Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1874-07-22


mon wrong and perfidy.
Third-That about nine years ago Re-
Henry Ward Beeeher began, and ther,
after continued a friendship wit
Mrs. Tilton, for whose natiV
delicacy and extreme rigOTOU
sensibility he often expressed [
her husband, high admiration, visitiu
her from time to time for years, until lS7
when for reasons hereinafter stated, b
, ceased such visits, during which period
by many tokens and attentions, he wO
the 8ffectionate love of Mrs. TiltOI
whereby aftera long moral resistance b,
her, and after repeated assaults by hin
upon her mind with Overmastering al
gumeuts,
ACCOMPLISHED THE POSSESSION OF HEl
PERSON,
maintaining with her thenceforward
during the period after stated, a relation
called criminal intercourse, this relation
being regarded by her during that periO,
as not criminal or morally wrong, suei
had been the power Of his arguments a
q clergyman to satisfy his religious
scruples against such a violation of viz
tue aud honor.
Fourth-Thst on the evening Of Oeto-
Der 10, 1858, or thereabOuts, Mrs. Eliza.
beth r TiltOn had an interview with
Rev. H.W. Beechsr at his residence, she
being then in a tender state Of mind
owing to the recent death and burial OF
, a young child; and during this inter
view an act of criminal commerce took
place between this pastor and this
parishiOner-the motive on her part be-
ing, as herejnbefore stated, not regarded
by her st the time criminal or wrong,
which act was followed by similar acts
Of cTiminality between these same par
ties at IiltOn's residence during pastoral
visits paid by Beecher to her on a subse-
quent Saturday evening, followed by
other similar acts, on various occasions,
from the autumn Of 1868 to the spring
of 1870, 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 appointment,
these acts of wrong being on her part,
from fiTst to last, not wantOn or con-
/ sciously wicked, but arising through a
binding Of her moral perceptions, oc-
I casioned by the powerful influence ex-
I erted on her mind at that lime TO this
end by Rev. II. w. Beecher as her
trusted religious pTeceptor and guide.
Fitth-That the pastoral visits made
the year 1858 became so frequent as to
excite talk, being in marx ed contrast
with his known habit OF making few
pastoral calls on his parishiOners, which
frequency in Mrs. IiltOn's case is shown
in Letters written to her husband during
his absence in the west. These letters
give evidence that during the period of
five or six weeks twelve different pastoral
calls on Mrs. TiltOn were made by Rev.
II. W. Beecher, which calls became
nOticeably infrequsnt on TiltOn's return
TO his home.
SiXth-That previous to the aforesaid
criminal intimacy, one of the reasons
which Mrs. Tilton alleged for her en-
cOuragement Of such exceptional atten-
tions from Rev. II. W. Beecher, was
the act that she had been much dis
tressed with
RUMORs AGAINST HIS MORAL PURITY,
and wished to convince him she could
receive his kindness, and yet resist his
solicitations, and that she could inspire
in him, by her purity and fidelity, an
increased respect for chsste dignity of
womanhood. Previous to the autumn of
1865 she maintained, with christian
firmness toward her pastor, this position
of resistance, always refusing bis amo-
rous pleas, which were strong and oft |
repeated, and in letter to her husband,
dated February 3, 1865, she wrote as fol- |
lows:
"To love, is prsiseworthy; but to abuse |
the gift is sin. Here / am strong; no
demonstrations or destinations could |
cause me to lose my wOmanhOOi."
Seventh-That the first suspicion /
which crossed the mind Of Theodore /
40
abusing, or might abuse the affection /
and reverence which Mrs. Tiltoa bore /
toward her pastor, was an improper
csTess given by Mr.. BeecheT to Mrs.
TiltOn while seated by her side on the
floor Of his library overlooking the
engraviDgs. Mr.. Ilton in a few hours
afterWaTd asked of his wife an explana-
tion Of her permission OF such a Liberty,
she at first denied the fact, but
then confess sed it, and said that she had
spoken chidingly TO Beecher concerning
il. On another occasion, TiltOn, after
leaving his house early in the morning,
TO it in the forenoon, and on
going to his bedchamber found the door
locked, and when, on knocking at the
door, it was opened by Mrs. Tilton,
Beecher was seen within, apparently
much confused, and exhibiting flushed
face. Mrs. Tilton afterwsrd made some
plausible explanation, which, from the
confidence repOsed in her by her hus-
band, was by him deemed satisfactory.
Eighth-That in the. spring Of 1870,
on TiltOn's return from a winters ab-
sence, he noticed in his wife such evil
dences of absorption of her mind in
that in short time an estrange-
ment took place between her husband
and herself, in consequence OF which
she went into the country earlier than
usual for the summer. After an absence
Of several weeks she voluntarily returned
to her home in Brooklyn on the evening
Of July 3, 1870, when, and then and
there, within few hours after her aTri-
val, and after eXacting from her husband
a solemn promise that he would do Rev.
II. w. BeecheT no harm, nor cOmmu-
nicate to him what she was about to say,
she made circumstantial
CONF ESsION TO her HUSBAND OF GRIM
INAL FACTS,
herein before stated, accompanied with
citations from Beecher's arguments and
with her 20 overcome her
long maintained seruples against Yield
ing 20 his desires, and declaring that she
had committed no wrong to her husband
or her marriage vow, quoting IN support
Of this opinion that her pastor had re-
assured her that she was spot
Iess and chsste, which she believed her
SELF 10 be. She further stated that her
sexual commerce with him had never
from low or vulgar thoughts,
either on her part or his, but always
rom pure affection and high religious |
owe. She stated furthermore, that Mr.. |
Beecher habitually characterized their
intimacy by the term aethesdiHg, and
be would suffer pain aud sorrow If
ais hidden secret were ever made
Known. She said that her mind was
,ften burdened by the deceit necessary
or her 10 practice in order 10 prevent
discovery, and that her conscience had I
mpelled her to throw Off this burden Of
enforced falsebOOd by making full con-
essi IN TO her husband, so that she
would 30 longer be living before him a
lie. Ia particular, she said
that she had been on the point Of making
this confession few months previously,
during a severe illness, when she feared
she might die. She affirmed also that
Beecher had assured her repeatedly that
be loved her better than he had ever
loved any other woman, and she felt
JUSTIFIED before God In her intimacy with
him, save in the necessary deceit which /
accompanied il, and from which she fre-
suffered in her mind.
Ninth-Ihat after the above named
confession by Mrs. Elizabeth II. Tilton,
she returned 10 the country, to await