, 1874-07-30
zlMagM
Lus1vELY TO THE DAILY DISPATCH.
SAN FRANc1sco, July 22.-The state

4 NANs = AS0SNOA'OVs suiy HS.-Iuo otdtt-
mt of Theodore Tilton against Beech
" is published and has pro3rcsa irtense
,itement. In a long le-er 10 ehs in.-
stigating committee he ves es his
Q lson for making the disclos are5 that
'iisy had been demanded by the conn
sr'ttee and by Beecher, and that as his
V fe had left him he was no longer
und to secrecy for her sake. In the
Inclusion of this letter he says: This
'ti'sperate man must hold himself only,
md not me. accountable for the wretch
ness which these disclose will
rry into his own home apd ',eantb, as
sy have already brought to mine
% then proceeds to set forth specific
argess in substance as follows:
That On the End of October, 1855, at
lymouth Church. Brooklyn. the mar
rage between Theodore Tilton and
Elizabeth NJ. Richards was performed
Ivy the Rev. Henry Ward Beecher, which
marriage, tbirtea years after, was dis
IGNORED and violated by this clergyman.
{ rough the criminal seduction of this
cife and mother. That about nine
ears ago Rev. Henry Ward Beechsr be-
gan and thereafter continued friend
ship with Mrs. Elizabeth r. Tilton, for
whose native delicacy and extreme re.
Figious sensibiIity he often expressed to
her husband high admiration, visiting
her from time to time for years, I'M
til the year 1870, when he suddenly
ceased such visits. During this period,
by many tokens and attentions, he won
The affectionate love of Mrs. Tilton,
when, after long moral resistance by
her, and after repeated assaults by him
upon her mind with overmastering ar
guments, he accomplished possession of
her person, maintaining with her, thence
forward the relation called criminal in
tercourse, such relation being consider
ed by her as not criminal or wrong
Such had been the power of his argu-
ments as a clergyman, to satisfy her re-
ligious scruples against such violation
of virtue and honor that, on the even
ing of October 10th. 1868, or thereabouts,
Mrs. Elizabeth z. Titon held an inter-
view with the Rev. Henry Ward Beech-
ef of his residence. she being then in
tender state of mind. owing to the re
cent death and burial of a young child;
and during this interview an act of
criminal intercourse took place between
this pastor and this parishoner, the mo-
tives on her part being, as heretofore
stated, neither criminal nor wrong;
which act was followed by similar act
of criminality between these same par
ties at Tilton's residence on the subse-
auent Saturday evening. during pas
t6rai visit paid to her by Beecher; FOL
lowed also by other similar acts on va
rious occasions. from the Autumn of
1868 to 1870, the places being the two
residences aforesaid and occasionally
other places TO which the pastor would
invite and accompany her or at which
6e would meet her by previous appoint
rnent.
sThe first suspicion which Tilton had
that Beecher was abusing or might abuse
the affection and rev erence that Mrs.
Tilton bore toward her pastor was an
improper caress given by Beecher to
her while seated on the stoop of his il
brafy overlooking some engravings.-
Mr.. Tiiton afterwards asked his wife for
an explanation of her permission of
such liberty, whereat she at Arst de-
MED the fact. but then confessed and
said she had spoken to BeecEar concern
pgit.
On an another occasion, Tilton, after
leaving his house in the early morning,
returned to it in tbe forenoon, and on
going to his bed chamber found the door
locked, and when the door was opened
by Mrs. Tilton, Beecher was seen with
in. apparently much confused, exhibit
ing flushed face. Mrs. Tilton after
ward made plausible explanation,
which. from the confidence reposed in
her By her husband, was deemed satis-
factory.
In the Spring of 1870, on Tilton's re-
turn from winters absence. he noticed
in his wife such evidence of the absorp-
ton Of her mind in Beecher that in a
short,time an estrangement took place
between her husband and herself; in
consequence of which she went into the
country longer than usual for her sum-
mer sojourn. After an absence of sew
eral weeks she voluntarily returned to
her home in Brooklyn, on the evening
Of July Sd, 1870, when. then and there,
within few hours after her arrival, and
afer exacting from her husband So,
l6n1n promise that he would do Beecher
no harm nor communicate to him what
she vas about to say. she made cir
sumstantial confession to her husband
eftfe criminal facts stated, accompan-
ae ewith oitsfiohs from Beecher's argu-
ments and reasonings with her to over.
come her long-maintained scruples
against yielding to, ,his;desirss, and de-
eleripg that she hld committed no
wrong to her husband or against her
marriage vow, quoting in support of
this opinion tbat'her- pastor had repeat
sdly told her that she was spotless AM.
ehaste, Hliieh she herself believedto be
the case. . +,
bA&satsd that he said her commerce
with him had never proceeded from any
low or vulgar thoughts, either on her
part or on his, but always from pure af-
feotion And. high religious dove. She
stated that Mr. Beecher habitually char