The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1874-08-29
HER-TILTON
en Lay, - eE s...
Report Of the Investiga-
ting Committee.
They AcQuit Him as a Natter
u~ Of Course.

NEW York, August 90 The following
Is the report Of the Plymouth Church In
vestigsting Committee read at the Churcl
meeting tonight:
10 tho Rrdmining CymmitteS Of PlymoutJ
Church:
DEAR BRBTHRRN-The pastor OF Ply
mouth Church, Rev. Henry Ward Beech
er, addressed TO US o letter on June ~
1874, Of which the following Ia copy:
BROOKLYN, June 81, 1874.
GENTLEMEN-Iu the present state OIL
public feeling / owe 10 my friends and L
the Church aud society over which am
pastor, to have some proper investigation
made OF the rumOfs, insinuatiOns OF
charges made respecting my conduct as
compromised by the late publications
made by Sir. Tilton. have thought thai
both the Church and Society should bC
represented, and I take the liberty OF ask
ing the following gentlemen 10 serve 10
this inquiry, and to do that which truth
and justice may require. beg that each
of the gentlemen named will consider this
as II II had been separately and personally
sent 10 him namely: From the Church,
Henry W. Sage, Augustus Storrs and
Henry M. Cleveland; from the Society,
Horace B. Cls1in, John Winslow and s
N. White. l desire you when you have
satisfied yourselves by an impartial and
thorough examination OF all the sources Ol
evidence to communicate 10 the Examin-
ing Committee or to the Church such &C
tion as then may Seem to you right and
wise. HENRY WARD BERCHER.
The committee named having signified
their willingness 10 serve in the grave
matters 80 referred 10 them, Mr.. Beecher
sent the following letter to the Examin-
Ing Committee OF Plymouth Church:
July 9Th, 1874.
DEAR BRETHRgN-I cnCiose to you q
letter IN which have requested three
gentlemen from tho ChurCn and three
from the society Of Plymouth Church,
gentlemen OF unimpeachable repuIe, and
who have not been involved In any oil the
trials through which VIC have passed
during the year, TO make thorough and
impartial examination oi all the charges
or iDsinuations against my good name
and 10 report the same to you, and now
respectfully request that you will clothe
this Committee with the authority to ACT
in your behalf, also 1t seemed wise 10 me
that the requisite should proceed from me
and without your foregoing knowledge,
and that you should give lo it authority
to act In your behalf IN so lar as u
thorough investigation Of the facts should
be concerned.
HENRY WARD BEECHER.
WhereuPon the Examining Committee
duly authorized the Committee named
in the letter Of June 9th, 10 act ip
their behalf also.
2 Your Committee cannot here refrain
from referring to an inexprGasible regret
which they IN common with all good
men teCl that uncomfortable cirCum-
stances have made 1t necessary 10 discuss
IN the most public way the unhappy
scandal which is the subject Of the pres
ent inquiry. But accepting the situation
Es we found 1t when We entered upon
the high and solemn trust thus imposed
we have been profoundly impressed IRON
the beginning with the grave importance
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 o
known responsible source until a letter o
rilton 10 Rev DR.. Bacon, which was
published the Goth day Of June 1874 Ii
was the appearance of this letter tina,
moved Mr.. Beeeher two days afterwards
TO request an immediate investigation.
1t will DO seen by the terms Of such re-
quest that some proper investigation Is
asked Tor by him Of the rumors, insinu
ations, or charges made respecting his
conduct as compromised by the late pub
locations made by Tilton. We were in
vited to make an Impartial and thorough
examination Of all sources Of evidence ant
aGVise such action as may seem right and
wise.
8. In conducting this investigation WI
have faithfully endeHvored TO make il
thorough and impartial, and to obtsir
such facts as are relevant 10 an inquiry
from all attSinahle sources Of evidence
For this purpose we have summoned OF
requested the attendance oil the following
persons 10 testify before the committee
Mrs. Elizabeth r Tllton, Mrs. II w
Beecher, Samuel Wilkeson, John R How
ard, Theodore Tilton, samuel E. Belcher
Mrs. N. B. Morse, Oliver johnson, Rev
r s. etvrrs, D. ID D wight johnson, lssaC
II. Bailey, Mrs Putnam, John W. Mason
Rev. w. w. Patton, Mary q. Ames, Rich
ard P. Buck, Francis B. Carpenter, Alber,
J. Norton, Thomas NJ. Vaille, L. M
Holmes, Hon, N. B. Morse, Mrs. Mary 3
Bradshaw, James Richard, Miss Eliz 4bett
A. Turner, Francis W. Stiles, n. D Cbas
Cortz, Al. D., DR.. Mention, Miss Oakley
Mrs, Elizabeth A. Ovington, Mrs, Wal
lace, Rev. s. B. Halliday, Thomas G
SheSrman, Bepja F. Tracy, Francis
D. Moulton, Franklin Woodruff, John w
Harmon, Rev. Henry Ward Beecher
most OF the persons named have attend
ed as requested before the committee
One notable exception is Francis B Car
penter. Francs D. Moulton promised tC
testify fully, but has failed TO do 60. HI
has submitted three short statements 10
writing 10 the committee, consisting
chiefly oil reasons why he declined 10 tes
thy Ut the call Of the committee. Tht
committee have called him three times
with the result stated. In addition TO tn,
evidence Of the persons named we have
examined aconsidGrabe number oi letter.
and other documentary evidence, which
In some way were supposed TO relate L
tho subject matter Of inquiry, We havt
held in the prosecution Oi our inyestiga-
tions twenty.eight sessions,
4th. Mr. Tilton in his letter 10 Dr., Bs'
con, published on the 25Ih day oil June
1874, states that knowledge came to hin
10 1870 that Mr.. Beecher had committed
an ofense against him which he forborI
to name or characterize, and In the SAM
letter introduced what he alleged TO b.
aYtranta from a latter Riunal hU Raaph al