Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1874-09-10
THE GREAT SCANDAL.
The Committee Declare Mr.. BeecheF
Innocent.


Investigating Committee, which was
read. in substance as follows:
In conducting the investigation the committee
state tbat they had faithfully endeavored to make
n thorough and irp0tial, and to obtain such
facts as were relevant to the inquiry from all
sftainable sources Of evidence. For this purpose
they requested the attendance OF large number
nj witnesses most Of whom had testified before
the committee, one notable exception being Mr..
Francis b. Carpenter.
had failed to do SO. He had submitted three
short statements in writing TO the committee,
Consisting chiefly of the reasons why he declined
m testify at the call of the committee.
In addition 10 the evidence of the persons who
had testified they had examined a number of let
ters and other documentary evidence which were
supposed relate to the subject matter of the in
quiry.
The committee state that the offense as alleged
nv Mr. Triton during some four years, and until
RECENTLY to numerous persons, in writing and
otherwise was an improper Suggestion h or soic
passed and purposes matured this charge was en-
farged to that of adultery,
The committee state that, after having given
the evidence the most careful consideration, they
and therefrom that in 1851 Mr.. Beecher became
editor and Mr. Tilton assistant editor of
the Independents and during this relation were
warm and intimate friends, Mr.. Tilton urging
Mr.. Beecher to visit his house. A very
friendly relation sprang up between the
wife and family of Mr.. Tilton and Mr.. Beecher
Friendly relations were understood and cordially
anproyed of by Mr.. Titon, Some years before
any open trouble appeared between Messrs.
Beecher and Triton, the latter's doctrines as set
editor aroused so much indignation and opposi-
ton in the West as to lead to the starting of the
Aduance newspaper in Chicago. He (Tilton) had
come TO deny the inspiration of the Scriptures
and the divinity of Christ, and his social views
had changed in the direction of free love, these
religious and social changes on the part of her
a.kf.rr riaEa
to Mrs Tilton. Mrs Tilton voluntarily sought
her pastor for counsel and sympathy, and set
forth in strong terms the suffering her husbands
course was causing her. 1t appears WHAT during
these years Mrs II. had become strongly attached
TO Mr. Beecher and in July, 1870, confessed TO her
husband oyer-shadowing affection for her
pastor.
On or about the 10th OF December 1870 Mrs
Tilton separated from her husband, going with
her children to her mothers house. She sent
for Mr.. Beecher, and made TO him statement of
her sufferings, and the abuse which she had re-
ceived at the hands of her husband, which great
ly shocked Mr.. Beecher. He asked and received
permission TO send to Mrs. Tilton his wife, whose
Judgment IN such matters hE considered better
than his own. Subsequently he agreed in adyis-
ing with his wife that il was desirable that Mrs.
Tilton should separate from her husband. Mr..
Tilton, however, subsequently forced his wife to
return to his house by sending for, and obtaining
possession of, their youngest child, who was sick
with the Group, during Mrs. Tilton's temporary
absence from her mothers house. The next day
after her return on the 24th she suffered miscaT
rage, which resulted in a serious illness, contin
uing until after the LIST of January, her physician
being in daily attendance on her from the oath TO
the 30tn of December inclusive. Early in Decem-
Der, this year, owing to the marked change in Mr.
Tilton's religious and social views, Mr.. Bowen
felt constrained to give him notice that his serv
ices editor of the independent would terminate
at day named in the notice. Subsequently to
his notice, and on or about the Goth ofDecember,
Mr.. Bowen entered into a contract with Mr.. Til
ton, by which he was to be the editor of the
Iyn chief fri nj
the independent for five years; but within few
days after making this contract Mr.. Bowen re-
ceived such information of Tilton's immortality
as alarmed him and led to an interview between
himself, Tilton and Oliver Johnson, at the house
of Mr.. Bowen, on the 18th day of December, 1870.
