The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1874-07-24

consequence thereof the subsequent dis
honoring by Beecher of his friends wife
was a crime of uncommon wrongful
ness and perhdy.
III. That, about nine years ago, Rev.
Henry Ward Beecher began, and there
after continued a friendship with Mrs.
Elizabeth R. Tilton, for whose native
delicacy and extreme religious sensibili-
ty he often expressed to her husband
a high admiration, visiting her from
time TO time for years until the year
1870, when for reasons hereinafter sla-
ted, he ceased such visits, during which
period. by many tokens and attentions,
he won the affectionate love Of Mrs Til
ton, wherby, after long and moral re
aistance by her, and after repeated as
saults By him upon her mind with over
mastering arguments, accomplished the
possession of her person, maintaining
with her thenceforward, during the pc
riod hereinafter stated, he relation
called criminal intercourse; this relation
being regarded by her during that pc
riod a. not criminal or morally wrong,
such had been the power Of his arzu-
ments as a clergyman 10 satisfy her re-
Iigious scruples against such violation Of
virtue and honor.
IMPROPER INTIMACY BETWEEN BEECH
Err AND MRS. TILToS.
". That on the evening of October 10,
1868, or thereabouts, Mrs. Elizabeth r.
Tilton held an interview with Rev Henry
Ward Beecher at his residence, she be-
ing then in q tender state of mind, ow-
| ing to the recent death snd burial of a
young child, and during this interview
an act of criminal commerce took place
between this pastor and the parishoner,
the motive on her part being, as hereto
| fore stated, not regarded by her at the
! time as criminal or wrong, which act
! was followed by similar act of crimi-
/ nalIty between these same parties at
Tilton's residence during pastoral vis-
il paid By Beecher to her on the subse-
quent Saturday evening, followed also
| by other similar acts on various occa-
sions from the autumn of 1868 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 appoint
ment. These acts of wrong being on her
part from the the first to the last not
wanton or conscienciously wicked, but
arising through n binding of her moral
perceptions occasioned by the powerful
influences exerted on her mind at that
time to this end by Rev. Henry Ward
Beecher, as her trusted preceptor and
guide.
V. That pastoral visits made by Henry
Ward Beecher, to Mrs. Tilton, during
the year 1868, became so frequent as tc
excite comment, being in marked con
trast with his known habits of making
few pastoral calls on his Pensioners
which frequency in Mrs. Tilton's case i;
shown in letters written TO her husband
during his absence in the West; thesC
letters giving evidence that during pc
riod of five or six weeks twelve different
pastoral calls on Mrs. Tilton were made
by Rev. Henry Ward Beeeher, which
calls became noticeably infrequent or
Tilton's return to his home.
VI. That previous to the aforesaid
criminal intimacy, one of the reasons
which Mrs. Tilton alledged for her en-
couragement of such exceptional atten
tions from Rev. Henry Ward Beocher
was the fact that she had been much dis
tressed with rumors against his mora
purity, and wished to convince him sh'
could receive his kindness and vet re
sist his solicitations; and that she eoulC
inspire in him by her purity and fdeli
ty an increased respect for the chast
dignity Of womanhood. Previous Il
the autumn of 1868 she maintained, will
Christian firmness toward her pastor
this position of resistance, always refu
sing his amarous pleas, which wer
strong and oft-repeated, and in lette
to her husband, dated February 3, 1865
she wrote as follows:
ITO love is praiseworthy, but to abuS
the gift is sin. Here / am strong. n,
demonstration or destinations could naus
me TO yield my vomanhood."
VII. That the first suspicion whicl
crossed the mind Of Theodore tol
that the Rev. Henry Ward Beech. wa
abusing, or might abuse, the aft 2tiol
and reverence which Mrs. Tiltoa bor
toward her pastor, was an inpropc. ca
ress given by Beecher to Mrs. T.iton
while seated by Der side on the iour O
his library, overlooking engravi,.Ss.-
Mr.. Tilton few hours afterward, aske'
of his wife an explanation of her per
mission of such liberty, whereat she n
first denied the fact, but then con!esse'
it, and said she had spoken chidingiy t.
Mr.. Beecher concerning it. On anothe
occasion Mr.. Tilton, after leaving hi
house early in the morning, returned t
it in the forenoon, and on going 10 hi
bedchamber found his door locked, ant
when, on knocking, the door was open
ed by Mrs. Tilton, Mr.. Beecher VIZ
seen within, apparently much confuse'
and exhibiting a flushed face. Mr..
Tilton afterward made plausible ex pla
nation, which, from the confidence re
posed in her by her husband, was b,
him deemed satisfactory.
MRS. TILToN's CONFESSION.
VIII. That in the spring of 1870. oi
Mr.. Tilton's return from a winter alb
sence, he noticed in his wife such ev
licences of the absorption of her mint
in Mr.. Beecher that in short tire al
arrangement took place between he
husband and herself, in consequence O
which she went into the country carlie
than usual for her summer soioGrn.-
After an absence OF several weeks All
voluntarily returned to her houia ii
Brooklyn on the evening of July Sd
1870, when, and then and there, within