Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1874-07-22
The Beecher Scandal.
TILToN's STATEMENT.

|
| WHEREAS, The Rev. Henry Ward
Beecher has instigated the appointment o
a committee consisting of six members O
Ibis church and society, to inquire and re-
port upon the alleged aspersions upon his
character by Theodore Tilton; and where
as, Mrs. Elizabeth r. Tilton, formerly the
wife of Mr.. Tilton, has openly deserted hel
home in order to cooperate with Mr.
Beecher in a conspiracy to overthrow the
credibility and good repute of her late
husband as a man and citizen;
Therefore, I, Theodore Tilton, being thus
authorized and required by the published
demand made upon me by the Rev. Henry
Ward Beecher, and being now and here
after released by the act of Mrs. Tllton
from further responsibility for the conceal
ment of the truth touching her relations
with Mr.. Beecher, therefore, l, Theodore
Tilton, hereby set forth under solemn oath
the following:
First, that on the second of October
1856, at Plymouth Church, Brooklyn, q
marriage between Theodore Tilton and
Elizabeth M. Richards was performed by
the Rev. Henry Ward Beecher, which
marriage, thirteen years afterwards, was
dishonored and violated by this clergyman,
through the criminal seduction of this wife
and mother, as hereinafter set forth.
Second, that for period of about fifteen
wears. extending both before and after
this marriage, an intimate friendship eXis-
ted, between Theodore Tilton and Rev.
Henry Ward Beechcr, which friendship
was cemented to such u degree that in
consequence the subsequent dlshonorIng
by Mr.. Beccher of his friends wife was a
crime of uncommon wrongfulness and
pertidy.
Third. that about years ago Mr.. Beech
er began and thereafter continued a friend
ship with Mrs. Elizabeth X. Hilton, for
whose native delicacy and extreme relig-
ious sensibility he often expressed to her
husband a high admiration, visiting her
| from time to time for years, until the year
1870, when for reasons hereinafter stated
he ceased such visits; during which period
by many attentions he won the affectionate
| love of Mrs Tilton, whereby after long
moral resistance by her and after repeated
assaults by him upon her mind with over
mastering arguments, he accomplished
possession other person, maintaining with
her thenceforward during the period here
| matter 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 pow
er of his arguments as a clergyman to sat
isfy her religious scruples, against such
violation of virtue and honor.
Fourth, that on the evening of October
| 10, 1868, or Whereabouts. Mrs. Tilton held
an interview with the Rev. Henry Ward
Beecher at his residence, she being then
in tender state of mind, owing to the re-
cent death and burial ola young child, and
! during the interview an act of criminal
commerce took place between the pastor
and the parishioner, the motive on her
part being, as hereinbefore stated, not re-
| garded by her at the time as criminal or
wrong; which act was followed by SINH
| lar act of criminality between these same
parties at Mr.. Tilton's residence during a
pastoral visit paid by Mr.. Beecher to her
on a subsequent Saturday evening, follow
ed 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 ut which he would
meet her by previous appointment; these
acts of wrong being on her part from first
to last, not WantOn or consciously wicked,
but rising through a binding of her moral
perceptions. Occasioned by Il powerful in
tluence exerted on her mind at that time
to this end by this Henry Ward Beecher,
rs her religious preceptor and guide.
Fifth, that the pastoral visits made by
the Rev. Henry Wurl Boecher to Mrs.
Tilton, during the year 1868, were so fire.
Quent as to excite comment, being mark
ed contrast with his known habit ofmaking
few pastoral calls on his Pensioners,
which frequency in Mrs. Tilton's case is
shown in letters written to her husband
during his absence in the west, these let
tiers giving evidence that during period
Of five or six weeks, twelve different pas
toral calls on Mrs. Tilton were made by
the Rev. Henry Ward Beecher, which calls
became noticeably infrequent on Mr.. Til
tons return to his home.
Sixth. that previous to the aforesaid
criminal intercourse one of the reasons
which Mrs. TiltOn alleged for her encour-
agement of such exceptional attentions
from the Rev. Henry Ward Bcecher was
the fact that She had been much distressed
with the rumors against her moral purity,
and wished to convince him that she could
receive his kindness and vet resist his
solicitations, and that she could inspire in
him by her purity and fidelity an increas-
ing respect for the chaste dignity OF
womanhood.
Previous to the autumn of 1868 she
maintained with Christian firmness toward
her pastor this position of resistance,
always refusing his amorous pleas. which
were strong and oft-repeated, and in
letter to her husband dated February 8,
1868, she wrote as follows: TO love is
praiseworthv, but to abuse the gift is sin.
Here am strong No demonstrations or
destinations could cause me TO WELD my
womanhood.
Seventh, that the first suspicion which
crossed the mind of Theodore Tilton that
the Rev. ii. W. 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 af-
forwards, asked of his wife an explanation
of her permission of such a liberty. where
at she at first denied the fact, but then con-
fessed it, and said that she had spoken
chidingly to Mr.. Beecher concerning it,
On another occasion Mr.. Tilton after
leaving his house in the early morning re-
turned to it in the forenoon, and on going
to his bed-chamber found the door locked
When on knocking the door was opened
by Mrs. Tilton, Mr.. Beecher was seen
within, apparently much confused and ex-
hibting "a flushed face Mrs Tilton after
wards made plausible explanation, which
from the confidence placed in her by her
husband, was by him deemed satisfactory.
Eighth, that in the spring of 1870, on
Mr.. Tilton's return from months alb
sence, he noticed in his wife such evil
dences of absorption of her mind in Mr..
Beecher that in a short time an estrange-
ment took place between her husband and
herself, in consequence of which she went
into the country earlier than usual for a
summer sojourn. After an absence of sew
eral weeks, she voluntarily returned to her
home in Brooklyn. on the evening of
July 8, 1870, when, and then and there,