The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1874-08-29
THE EVERLASTING SCANDAL,
Report Of the Investigating
Committee.
Summing up Of Statements.
The Committee Acquits Mi.
90. Beecher.
Summing up Of Statements

ing is the report of the Plymouth Church
Investigating Committee, read ut ihe
church meeting tonight:
I To the Examining Committee Of Plymouth
, Church.:
DEAR BRETHREN:-The pastor OF
! Plymouth Church, Rev. Henry ward
/ Brcchcr, addressed to Us II letter, on June
| 9th. 1874. of which the following Is a
I copy:
! BRooKLYN, June 9th, 1874.
GENTLEMEX:-In the present state OF
public feeling owe it to my friends and
! tothe church and society, over which
am pastor, to have some proper inveStl-
! gation made of the rumorS, insinuati0ns,
or charges made respecting my conduct
/ rs COMPROMISED by the late publications
made by Mr.. Tilton. have thought
/ that both the church and society should
! be represented and take the liberty OF
asking the following gentlemen to serve
in this inquiry, and to do that which
truth and justice may require l beg
that each of the gentlemen named VIII
consider this Ss if it had been, separately
and personally, sent to him from the
church; namely:
Henry w. Sage, Augustus Storrs,
and Henry VI. Cleveland. From IN" r"-
cirtv: Horace B. ClaAin, John Winslow
and ). V. White.
desire YOU, when you have satisfied
Yourselves by an impartial and thorough
examination Of all sources OF evidence to
communicate to the examining commit
tee or to the church such action as there
NAV seem to YOU right and wise.
The committee named having signi-
fled their willingness to serve IN the
crave matters So referred 70 them. MIR.
Brechcr sent the following letter to tn"
examining committc" Of Plymouth
! Church:
July 9Th, 1874.
DEAR BRETuREN:-l enclose 10 You
letter in which | have requested that
three gentlemen from the church and
three from the society of Plymouth
! Church, gentlemen of unimpeachablc
rcputr, and who have not been involved
in any of the trials through which We
have passed during the year, to make
thorough and impartial examination
/ of all the charges or lnslnuatons
/ against my good name and TO report
I the same 10 YOU; and | now respectfully
request that YOU will give TO this COM
lnittee the authority to act in your be-
/ half. Also it seemed wise to me that the
request should proceed from me, and
without your foregoing knowledge, and
that You should give to the committee
authority TO act in Your behalf in 80 far
as thorough investigation of fthe facts
should be concerned.
HENRY WARD BEECHER.
Entering on the Work.
Thrrcupon the Examining Committee
duly authorized the committee named in
the letter of June 2Tth, to act in their
behalf also.
Second. Your committee cannot here
refrain from referring |" the inexprcss-
iblc regret which they in common with
all good men feel, that uncomfortable
circumstances have made it necessary to
discuss. in most public way, the unhap-
pv scandal which is the subject Of the
present inquiry, but accepting the situa-
ton aS We found it when We entered upon
the high and solemn trust thus imposed
We have been profoundly impressed from
the beginning with the grave Importance
of the work before us. For a consider
able time vague and indefinite rumors
were in circulation touching in vital
manner the Christian integrity Of our be-
loved pastor. but nothing had appeared
from q known or responsible source in a
tangible form, until letter OF Theodore
Tilton's to Rev. DR.. Bacon, which was
published on the 10th day of June, 1874.
1t was the appearance" of thcS" letters
that moved Mr.. Bcccher two days after
wards to request immediate investigation.
1t will be seen BY terms of such request
that some proper investigation is asked
for bv him of the rumOrs and invcstiga-
ti0ns or charges made respecting his con-
duct compromised by late publications
made by Mr.. Tilton.
We were invited To make an impartial
and thorough examination of all sources
Of evidence and advise such action aS
may seem right and wise.
Names Of Witnesses.
Third. In conducting this investigation
We have faithfully endeavorcd to make
it thorough and impartial and to obtain
>nch facts aS are relevant to the inquiry
from All attainable sources Of evidence.
For this purpose we. ..havr summoned or
requested the attendance of the following
urr>on, t. testify before the committee:
Mrs. Elizabeth L. Tilton, NrS. II. W.
Berchar. Samuel Wilkeson. John K.
Howard, Theodore Tilton, Samuel +.
Bclchcr. MR.. y. b. Morse. Oliver John
son Rev. A. :. StorrS ID. d., Dwight
Johnson, Isaac H. Bailey, Mrs.
Putnam, John W. Mason, Rev. W. W.
Patton, Mary c. Amcs, Richard p. Buck,
Francis b. Carpenter, Albert J. Morton,
Tho>. NJ. Raillc, f. W. Holmes. Hon. y.
B. Morse. Mr:. Mary B. Bradshaw, Jos.
Richards. Miss. Elizabeth A. Turner.
Francis W. STILES. VI. d.. Cha>. Corscy.
, VI. D.. DR.. Mention, Miss Oakley, Mrs
Elizabeth \. Ovcrington, Mrs. Wallace.
Rev. ). B. Holiday, Thomas q. Shear
man. Benjamin }. Tracey, Francis D.
Moulton. Franklin Woodruff, John W.
Harrison. Rev. Henry Ward Beechcr.
Most Of the persons named have At
tended as requested before the committee
One notable exception Is Francis b. Car
pcnter Mr. Francis ID. Moult"n prom
i>cd to testify fully but Ina, failed to do
so. He has submitted three short >tatr-
mcnts in writing, to the Committee. con-
siSting chiefly Of reasons why h" declined
to testify and Of promises to testi-
! fv al the call 0f the committee. The
,',,,,,,,;+.o oo b.yc Cs,ll.i hin, .b-o, ,;,,,
with the results stated.
In addition TO tho evidence of the
persons named, we have examined
number Of letters and other document
arv evidence, which in some wav were
supposed To relate to the subject Of the
matter Oh inquiry. Wehave held in the
prosecution of our investigations. twenty
eight sessions:
i..E.pT Tiltou's Charge.