Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1874-07-30
Rev. Henry Ward Beecher, which
calls became notably infrequent on
Tilton's return to his home.
MRS. TILTON'B MOTIVES

| NUN . iCluTu lO his nome.
MAS. TILToN's MOTIVES.
Sirth-That previous to the afore
said criminal intimacy one of the rea-
sons which Mrs. Tilton alleged for he,
encouragement of such exceptional at
teptions from the Rev. Henry Ware
Beecher was, in fact, that she haC
been much distressed with rumorl
against his moral purity, and wished
to convince him she could receive his
kindness and yetresist his solicitations
and that she could inspire in him, by
her purity and fidelity, an increased
respect for the chaste dignity of wo
mar hood. Previous to the autumn O
1868 she maintained, with Christian
hrmness, towards her pastor this po
sition of resistance, always refusing
his amorous pleas, which were strong
and oft repeated; and, in letter t.
her husband, dated Feb. 3, 1868, she
wrote as follows:
"To love is praiseworthy, but tc
abuse the gift is sin. Here I an
strong. No demonstrations or fascin
atoms could cause me to yield my
womanhood.
| TILToN's FIRST SUSPICIOUS.
| Seuenth-That the first suspicion
which crossed the mind of Theodore
Tilton that 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 Beechel
to Mrs. Tilton, by the introduction Of
his hand under her dress, while seated
by her side on the floor of his library
overlooking engravings. MIR. 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 she had spoken chidingly to
Beecher concerning it. On another
occasion, TiltoD, after leaving bis
house in the early morning, returned
to it in the forenoon, and on going to
his bed-chamber found the door lock.
ed, and when, on knocking, the door
was opened by Mrs. Tilton, Beecher
was seen within apparently much con-
fused, and exhibiting a flushed face.
Mrs. Tilton afterwards made plaus-
ible explanation which, from the con-
fidence reposed in her by her husband,
was by him deemed satisfactory.
CONFESSION.
Eighth-That in the spring of 1870,
on Tilton's returp from a winters abb
sence, he noticed in his wife such ev-
licences of the absorption of her mind
in Beecher that in short time an es.
arrangement took place between her
husband and herself, in consequence
of which she went into the country
H. .i-.-.- ,.o~.~, summer So
journ. After an absence of several
weeks, she voluntarily returned to
her home in Brooklyn. On the even
ing 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 the Rev. Henry Ward
Beecher no harm, nor communicate TO
him what she was about to say, she
made a circumstantial confession to
her husband of the criminal facts here
matter stated, accompanied with cita
tons from Beecher's arguments and
reasonings with her to overcome her
long maintained scruples against yield
ing to his desires, and declaring that
she had committed no wrong to her
husband, or her marriage vow, quot
ing in support of this opinion that her
pastor had repeatedly assured her that
she was spotless' and chaste, which she
believed herself to be. She further
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, fur
thermore, that Mr.. Beecher habitually
characterized their intimacy by the
term "Nest Hiding and he would
suffer pain and sorrow if his hidden
secret were ever made known. She
said that her mind was often burden
ed by deceit necessary for her to prac
tice in order to prevent discovery, and
that her conscience had many time,
impelled her to throw off this burden
of enforced falsehood 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 had been on the point of N ak
ing this confession, few months pre-
viously, during severe illness, when
she feared she might die. She affirm
ed also that Beecher has assured her
repeatedly that he loved her better
than he had ever loved any other wo-
man, and she felt justified before God
in her intimacy with him, save the
necessary deceit which accompanied
it, and at which she frequently suffer
ed in her mind.
FORGIVENESS.
Ninth-That after the above named
confession by Mrs. Elizabeth r. Til
ton, she returned to the country TO
await such action by her husband as
he might see fit to take, whereupon
many considerations, the chief OF
which was that she had not voluntari
ly gone astray, but had been artfully
misled through religious reverence for
the Rev. Henry Ward Beecher as her
spiritual guide, together also from q
desire to protect the family from open
shame, Tilton condoned the wrong,
and he addressed to his wife such let
tiers of affection, tenderness, aud re-
spect as be felt would restore her
wounded spirit, and which did partial
lv produce that result
THE BowEN-TILToN QUARREL.
Tenth That in December, 1870
differences arose between Theodore
'rilton and Henry G. Bowen, which
were augmented by The Rev Henry
Ward Beecher and Mrs. Beecher; in
consequence whereof, and at the wish
of Mrs. Elizabeth r. Tilton, expressed
in writing, in paper put into the
hands of Francis d. Moulton, with 8