The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1874-07-16
THE BEEoHER.TlLToN SCANDAL.
THE SECRET WILL OUT.

was laid sometime ago has been revived
This time Mrs. Woodruff and Mr. Bowen
are not Instrumental in bringing it before
the public. Now the scandal seems to he
confined to Beecher and the Tiltcn,.
Leonard Bacon, President Of. the late
Congregational Council, protesting friend
ship to Mr. Beecher. became so severe
upon Mr.. Tilton that he was goaded into
writing long communication to Mr.
Bacon in justification of himself. in which
he charged Mr., B6echers with having
committed against him an offense which
he should forbear to name or character
ize. The communication was an open
letter ana obtained general publicity.
The letter was purposelY vague as to Tive
wrong Mr. Beecher had done Mr.. Til
ton. That i t was considered ,ome great
Ofenie WAS evident from a quotation
made by Mr.. Tilt0n from Be- cher's let
ter under date of January I, 1871, in
which Mr.. Becker says: II ask The1-
dore Tiltcn's forgiveness. and humble
myself before him as do before my God"
This quotation, if from letter written
and sighe1 by Mr.. Baecher, shows that
there was som ething for which Mr..
Beecher asked Theodore Tilton's forgive
ness, and humbled himself before him.
Having become public, the public were
anxious I'd know what that something
was. But there was difficulty In the
way. Some years ago Beecher AMI Til
ton forgave each other for all wrongs
done and oil slanders uttered about each
other aud signed written obligations
nevtr again TO speak "a them or write
anything 10 relation to them, and to re-
member them no more This settlement
would probably have been adhered to
had ii n0t been for DR.. Bacon and Ply
mouth ChaEch provoking AR Triton To
write Il letter to DR.. Bacon in self-de.
tense. In this letter Dir. Tllton says:
after had been for fifteen years mem
Der of Plymouth Church, aud had become
meanwhile on intimate friend of the pas
cor, the knr Wedge came to me in 1870
that he had committed against me an Of
Tense which f0rbear TO name or cnarac-
terize." Tilton fori,ears TO name Or
characterize the off nse. and B.echer pre-
serves silence.
The Brooklyn Eagte thus describes the offense
which Is alleged against Mr.. Beecl er:
MIR. Tilton is understood to have discovered from
Mrs. Titon that Mr. Beecher made her an improper
overture, in her own parlor, while calling upon
her as pastor. The overture was MOI mstakahle
1t is alleged and it was .epeied with indignation
and scorn, and after claiming the subject, woman
like in her own mind for some time, Mrs, Tilton
was finally constrained to tell her husband 1t
ia alleged that he told Mr.. Moulton, and that Mr.
Moulton and Mr.. qilton confronted Mr. Beecher
upon tilt is said that the letter from which Mr..
Tilton quotes in part is Mr.. Beecher's reference
to and apology for the "ofTense." Of course, some
time elapsed and some events occurred before this
square admission and PREPARATION we're made by
Mr.. Beeoher. The rest is known to the public land
Mr.. Tilton's letter serves as preface and az sup
plement to what we have written. -.-G1
The above corresponds very nearly with what
Mr.. Beecher's friends say the oGeuse charged
amounts to- lhL ia sN4 Il
DIR. BEEcHER DEMANDS AN INVESTIGATION BIZ HIS
CHURCH. INVESTIGATION COMMENCED AND NOW
IN PROGRESS.
NEW YoK, July Henry Ward Beecher has de-
manded Ct Plymouth Church an investigation of
The charges made against him by Tllton. The
probability is that at least part of the truth will
tome out at the investigation, which is to be made
by both the Church and the Society OF Plymouth
Church. Tiltons letter, lately published, was
printed first Of all in the G.lden Age of June n,
but copies were circulated two or three days in
advance among newspapers. Mr.. Beecher's let
ter dem 4nding investigation is dated June 9th,
the same day that the letter was published. There
ia reason to believe that Beecher had seen the let
ter but tn ought it would not be published. The
fact that it was published with his own letter, in
which he humbled himself before Ills God, has
driven him to demand an investigation The de
rand was made in two letters, one to the officers
ofPlymouth Churce a. the other to the officers
of the Society ofPlymouth Church. Both are brief;
the first demands an Investigation, and the second
names three members OF the Church and three Of
the Society whom Mr.. Beecher desires to be on
the committee. 8MaA #fBf4
The following article and letter will appear in
the christian UnIon, Mr.. Beecher's paper, to NOR
row. They explain the circumstances under which
+be nyrstication has been Instituted. The article
is headed
'eMR BEEcHER AND HIS cHFRcH'
On the 7th of July Mr.. Beecher addressed ho'e
to the Examining Committee OF Plymouth CHURCH.
stating that he had requested certain gentlemen