Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1874-08-24
Abstract of the Report
of the Committee.
BEECHER EXONERATED,
BESSIE Turner's Testimony.
Comments of the Press

New York, 90. The Sunday Mercury prints
the following abstract of the forthcoming re-
port of the Plymouth Church investigating
committee:
The report of the committee of Plymouth
Church, appointed to investigate the charges
made against the pastor, Henry Ward Beech
er, by former member of the Church, Mr..
Theodore Tilton. will be made on next Friday
evening in the plymouth Church itself, and
all members of the Church are invited to be
present on the occasion, as it is to be made a
| monster vindcation of the pastor. The re.
port will occupy in the reading about two
hours, and will be a complete and searching
review Of all that has been brought against
Henry Ward Beecher, as well as what has
been adduced in his favor.
The statement will be separated into two
parts-frst, review of the evidence, and
secondly, the conclusion to which the COM
mttee have come, based on the evidence
| The report will be a unanimous one and will
| be signed by every member of the committee
No minority report will therefore be present
ed.
The report begins by stating briefly the ru-
| mors that have prevailed for some years
against the pastor of the Church. The ntan-
gibe manner in which these charges were
| made could not be traced to any trustw orthy
| foundation, being denied mainly by all those
most concerned. The Congregational Coun-
| Gil and its action are then spoken of, and
| thereafter the letters of the Rev. DR.. Bacon
which brought about the singular letter of
| Mr.. Theodore Tilton to that gentleman, and
| in which a letter was inserted purportng to
come from the pastor of the church and plac-
ing him in an untenable position before the
world. Then the appointment Of the investi-
eating committee by the examining committee
of the church, and that meeting to investi.
gate whatever charges should be made
against the Rev. Henry Ward Beecher.
| Then is stated the action of the committee
in calling upon Mr.. Theodore Tilion to state
whatever he had to allege against his former
pastor and friend, and the statement from that
gentleman which the call of that committee
elected.
| The main points Of the statement of Mr..
| Titon are then given, comprising the charges
of adultery alleged to have taken place be-
tween Mr.. Beecher and Mrs. Tilton, and tn
| letters adduced to prove it. Having this
| sworn statement in hand the committee states
that iii thereupon called upon Mr.. Tllton to
| submit to a cross-examination upon the sub
ject matter Of his charges, as also upon all the
events and circumstances which induced him
to come to the conclusion of the adultery OF
his wife and her former pastor. In this cross
examination it is stated that Mr.. Titon pre-
varicated to some extent and failed in notable
| instances to show any proof of the charges
made by him. Notably in one instance where
Mr.. Tilton in his statement says that scene
| took place before his eve where Mr. Beecher
is alleged to have placed his hands upon Mrs.
Tilton's ankle, Mr.. Titon being unable to say
within period of a number of years when
this scene took place, and even whether it
| took place within a term of time comprised
before or after the war. 1t seemed to the
committee that so vital an accusation as this
should have been narrowed down to a shorter
or more certain period of time. But this is
| not all that struck the committee as singular
| in Mr.. Tilton's cross examination. He there
| in swore that though cognizent of his wife's
guilt for some years, he was personally man
| ofunblemished character and of strict moral
| ity, never having been ufaithful in his marital
relations, nor had he endeavored to be.
Only this positive statement on Tilton's
part induced the committee to call as a wit
ness a young woman named Bessie Turner.
who had lived in Mr.. Tiltons family in the
quality of domestic. In her evidence this
person swears that Mr.. Tilton while his wife
was away from home attempted to accomplish
on her person dastardly outrage on two sep
arate occasions, at night, entering her room
and endeavoring to violate her person. sue.
ceeding SO far as to drag her from her own
bed TO his room. This statement was so much
at variance with Mr.. Tilton's sworn statement
upon cross.examinstion, that the committee,
10th to believe Mr.. Tilton guilty, not only of
such crime as that described, but also of OPP.
en- and wiful perjury, endeavored to obtain
further evidence on the subject which was
| fnupd m tho statamQpf Of Mra Tilfop
herself, who corroborated to some extent the
charges made by Bessie Turner against her
husband, more than enough to impel the com.
mittee to the conclusion that Mr.. Tilton was
a perjurer, and that his evidence upon cross.
examination was in detail and substance false
This having been ascertsined beyond ques.
ton then came the query whether Mr.. Til
tons evidence being maaifestly untrue in some
particulars might not be so in toto, in which
case his base and unsupported accusations
against the pastor must be untrue also, as it il
a we'll known maxim in law that all the testi.
mony of a witness found guilty of perjury in
any particular fell TO the ground This dis
posed of then came the question of the letters
put forth by Mr.. Titon to maintain his
charges. The principal of these comprise q
letter of contrition addressed by Henry Ware
Beecher to Theodore Tilton, but not in that
gentleman's hand writing, and bearing evil
dence of having been obtained in somewhat
singular manner. A supposed confession O
guilt supposed to have been written by Mrs
Tilton and thereafter contradieted by her ant
thereafter again reafiirmed by her under pres
sure by her husband, and others written by
Henry Ward Beecher to Mr.. Moulton. The
committee felt upon reading these letters
that while their sense was. ambiguous there wa
in none of them any distinct admission of thu
guilt of the charge of adultery, that is to say
the letters while being extravagent in Ian
gusge and sentiment, and written by Mr.
Beecher under strong feeling OF sOm'
wrong done by him to Mr., Tilton and hi