Knoxville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1875, 1874-08-19
OUTLINE OF BEEcHER's STATEMENT,
His story Of the Alleged Scandals.

OUTLINE OF BEECIIER'S STATEMENT
His story of the Alleged scandals
The statement of Mr.. Beecher before
the Investigating Committee is tele-
graphed in part to Fridays Louisville
papers, and fills over four long columns.
! We have room for only an outline with
extracts. He says of Tilton:
"He is aselfish and reck less schemer,
pursuing a plan of mingled good and
| hatred, and weaving about me q net
work of suspicious, misunderstanding
plots. and lies, to which my own inno-
cent words and acts, nay even my
/ thoughts of kindness towards him,
/ have been made to contribute. These
successive views of him must be kept
in view to explain my course through
the last four years"
He then gives the history Of his
early acquaintance and business
connection with Tilton, and how
through the persistent effort
of the latter he became Il
welcome visitor at Tilton's home. He
tells also of the business complications
with Bowen, Tilton and himself, aud
how, after hearing Of Tilton's bad
habits, he and MIS-. Beecher advised
/ Mrs. Tilton to leave her husband. He
says:
" After Mis-. TiltOns return from
| the West in December, 1870, young
| girl whom Mrs. Tilton had taken into
/ the family, educated, and treated like
an own child (her testimony L under.
stand is before the committee), was
sent to me with an urgent request
| that l would visit Mrs. rItOn at her
mothers.
"She said that Mrs. Tiltou had left
| her home and gone to her mothers, in
consequence of the ili-treatment of
her husband. She then gave an ac-
count of what she had seen of cruelty
and abuse on the part of her husband
that shocked me, and yet more, when,
with down-cast look, she said that Mr..
Tilton had visited her chamber in the
night and sought her consent To his
wishes.
"Iimmediately visited Mrs. Tilton at
her mothers, and received an account
of her home life, and of the despotism
of her husband, and of the manage
ment of "a woman he had made house,
keeper, which seems like nightmare
dream. The question was whether
she would 60 back or separate forever
from her husband. | asked permission
to bring my wife to see them, whose
Judgment in all domestic relations |
Thought better than my own and ac-
coTdingly a second visit was made.
SEPARATION RECOMMENDED.
Hearing of this advice to Mrs. TIL
ton, Theodore became desperate aud
pursued Mr.. Beecher releptlessly. He
says:
On the evening of December 20, 1870,
| Mr.. Bowen, on his way home, called
at my home and handed me a letter
from Mr. Tilton. 1T was, as nearly as
1 can remember, in the following
| terms
Henry Ward Beocher:
! For reasons which you explicitly
know, and which l forbear To state, |
| demand that you withdraw from the
pulpit and quit Brooklyn as IA resi-
dent. THEODORE TILToN.
Tread it over twice, and turned to
Bowen aud said; "This man is era
w. This is sheer insanity" And
other like words.
Mr.. Bowen professed to be ignorant
of the contents, and handed him the
letter TO read. He at once fell in con-
versation about Mr.. Tilton.
The result of which was Mr.. Beecher's
advice to Mr.. Bowen to discharge Til
ton. Then follows Moulton's and Til
toms demands. Moulton called upor
Mr.. Beecher to demand his presence a
his house to see Tilton. He says:
| wished Mr.. MOulton to be with M,
! as witness, but he insisted that
should go by myself,
r FACE TO FACE WITH TILToN.
Mr.. Tilton received me cOldly bu
: calmly. After word or two, standing
in front of me with a memorandum il
- his hand, he began an Grafton in al
= unfriendly spirit. He said that / ha
4 sought his downfall had spread in
o furious rumors about him was usin
4 my place aud influence TO undermin
5 him had advised Mr.. Bowen tn die
II miss him and much more that / ca
?. not remember. He then declared that
II had injured him in his family rela
!. lions that | had joined in with II
d mother in-law III producing discord j
J. his house had advised a separation
2, had alienated his wife's affections frOl
= him had led her To love me moi
J. than any living being had corrupte
IS her moral nature and taught her TO
Ie insincere, and lying and hypocritical
a. and ended by charging that / mac
N wicked proposals 10 her.
=, ABSOLUTELY THUNDERsTRUCK.
10 Until he reached this had listent
h with some contempt, under the impre
IN sion that he was attempting TO bull
m me; but with the last charge he pr
10 duced "a paper purporting 10 be cert
1t fled statement of a previous confessic
~ made to him by his wife of her love f
r. me, and that / had made proposals
her OF an improper nature. He sa
r. that this confession had been made
~ him In July, six months previous; tn
Us his sense of honor and affection wou
not permit any such document TO I