The Grange advance., 1874-09-02

Its Report 0FtEx0nerattng Henry Ward
Beecher from the Charges Brought
by Theodore Tilton and Sustained
BY Frank ID. MOulton.
The associated press reports
bring the full text of the re-
port to the examining committee of
Plymouth Church. made by the COM
mittee which has inquired into the
charges brought against Rev. Henry
Ward Beecher by Theodore Tilton.
This committee consisted of Henry W.
Sage, Augu:tus Storrs and Henry NJ.
Cleveland, members of the church, and
Horace B. Clafin, John Winslow and
IS. V. White, members Of
the society of Plymouth Church.
The witnesses called before the
committee consisted of Mrs. Elizabeth
r. Tilton, Mrs. H. W. Beecher, Sam'l.
Wilkeson, Jno. R: Howard, Theo. TIL
ton, S. E. Belcher. Mrs. L. B. Morse, 0.
johnson, Rev. R. S. Storrs, D. D.,
Dwight johnson, Isaac H. Bailey, Mrs.
Putnam, John W. Mason, Rev. w. W.
Patton, Mary o. Ames, r. P. Buck, F.
B. Carpenter, A. F. Norton, Thos. NJ.
Vaille, NJ. Holmes, Hon. N. B. Morse,
Mrs. Larry B. Bradshaw, Joseph E..
Richards, Miss Elizabeth A. Turner,
Francis W. Stiles. n. D., Chas. Porez,
NJ. D., DR.. Mention, Mrs. Oakley, Mrs.
E. A. Ovington, Mrs. Valance, B. F.
Tracey, F. D. Moulton, Franklin
Woodruff; Jno. w. Harmon, and Rev.
H. W. Beecher. Most of these
came before the committee as requested.
One notable exception is Francis D..
Carpenter; and F. D. Moulton did not,
as promised, testify fully, although the
committee called him three times be-
fore them. Besides, the committee has
examined a considerable number of let
ters and other documentary evidence.
The first question before the commit
tee was, no specific charge having then
been made, what offense, if any,
had Mr.. Beecher committed against
Mr.. Tilton. When the latter came be-
fore the committee he alleged that Mr..
Beecher had committed adultery with
his wife, Mrs. Tilton. But, for four
years preceding and until recently, Mr..
Tilton has limited his charge, in verbal
and written statements to numerous
persons, to an assertion that Mr..
Beecher had made improper advances
to Mrs. Tilton. In its later form the
specific charge is that the adultery was
committed on the evening of Oct. 10th.
1868, at Tilton's residence, and subse-
quently on various occasions up to the
spring of 1870, sometimes at places to
which Mr.. Beecher would invite and
accompany her.
From the evidence it appears that
when Mi. Tilton's religious and social
views were undergoing char &c for the
worse, Mrs. Tilton, who seemed to be a
very religious woman, was much
troubled thereby and naturally sought
her pastor for sounsel and sympathy.
She had, IS it now appears, become
strongly attached to Mr.. Bcecher and
in July, 1870, confessed to her husband
an overshadowing affection for her
pastor. In December, 1870, Mrs.
Tilton separated from her hus-
band, and sent for Mr.. Beechcr, to
whom, on his visiting her, she made
statement of sufferings and abuse from
her husband which greatly shocked Mr..
Beecher. Mrs. Beecher was taken into
consultation, which ended in Mr.. Beech.
er joining with his wife in advising Mrs.
Tilton to permanently separate from
her husband. She was, however, COM
PEELED to return to her husband, from
the fact Of his having possession Of her
child, which was sick with the Group.
On the 24th of December, 1870, Mrs.
Tilton suffered miscarriage, causing a
serious illness.
About this time occurred the inter-
view between Bowen and Reecher, when
the former brought to the latter an in
solent letter from Tilton. Bowen was
alarmed at the effect upon his
pub blications Of Tilton's connection in
them and, probably, would have soon
discharged him, but the advice of
Beecher hastened that conclusion. The
next day Bowen told Tilton of the ad-
vic e beecher had given him, and it now
appears, that on the Goth Of December
Til ton extorted from his wife docu-
ment eyincing her love for her, pastor
and accusing him Of having improperly
solicited her. The following day he
sent Moulton to Beecher and IN inter-
view was arranged at Moulton's house.
At that interview Tilton accused
Beecher Of being unfriendly to him, of
advising Bowen 70 dismiss him, of in
hiring him in hiS anil u rolafiona ioin