The New York herald., 1874-07-22
MIR. TILT0N's SWORN STATEMENT.

ing Vi siA meinoers Oh MS church and society to
inquire and report upon alleged aspersiOns upon
his character by Theodore nlton; and whereas
mrs. Elizabeth X. TiltOn, formerly the wife OF Mr..
T1lton, has openly deserted her home in order to
cooperate with Mr.. Beecher In q conspiracy
70 overthrow the credibility and good repute
Of her late husband as o man and citizen; ;
therefore, Theodore Tilton being thus au-
thorized and required, and by the published
demand made upon him by the Rev. Henry Ward
Beecher. and being now and hereafter released by
act OF Mrs. Tnton from further responsibility for
cOncealment of the truth touching her relations
with Mr. Beecher-therefore, Theodore Tilton
hereby sets FORTH under solemn oath, the follow
ing facts and testimony
Fi,st-That on the I'd OF October, 1855, at Ply
mouth church, Brooklyn. marriage between
Theodore Tur0n and Elizabeth M. Richards was
performed Dy the Rev. Henry Ward Beecher,
dishonored and violated by this Clergyman through
the criminal seduction Of this vile and mother as
hereinafter set forth.
Second That for period of about fifteen years,
extending both before and after this marriage, an
Intimate friendship existed between Theodore
friendship was cemented to such degree that Ia
consequence thereof the subsequent dishonOring
by Mr.. Beecher OF hs trends wife was a crime Vi
uncommon wrongfulness and perhdy.
Third-1hat about nine years ago the Rev.
Henry Ward Beecher began, and thereafter con-
Mton for whose Native delicacy aud 1esiT Extreme nc
religious sensibilty he often expressed to her
t@e 10 % Or ses ne yesr se nsr when
Tor reasons hereinafter stated, he ceased such
visits during when period, by many tokens ana
attentions, he won the afectionate love OF Mrs.
I1ltOn; whereby alter long moral resistance by
her and after repeated assaults by him upon her
mind with overmasterng arguments, accom-.
plisned the possession o. her person; maintaining
with her thenceiOrward, during the period nerein
alter stated, the relation called criminal inter
course; this relation being regarded by ner
during that period as not criminal or morally
wrong such had been the power OF his arguments
as q clergyman to satisfy her religious scruples
against such violation Of virtue and honor.
F0urM-That on the evening OF October 10, 1858,
interview with the Rev. Henry Ward Bsecner at at
his residence, she being tDen In tenaer state Of
mind, owing to the recent death and burial OF Q
criminal commerce took place between this pastor
and this parlshloner the motive on her part being,
as hereinDeiore stated not regarded by her at the
between these same parties at Mr. Titon's
MIR. Beecher to her on the subsequent Saturday
evening. followed also by other similar acts on
various occasions from the autumn of 1868 to the
spring OF 1870, the places being the two residences
Aforesaid, and occasionally other places to which
her pastor would invite and accompany her, or OF
ment, these acts Of wrong being on her part from
first to last not wanton or consciously wicked,
but arising through binding OF her moral per-
ceptiOns, Occasioned by the powerful influence
exerted on her mind at that time to this end by
the Rev. Henry Ward Beecner, as her trusted re.
Ftrll-Tnat the pastoral visits made by the Rev.
Henry Ward Beecher to Mrs. TltOn during the
year 1868 became SO frequent as to excite COM
ment, being IN marked contrast with his known
habit of making few pastoral calls on his parish.
toner's, which frequency in Mrs. TiltOn's case Is
shown IN letters written to her husband during
his absence IN the West, these letters giving evi-
dence that during the period OF ave or six weeks
Sv n v S on
calls became noticeably infrequent Oh Mr.. Tilton's
return to his home.
SiLth-rhat previous to the aforesaid criminal
intimacy one OF the reasons which Mrs. Tilton al
legged for her encouragement OF such exceptional
attentions from the Rev. Henry Ward Beecher was
the TACT that she mad been much distressed with
rumors against his moral purity, and wished to
convince him tnat sne could receive his
and that she could inspire in him, by her
purity and ldehty. an increased respect Tor the
autumn Of 1868 she maintained, with Christian
frmness towards her pastor this position of re.
slstance, always refusing his amOrous pleas, which
were strong and Olt-repeated; ana IN letter to
her husband, dated February 3, 1868, sne wrote as
follows To love Is praise worthy. but to abuse
tions or acinations could cause me to yield my
wOmanhOOd."
Seyen,h-That the first suspicion which crossed
the mind OF Theodore Tilton tnat the Rev. Henry
Ward Beecher was abusing, or might abuse. the
afecuon and reverence which Mrs. Tilton bore
given oy Mr.. Beecher to MRS Tilton Oy
the while seated by her side on
tue Moor Of mis- library overlooking engravlngs
wife an explanation OF her permission Of such q
liberty, wnereat she at first denied the fact, put
then confessed It, and said that she had spoken
cnidlngly to MI Beecher concerning it. On another
occasion Mr.. T1ltOn, after leaving his house in the
early morning, returned to 1t In the forenoon, and
on going to his bedchamber, found the door locked
and when, on knocking, the door was opened by
Mrs. nlton, Mr.. Beecher was seen within, appar-
face Mrs. Tilton afterwards made a plausible
explanation which, from the confidence reposed
In her by her husband was by him deemed salts
factory.
E,ghth-That IN the spring Of 1870, on Mr.. Til
toms return from winters absence, he noticed
in his wife such evidences Of the absorption OF her
mind In Mr.. Beecher that in short time an
estrangement took place between her husband and
herself in consequence OF which she went into the
country earlier than usual Tor q summer sOjOurn.
Alter an absence OF several weeks she voluntarily
returned 10 her home in Brooklyn. On the even
within lew hours alter her arrival, am and % after
exacting from her husband solemn promise
that ne would do the Rev. Henry Ward Beecher
no harm nor communicate to him what she was
about to say, she made acircumstantial confession
to her husband OF the criminal Iacts hereinbefOre
Beecner's arguments and reasonings with her
to overcome her long maintained scruple
against yielding to his desires, and declaring
that she had committed no wrong to her hus-
band or her marriage vow, quoting, in support
OF this opinion, that her pastor had repeatedly
which she believed herself TO be. She iurther
stated that her sexual commerce with him had
never proceeded from low or vulgar thoughts
either on her part or his but always from pure
affection and high religious love. She stated,
Furthermore, that Mr.. Beecher habitualy charac-
terized their intimacy by the term "nest hunting"
and he would suner pain and sorrow II his hidden
secret were ever made known She said that her
mind was often Durdened by the deceit necessary
for her TO practice IN order to prevent discovery,
and thas her conscience had many times impelled
her to throw OF this burden OF enforced ialsehOod
by making full confession to her husband, so
that she would no longer be living before
him perpetual lie. In particular she said that
she mad been on the point OF making this comics
sion q few months previously during a severe i'll
ness, when she feared she might die She affirmed
also that Mr.. Beecher had assured her repeatedly
that he loved her better than he had ever loved
any other woman, and she felt justified before God
In her intimacy with him, save the necessary deceit
which accompanied 1t, and at which she frequently
suffered IN her mnd
Ninth-That after the above.named confession
by Mrs. Elizabe tn r. Tilton she returned to the
country to await such action by her husband as
he might see ut to take, whereupon, alter many
considerations, the chief OF which was that she had
not voluntarily gone astray, but mad been artiully
misled through religious reverence for the Rev.
lsan Wor tn