Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1874-09-04
THE GREAT SCANDAL.
The Committee Bring In their
Report.
THE REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE.

plvmoutb Church investigating committee
was read at the church meeting to-nignt'
The committee. after reciting reasons Tor IN,
ves,igation, and referring to the charge VI
adultery preferred by rilton, say Dir linton
statement is made up OF citations OF ancgeu
facts and circumstances, when ne seems "
consider relevant and important as e'iucnce
sustaining his charges.
-, CAREFUL CONSIDERATION OF THE EVIDENCE
The committee have given the evidence
their most careful consideration, and hnd
thereirom that in 1861 Mr.. Beecher became
editor. and Mr.. Tilton assistant editor, oil
| the Independent, and that during tins reia-
zion thew became warm and mutual lrienus'
On or about 1868 MIR. Tilton began TO urge
MIR Beeehcr to visit his Illton y mouse;
! and he became more intimately aequainteu
with Mr.. 1ilt0n's family. lie urgeu MN
TO do much of his editorial writing III niS
study as it was more convenient to write
there than at the Office of the Independent.
/ NEssRs TILToNAND BEEcHER BECOME INTIMATE
MIR. Beecher visited his house, and a
! friendly relation sprang up between
the wife and family of Mr.. Hilton ana
| Mr.. Beecher. which continued down 10
! December in 1870 That the friendly rela
, tons existing between Mr.. Beeeher ana
Mrs. TIton were always well known anu
understood, and met with Mr.. llitOh ;
cordial approval some years before any
omen trouble appeared between Mr.. Beech
er and Mr.. Tilton. His (Mr. Tilton's) doc
trines. as set forth in the Independent, OF
which he had become editor, aroused a
storm Of Indignation and opposition IN the
west, where this paper was widely cIrcu-
lated After much discussion, this led to
starting the Advance newspaper in Chicago
TO supplant the Independent.
MR.. TILroN HAS PECULIAR VIEWS.
Mr.. Tilton while editor Of the Independent.
4 leading religious newspaper, had come to
DENY the inspiration OF the scriptures and
the divinity of Christ. His social views
about this time also underwent radical
1 change in the direction OF free love. This
marked change in the religious and social
/ views of Mr.. IIlton was source of great
grief and sorrow to Mrs. TiltOn Mrs TiltOn
seemed to be a very religious woman.
amounting almost to enthusiasm, and when
this change occurred in her husband. she
naturally sought her pastor for counsel and
Z sympathy She set forth in strong terms
/ the suffering her husband : course was caus-
Ing her. Ii now appears that during these
years Mrs. Tilton became strongly attached
10 Mr.. Beecher, and in July, 1870, con-
| iessed to her husband an over shadowin 2
affection for her pastor.
MRS. IILToN LEAVES HER HUSBAND.
On or about the 10th of December, 1870,
Mrs. Illton separated from her husband
going with her children TO her mother :
house. She sent for Mr. Beecher and on his
visiting her she made a statement of her
suiferings and the abuse which she had re-
ceived at the hands Of her husband, which
/ greatly shocked Mr. Beecher. fle asked
and received permission to send to Mrs. I'll
ton his wife, whose Judgment III such mat
ter : he considered better than his own.
/ Subsequently he agreed in advising with his
wife that it was desirable that Mrs. Tilton
should separate from her husband.
SHE RETURNS.
Mr.. Tilton, however, subsequently forced
his wife 10 return 10 his house by sending
Tor and obtaining possession OF the youngest
F child. who was sick with the Group. during
/ Mrs.. riton : temporary absence from her
mother house. She suffered q miscarriage
the mex, day after her return, on the 2ith.
which resulted in n serious illness, cOntin-
uing until after the 1T of January, her
physician being in daily attendance on her
from the - to the 30,h Of December, inclu
sive.
