The New York herald., 1874-08-29

To THE EXAMINING COMMITTEE OF PLYMOUTH
CHURCH,
DEAR BRErHREN-The pastor OF Plymouth
church, the Rev. Henry Ward Beecher, addressed
to letter, June 81, 1874, Of which the following
is q copy:-'
MEN the % b state Of !he public feeling
ma% % %
Eespecing my conduct compromised by the late pub.
asd p s haze that S
take take the liberty Of asking the following gentlemen to
eV snat OF he
named win consider this as it had been separately and
lsss. s Sh~ea9Hsnry % W Sage. Augustus storrs.
From soeiey-Horace B. Clahin. John winslow, s.
desire you when you have satisfied yourselves by an
Impartial ana shoroagn * mn Of all sources OF
ab Dd 10 nd ne w such acHn r. nSa nay e
The committee named having slgnined their
willingness to serve in the grave matters re-
erred to them, Mr.. Beecher sent the following let
ter to the Examining Committee Of Plymouth
church,
ays Se three ~ the
aaa HroSs 1s
impartial Of ali charges or iDsinaations I
's e e.
%e e a TO s 9Ss
me without your foregoing knowledge and that ou
cerned. HENRY WARD BEECHER.
Thereupon the Examining Committee duly au-
thorized the committee named In the letter Of June
27 to act in their behalf also.
SORRY BUT WILLING.
Second Your committee cannot here refrain
from referring TO the nexpressible regret which
they In common with all good men feel, that un-
comfortable circumstances have made 1t necessary
to discuss IN the most public manner the unhappy
scandal which is the subject OF the present inquiry
But accepting the situation as we found 1T
when we entered upon the high and solemn
trust thus imposed, we have been profoundly
impressed from the beginning with the grave i'm
portance Of the work before US.
For considerable time vague and indefinite
rumors were in circulation touching in vital
manner the Christian integrity of our beloved
pastor. But nothing had appeared from q known
responsible source in tangible form until the
Bacon, which was published the 25th day Of June,
1874.
1t was the appearance Of this letter that moved
Mr.. Beecher two days alterward 10 request imme-
diate investigation. 1t viii be seen by the terms
OF such request that some proper investigation is
asked for by him OF the rumors, insinuations or
charges made respecting hts conduct as COM
promised by the late publications made by MI.
We were invited to make an impartial and thor
ougn examination "of all sources Of evidence,n
and to advise such action as may seem right and
wise.
THOROUGH AND IMPARTIAL.
Tntrd-1n conducting this investigation we have
faithfully endeayored to make It thorough and i'm.
to the inquiry from all attainable sources OF evil
aenoe For this we ina nave summoned or
beth r. Tlton, Mrs. a. ". Beecner, Sam
on sanusl E. ssoher MRS. aors Sss
Johnson Rev. r. 8. Storrs, D. D.; Dwight Johnson,
Mary q Amss Richard %
Francis B: Carpenter, Albert F. Norton, Thomas
NJ VAIL =. NJ Holmes n n B. Morse, Mrs Mary 3.
NJ 3. !; Dr. M!nton, Miss Oakley. Mrs. Elizabeth 4.
Thomas q. Shearman, Benjamin F. Tracy, Francis
2. Monlton Franklin Woodruff, John ". Harmon,
Most Of the persons named have attended as
requested before the committee. One notable ex-
ception is Francis B. CarpenIer. Mr.: Francis D.
do So He has submitted .hree short statements
in writing to the committee, consisting chiefly OF
to testify at the call OF the committee. The COM
mittee have called him three times. with the re-
In addition TO the evidence Of the persons
named we have examined considerable number
of letters and other documentary evidence which,
in some way, were supposed to relate to the sub.
ject matter OF inquiry. We have held in the prose-
cution of our Investigations twenty-eght ses-
siOns.
Tso9 mt astS IN his letter to Dr. Bacon
that knowledge came to him Hi IN ISL ls7o ''fS that
Mr.. Beecher had committed an offence against
which he SreOSae tn to or
what ne alleged to be extracts from letter
signed by Mr.. Beecher and dated January l. 1871.
Mr.. Tilt0n's subsequent statement before the COM
mittee, has come to be known as the letter OF
iabors there was therefore no allegation before
them except such vague allusion to an offence OF
some sort said to have been committed by Mr..
Beecher against Mr. Ttton, and Tor which, accord
ing to the same authority, he had apOoglzed. 1t
will thus be that the question before the com.
mittee, then, was what, II any, offence had Mr..
Beecher committed againstMr. TiltOn.
TILTON'S INDICTMENT.
Firh-At an early period OF the Investigation
Mr.. Tiiton was called before the committee and
made an extended written statement, and, In
specneo charges m M s which showed that the
was, as Mr. 1iton now alleges, adultery with his
vile, Mrs. Elizabeth r. Tilton. BY this statement
somewhat enlarged by the alleged facts, letters
ana circumstances thet Elm set forth.
offence as alleged BY Mr.. Tilton, during some four
years and until recently to numerous persons, in
o Mr. Beecner c 9en
But as time passed and purposes marured this
charge passed and matured Into another form and
The offence committed by Mr.. Beecher, as now
alleged by Mr. Tilton, is stated substantially IN
statement before the committee. The charge, in
effect, Is that Mr.. Beecher at his rest
dence on the evening OF October 10, 1858, or
II. Tilton. wife OF Theodore Tilton; that this act
was followed by similar act OF criminality be-
tween the same parties at Mr.. Tilton's residence
on the subsequent Saturday evening" followed
also by other similar acts on various occasions,
from the autumn OF 1858 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
The remainder OF MIR. TltOn's extended state.
ment is made up OF citations or alleged facts and
want and important as evidence sustaining his
charges as ABOVE stated.
The committee have given the evidence their
most careful consideration, ana find thereirom
that in 1861 Mr.. Beecher became editor and Mr..
Titon assistant editor OF the Independent and that
during this relation they became warm and nti-
mate friends. On or about 1868 Mr. Tilt0n began
to urge Mr.. Beecher to visit his (Iilton's house,