against Mr. Triton ne
(Mr. Beecher) previously connived with Mrs. 4. r.
1iton to give false testimony in his (Mr. Beech
er's) behalf; that Mr.. Beecners course toward Mr..
TltOn ana family has al last resulted IN the open
destruction OF Mr. T1tons household and home,
and in the desolation OF his heart and life e., ro
Sworn to before me this Goth day OF July 1874
THEO BURGMYEB- Notary PUBLIC
GENTLEMEN OF THE CoMMITrEE:-
Having laid before you the above sworn state
ment. which l heve purposely restricted 10 rela-
tions Of Mr. Beecher with Mrs. Titon only and
with no other person or persons, wish TO add an
explanation due to yourselves.
In the Golden Age, lately edited by me, q sug.
gestion was made, not with my knowledge or con-
thar m n hp
constituted, should comprise, in addition to the
six members appointed by Mr.. Beecher, six others
appointed by myself.
To no such proposal would have consented for
1 have never wanted any tribunal whatever for the
Investigation OF this subject Neither your COM
mittee as at present constituted, nor an enlarged
committee on the plan just mentioned, nor any
other committee OF any kind. could in and oil itself
have persuaded compelled Inc TO lay before you
the facts contained In the preceding state
ment Distinctly be it understood that these
facts had not been evoked by your COM
mttee because OF any authority which l
recognize in you a tribunal of inquiry. Nor
would they have been yielded up to any other
committee or board of reference, however consti-
tuted except court OF law but on the con-
trary, have divulged the above statement solely
because OF the openly published demand Tor 1t,
made directly to me by the Rev. Henry Ward
Beecher aided and abetted by Mrs. Elizabeth X.
Tilton. These two parties-these alone, and not
your commtttee-have by their action, prevailed
with me. No other authorities or influences
except court of law could have been power
ful enough TO have extorted from me the above
disclosure. For the sake OF one OF these parties
gladly would have continued to hide these lacts
in the future, as have necessarily strven to do in
the past But by the Joint action OF Mr. Beecher
and Mrs. Tilton, can withhold the truth only at
the price OF perpetual nfamy to my name in addi-
ton to the penalty which already suffer in the
destruction OF home once as pleasant as any in
Which you yourselves dwell. Respectfully,
THEODORE TILTON.
MRS. TILTON S EVIDENCE.