The Bloomfield times. [volume] (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1867-187?, 1874-07-28
THE BEEcHER AND TILToN CASE.

CuldUlOn aHeCJlnB inc CndTbCUer OF lteV.
Henry Ward Beecher. At last the public
demand for an investigation into the truth
of the charges has led to the selection of a
committee composed of six prominent
members of Mr.. Beecher's congregation,
who have been taking testimony on the sub
ject. Among the persons examined was
Mr.. Theodore Tilton who makes a most re-
markable statement, which he has classified
into % different charges The most i'm
portant are the following
In several places we have put asterisks,
(*) where tho matter is of nature that.
we consider it unfit for publication.
First That on the 2nd of October, 1856, at
Plymouth Church, Brooklyn, a marriage be-
tween Theodore Tilton and Elizabeth NJ. Rich
ards was performed by the Rev. Henry Ward
Beeeher, which marriage, thirteen years aft er-
ward, was dishonored and violated by this
clergyman through the criminal seduction of
this wife and mother as hereinafter set forth.
Second. That for a period of about fifteen
years, extending both before and after this
| marriage, an intimate friendship existed be-
tween Theodore Tilton and the Rev. Henry
Ward Beecher, which was cemented to such
degree that, in consequence thereof, the subse-
quent dishonoring by Mr.. Beecher of his friends
wife was crime of uncommon wrongfulness
and perfidy.
Third. That about nine years ago the Rev.
Henry Ward Beecher began and thereafter con-
tinued friendship with Mrs. Elizabeth X.
Tilton, for whose native delicacy and extreme
religious sensibllity he often expressed to her
husband high admiration, visiting her from
time to time for years, until the year 1870,
when, for reasons hereinafter stated, he ceas-
wi iO6 hu
tokens and attentions, he won the affection
and love of Mrs. Tilton, whereby after long
moral resistance by her, and after repeated
assaults by him upon her mind with overmas-
tering arguments, accomplished the possession
of her person, maintaining with her thence
forward during the period hereinafter stated
the relation called criminal intercourse, this
relation being regarded by her during that
period as not criminal or morally wrong.
Such had been the power of his arguments as
clergyman to satisfy her religious scruples
against such violations of virtue and honor.
Fourth. That on the evening of October 10,
1865, or thereabouts, Mrs. Elizabeth X. Tilton
held an interview with the Rev. Henry Ward
Beecher at his residence, she being then in O
tender state of mind, owing to the recent
death and burial of q young child, and during
this interview an act of criminal commerce
took place between this pastor and this par
ishioner, the action on her part being as
hereinbefore stated, not regarded by her at
the time as criminal or wrong, which act was
followed by similar act of criminal inter-
course between the same parties, at Mr.. Til
toms residence, during a pastoral visit paid
by MIR. Beecher 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 at which he would meet her
by previous appointment, these acts of wrong
being, on her part, from first to last, not wan
ton or consciously wicked, but arising through
blending of her moral perceptions, OCCASION
ed by the powerful influence eXerted on her
mind at that time, to this end, by the Rev.
Henry Ward Beecher as her trusted religious
preceptor and guide.
Fih. That the pastoral visits made by the
Rev. Henry Ward Beecher to Mrs. Tilton in
the year 1868 became so frequent as to excite
comment, being in marked contrast with his
known habit of making few pastoral calls on
his parishioners, which frequently, in Mrs.
Tilton's case, is shown in letters written to
her husband during his absence in the West,
these letters giving evidence that during the
period of five or six weeks twelve different
pastoral calls on Mrs. Tilton were made by the
Rev. Henry Ward Beecher, which calls be-
came noticeably infrequent on Mr. Tilton's
return to his home.
SeOenh. That the first suspicion which
CTOSS6u LuC ulluu Ol lueOuOfe IlltOl Llat the
Rev. Henry Ward Beecher was abusing, or
might abuse, the affection and reverence
which Mrs. Tilton bore towards her pastor was
an improper caress given by Mr.. Beecher to
Mrs. Tilton while seated by her side on the
floor of his library overlooking engravings.
Mr.. Tilton, few hours afterwards, asked of
his wife an explanation of her permission of
such liberty, whereat she at first denied the
fact, but then confessed it, and said that she
had spoken chdingly to Mr.. Beecher concern
ing II. On another occasion Mr.. Tilton, after
leaving his house in the early morning, re-
turned 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. Tilton, Mr.. Beecher was seen within, APP
parently much confused and exhibiting q
flushed face. Mrs. Tllton afterwards made
plausible explanation, which, from the conf
dence reposed In her by her husband, was bv
him deemed satisfactory.
Eighth. That in the spring of 1870, on Mr..
Tilton's return from winters absence, he
noticed In his wife such evidences of the alb
sorption of her mind In Mr.. Beecher that in
short time, an estrangement took place be-
tween her husband and herself, in consequence
of which she went into the country earlier
than usual for summer sojourn. After an alb
sence Of several weeks she voluntarily re-
turned to her home In Brooklyn on the evening
of July 8, 1870, when and then and there,
within few hours after her arrival, and after
exacting from her husband a solemn promise
that he would do Rev. Henry Ward Beecher
no harm, nor communicate to him what she
was about to say, she made circumstantial
confession TO her husband of the criminal facts
hereinbefore stated, accompanied with cita-
tions from Beecher's arguments aud reason
ings with her to overcome her long-main-
tained scruples against yielding TO his desires.
She said that her mind was often
burdened by the deceit necessary for her to
practice in order to prevent discovery, and
that her conscience had many times lmpelled
her to throw off this burden of enforced false
hood by making full confession to her hus-