At this interview Mr.. Tilton sought TO retain his
place and Mr.. Bowens confidence by offering TO
Join Bowen in an attack on Mr.. Beecher. This
interview resulted in the letter written and signed
by Mr.. Tilton demanding that Mr.: Beecher
leave Plymouth pulpit and Brooklyn. On
reading this letter, which was delivered by
Mr.. Bowen, Mr.. Beecher expressed his as
constituent at the. receipt of such q letter, and
denounced the writer. Mr.. Bowen then derided
the letter, and gave him some account of the rea-
sons why he had reduced Tilton from the editor
ship of the independent to the subordinate posi-
ton of contributor. saying that Mr. 1iton's
religious and social views were running the
paper, and that he was now considering whether
he could consistently retain him as editor of the
Brooklyn Union or chief contributor of the In
They conversed for some time, Mr.. Bowen
wishing Mr.. Beecher's opinion, which was freely
given. Mr.. Beecher sand he did not see how Mr.
Bowen could retain his relations with Mr.. Tilton
Dir. Beecher spoke strongly of the threatening
letter and the revelation he had just had con-
corning Mr.. Tilton's domestic affairs.
Mr. Bowen read the threatening letter and said
he would stand by Mr.. Beecher, and he told Mr.
Tilton the next day Of the conversation he had
had with Mr.. Beecher and of his tBowen'sJ inten
ton to stand by Mr. Beecher.
Mr. Beeeher, though he had no doubt that Til
ton would have lost his place. saw that his infu-
epce was decisive and anticipated Tilton's over
throw.
II now appears that on the Goth of December,
1870, Mr.. Triton having learned the advice Mr..
Beecher gave mr Bowen, and which was likely TO
bring him face to face with loss of place and po-
sition, extorted from his wife, then lying Ill OF
a document duplicating Mr.. Beecher
"a document eyincing her love for her pastor and
accusing him of having made an improper socita-
ton. On the following day he sent Moulton to
Beecher, requesting an interview with Mr.. Beecher
at Mr. Moulton's house that evening Mr.. Beecher
met Tilton at Moulton's house. Til
ton received him with memorandum IN ms
being unfrieDdy to him, with seeking his
downfall, spreading injurious rumors about him,
him, and advising Bowen to dis
miss him; injuring him in his family relations,
Joining his (Tilton's) mother-in-law in producing
discord in his house, advising separation,
alternating his wife's affection from him, with
gaining her love more than any living being. with
corrupting her moral virtue, with teaching her to
be insincere, lying and hypocritical, and ending
by charging that he had made wicked proposals
to her. Tilton then produced written paper
purporting to be memorandum of confession
made in July previous to him by his wife of her
love for Mr.. Beecher, and that he had made pro-
posas to her Of an impure nature.
The committee say 1t is clear that on the goth
day of December, when the so-called memoran-
dunn of confession was procured from Mrs.
Tilton the chief melting cause Of that step
on Tilton's part was his belief that Mr..
Beecher had caused him the loss of place,
business and repute Mr.. Beecher says this
charge of impure proposals fell upon him Ike a
thunderbolt At Mr.. Tilton's request Mr.. Beech
er repaired with him TO his house, where Eliza
beth was waiting for him, and learned from her
lips the truth OF the stories so far as they con-
cerned her. This interview resulted in written
retraction of the charges by Mrs. Tilton, who, In
sort of postscript to the retraction, denied ex-
plicitly that Mr.. Beecher had ever offered any I'M
proper solicitations to her. The next evening
Mr.. Moulton called at Mr.. Beecher's house and
expostulated with him for having obtained the
retraction, saying IL was an unfriendly act, and
that Mrs T. had already recanted the retraction,
and that Mr.. T. had destroyed his wife's hrst pa,
per of confession. Mr.. Mouton claimed that all
difficulties could be settled without such papers
and that Mr.. Beecher ought TO give up the one ne
had. He (Moulton) made no threats, but dis
played a pistol and laid il on the bureau near
which he stood. The paper was given up.
Mr.. Beecher saw the peril Of being even falsely
accused. While In morbid state of mind pro-
duced by these distressing difficulties Moulton
again called on him, and though his manner was
kind and conciliatory, professed to believe that
Mr. Raacbar had haau epakiDp Mr. TiltOus down.