Iiitou dismissal from the Independent
and Brooklyn Union and the part Beecher
took IN the matter. 70 On to sav that on
the 29th of December $50, Mr.. rlton.
having learned the advice Mr.. Beecher gave
Mr. Bowen, and which was likely to bring
him face 10 face with tie los of his place
and position, extortcd from his vile, then
lying III of miscarriage. a document in
l.lcItHg Mr.. Beechtr document eyincing
her love for her pastor and accusing him
OF having made an improper solicitation.
NlULToN VISITS BEEchER.
On the following day he sent MOslton to
Beecher requesting m interview with Nr.
Beecher ut M0ultOn's house. that evening.
Mr. Beecher accordingly met Tilton at
MoU.tun's house. Iilton received him with
q memorandum in his hand and proceeded
10 charge Mr. Boecher with being untriend-
" 70 hun, with his downfall, spreading in
furious rumors about him, undermining
him, and advising Bowen to dismiss him,
iujuring him in his family relations, joining
his clifton y mOther-in-law in producing
diScOrd in his house, advising a Separation,
alternating his wiie's affections from him.
with corruDtine her m0rUl virtue. with
teaching her to be insincere, lying and
hypacriiical. and ended by charging that he
made wicked proposals TO her. Iilton then
produced a written paper purporting to be
a memorandum OF e confession made the
July previous 20 him by his wife, Of her love
tor Nr. Beecher. and that he had made pro-
p0~al- to her of an impure nature.
Mr.. lilton. in the 22d subdivision Of his
statement before the committee. referring in
time to December. 1870, states his griey-
auccS and cause OF complaint Of Mr.. Beech
er, touching Ilton's business relations
with Mr.. Bowen in these words ''that he
(Alr Bcecher) then participated in con-
spi.acy TO degrade Theodore Tilton before
the public. by loss of place, business and
repute. Ii i clear that on the 2Dth day of
December, when the so-called memorandum
OF confession was procured from Mrs. Tilton. /
the chief melting cause OF that step On Til /
ton : part was his belief that Mr. Beecher
had caused him loss Of place of business /
and reputc.
ErrEcr UroN ME. BEEcHER.
Mr. Beecher says that this charge Of i'm |
pure proposals fell upon him like thunder |
bolt. Could It be possible that Mrs /
Iilton, whom he had regarded as the type /
OF 50 much moral goodness, should have /
made such false and atrOcicus statemonts?'
iiiton requested Mr.. Beeeher to repair to
his house. where Elizabeth was waiting for |
VI
the stories IL 50 lar as they concerned her. |
The Interview was had and resulted in a
written retraction of the charges of Mrs
IiitOn. So, in great distress, in a sort of
postscript 10 the retraetiOn. she denied ex-
plicitiy that Mr.. Bsecher had ever offered
any improper solicitations to her, that
beng the only charge made by Tilt0n or
referred TO in the statement about the con-
iession in July.
On the next evening Moulton called at
Mr.. Beechers house, and went up into his
bedroom. He said that he and Titon had
learned thar Mrs. Titon had given the re-
traction. lie expostulated and said the act
was uufriendly, and would not mend
matters. and that Mrs. Tilton had already
recnded the retracti0n. That Tilton had
already destroyed his wife's first paper of
M0ulton claimed thar Mr..
Bceeher had acted unfairly, that all diff
eulties could be settled withOutsuch papers.
and that Mr.. Beecher ought to give it up,
Moulton was under great apparent exite-
menJ. lie made no verbal threats but dis
played pistol and laid it on the bureau
near which he stood. The paper was
given TO him, and after few moments talk
he lett
Mr.. Beecher's distro-S at the situation was
boundless. lie saw the peril of being even
falsely accused. He blamed himself for
much that had occurred. He could not tell
how much ofthe imI-nding trouble could
be attributed to Mrs Tilton's undue affec-
ton for him, which ii was his duty to have
NV ear lost desire" he says,
was TO avoid a public accusation. and the
evils which must necessarily flow from it.
and which have Row resulted from it, has
been one Of the leading motives that must
ixplain my action during these four wears :