The Grange advance., 1874-09-23
THEODORE 7llTON'S STATEMENT.
Another Chapter in the Brooklyn
Scandal.-'The Evidence Of Mr..
Beechcr, Mrs. TiltOn and Mrs,
Morse, and the Report Of Ply
mouth Church Committee Re.
viewed.

| "OIScs dNu INC 1SCpOTt Oh K1fo
mouth Church Committee Re-
viewed.
Theodore Tilton' statement in reply
to the denial Of his charges by Henry
Ward Beecher and Mrs. Tilton, their
stateme is before the Plymouth Church
committee, and that committees find
ings upon the evidence submitted to it,
is too long document to be reproduced
in these columns, but in Difference to
the general interest in its subject mat
ter We summarize its POINTS as follows :
The statement attempts to follow the
chronological order Of events and is di.
vidcd into sections, Of which the first
and second are devoted to showing BY
letters and other documentary evidence
that up to July Sd. 1870, the time OF
Mrs. Hilton ), alleged confession of adul-
terry with Bcechcr, there had been a
continuous and warm friendship be-
tween Ti!ton and Reecher and Mr. and
Mrs. Tilton had been loving and happy
couple. This impeaches the evidence
and theory that Tilton entertained en-
vious and vindictivc feelings towards
Beccher, and that he was cruel and un-
loving towards his wife.
The third section details the occa.
sion and substance Of Mrs. Tilton's
confession to her husband, and relates
that she fixed the date of her first act
of adultery by memorandum in her
diary. This confession was full and
free, made voluntarily and when she
was in good heath, solely because her
conscience rcproached her with the de-
ceit. A letter is produced from Susan
B. Anthony which appears to confirm
the former statement that Mrs. Tilton
also made confession to her. That
Beecher seduced Mrs. Tilton and she
did not tender her love unsought is ar
gued from the expressions of their Cur.
respondcnce, his frequent gifts to her
a id the admissions Of the parties then
and since.
The fourth section introduces Mrs.
Morse, the mother-in.law, as learning
Of her daughters crime and henccforth
plotting against Tilton. A letter from
Mrs. Tilton to her husband and to her
mother is produced, showing both that
the mother knew her daughters secret
and that she had led the daughter to
believe that her husband was going
wild over it..
Section five, by her letters, exhibits
a change in Mrs. Tilton's tone of mind,
corresponding to the time Of her con.
fession and confrmatory of the state.
ment that she did 50 confess.
| Through the three succeeding sec.
tions the Bowen affair is taken up and
its connection with Tilton and Beecher' 5
affairs explained. This led to the in.
terview at Moulton's house in which
Tilton first told Beecher of Mrs. Til.
toms confession.
| In the next two sections it is shown
by the records Of Plymouth Church
itself that as early as October, 1873,
Tilton had, to Mrs. Bradshaw, accused
Bcecher Of adultery with Mrs. Tilton.
This disproves Beechcr's statement and
the committees theory that the origi.
nal charge was only improper solicita'
ton
Through sections eleven and twelve
Tilton, denying that he entertained un.
usual or free love notions concerning
marriage. and citing Bcecher's part
in the Mcfarland Richardson affair,
for which Beecher Was publicly censur.
ed by MIR. Bartlett, now his attorney,
while he, Tlton, was for the first time
accused of loose notions because he de.
) Tended Richardson, he proceeds to ex.
plain his support Of Victoria Woodruff
as prompted and urged by Beccher, tc
prevent her exposure of Beecher.
The thirteenth section tells in detail
how Beecher repeatedly and particular
" acknowledged his adultery with Mrs
Tiiton and of his appeals to Tilton'
sympathy by exhibitions of remorse
profound detection and heart-breaks
which Tilton suspected were feigned
but Moulton believed were genuine. 81
close this section" says Tilton, 'tby de-
claring, with q solemn sense Of the
meaning of my words, that Mr.. Beech
er's recent denial under oath
that he committed adultery with
Mrs. Tilton, is known tc
him, to her, to Mr.. Moulton, to me-
and to several other persons, to be ar
act Of perjury.''
i Tn aaction fnurtoon ~fxor <.L;,,r -,