The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1874-09-01
1T IS NICELY. LAID ON.
And Reflects Credit on the Artists
REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE
The Finding is that Beecher Never
Did Anything Wrong.
A CLEAN CARD.

CLEAN CARD.
RENDERING OF THE REP0RT-THE MEMBERS
OF THE COMMITTEE ALLEaE THAT IT Is ALL
A VILE CONSPIRACY-AND WISH BEECHER
HAD SENT FOR POLICEMAN AT FIRSr-THE
TRACE OF THE Willy sHEARNAN il PLAIN.
New YORK, Aug 2S.-The following is the
report OF the Plymouth Church investigating
committee read at the church meeting tonight:
To the Examining Committee of Plymouth
Church:
DEAR BRETHREN: The pastor of Plymouth
Church, the Rev. Henry Ward Beecher, ad-
dressed 20 us letter on June q, 1874, OF which
the following is a copy:
BROOKLYN, June q, 1874.
GENTLEMEN: In the present state of public
and society over which am the pastor TO have
some proper investigation made of tile rumors,
duct as compromised by late publications made
by Mr.. Tilton. have thought that both the
church and the society should be represented,
and take the liberty OF asking the following
gentlemen TO serve in this inquiry and TO
quire. I beg that each of the gentlemen
nam Il Will consider this as If IL had been
SePaTa.teiy and personally sent 70 him, namely:
StOrrs, Henry VI. Ceveland from the society,
Horace z. Clafiin, John Winslow. s. o. White.
desire you, when you have satisfied yourselves
by an impartial and thorough examination OF
all the sources of evidences, to communicate to
the examining committee or to the church
such action as then may seem to you right and
wise. HENRY WARD BERCHER
The committee named having signihed their
Willingness TO serve in the grave matters so re-.
ferTed 20 them, Mr. Beecher sent the following
letter 10 the examining committee of Plymouth
Church:
JULY6, Is74
DEAR BRETHREN: / enclose to a letter in
which have requested three gentlemen from
the church and three from the society of Ply
mouth Church, gentlemen of unimpeachable
lspute and who have not been involved in any
INC ,T the Ir .s re %ie1 We nave passed dur
tial examination of all the CHARGES or insinua-
uons against my good name, and TO report the
same 70 you, and now respectfully request that
YOU will give 10 this committee the authority to
act in your behalf also. Ii seemed wise to me
tnai the request should proceed nom me and
you should give to IL authority TO act in your
behalf in so far a thorough Investigation of
the facts should be concerned.
HENRY WARD BEEcHER.
ThereupOn the examining committee duly an
thortzed the committee named in the letter of
June z, to act in their behalf also. Second
Your committee can not here refrain from re-
they in common with all good men feel, that |
unt ontrolable circumstances have made IL nee
essary 70 discuss in the most public manner the
unhappy scandal which is the subject of the
present inquiry. But accepting the situation as |
we -ou nd IL when We entered upon the high and
5o9adiy impressed from the berinnn WPifS Pr1
the grave importance of the work before US. For
a considerable time vague and indefinite ru-
Inors have been in circulation touching in a vi
tai manner the Christian integrity of beloved
pastor. But nothing had appeared from
known responsible source in a tangible form
uHeii letter of Theodore Tilton s to the Rev DR..
18th day Of January, lS74. Itwas the appearanCs .
OF this letter that moveu Mr.. Beecher, two days
afterward, to request an immediate inyesti-
CATION" 1t will be seen by the terms of that
request that some proper Investigation is asked
for by him of the
RUMoRs, INsISUAT1oSs OR CHARGES
made respecting his conduct, as compromised
by the late publications made by Tiltou. We are
invited to make impartial and thorough ex-
animation Of all the sources of evidence and ad-
wise such action as might seem right
Third. In conducting his Investigation we
have faithfully endeavored to make il thorough
and impartial aud TO obtain such facts as are
sourcss of Evidence. For this purpose we have
summoned or requested the attendance of the
following persons to testify before the commit
tee: Mrs. Elizabeth r. Tilton, Mrs. III. W. Beech
Tiiton Samne IS Beesher. MTS' n. r Morse. or
liver johnson, the Rev. II, 81 StOrrs ID. D.. Dw ght
Johnson, Isaac Il. Bailey. BE- Mrs; Putnam; John
e cha-d p. Buck, Frances b, Carpenter, Albert
r. Morton, Thomas NJ. Vaille, NJ: Holmes, the
seph Richards, Miss Elizabeth Turner, Francis w
Stiles, NJ. D., Chas. Covez. n d., DIR. Mention,
Miss Oakely, Miss Elizabeth A. Oyington, Mrs.
Wallace the Rev s. b. Halliday, Thos. q. Sher-
man. Ben. f. Tracy, Francis ID. Mouton, Frank
lin Woodruff, ]. w. Harrison and the Rev. ii.
W. Beecher. The most of the persons named
have attended. as requested, before the com
tarnenter. As Francis d. Mouiion promised 70
testify freely. but has failed TO do so: he
Saf @rng To tbe committee conssting ehiey
of the reason why be declined 70
testify. and of promises to testify al
called him three times, with the results stated
In addition TO the evidence OF the persons
named, we have examineda considerable nnm-
ber of letters and other documentary evidence
which in some way was supposed 10 relate 70
the subject matter Of the inquiry. We have had
i'm the prosecution of our investigation 2S sess-
ions Fourth Mr. Iiiton IN ms letter 70 DaGSa Ss1a
states that knowledge came to him
in 1870 that Beecher had committed an offence
against him which he lorebore to name & or cR ar
he alleged to be extracts from letter. signed oy
AIR. Beecher, dated January i, ls7l. This alleged
snbseauent statement before the committee, has
come TO De known as the letter OF apology.
there was no allegation before them except
such vague allusions to an offence of some sort
Tiiton. and for which, according to the same
authority. he had apolo2 led IL will thus oe
what, II any, offense had Mr.. BeecheI
committed against Mr.: Triton. rourin. Az
Titon IN sAIy Was called Called before the committee and
made an extended written statement: ana IN O
sense specific charges which showed ~ snss t'
was, as Mr.. T. now alleges, adultery with tn nj
the field OF inquiry was somewhat enlargsd
and by alleged iacts, letters and circumstances
set forth therein 1t Is proper this conneeiiol
10 state that the ofense as alleged by Mr. IiitoI
during some four years. and until recently, y
numerous persons In writing and other ways,
AN IMPROPER SUGGESTION
or solicitation by Mr.. Beecher to Mrs. T1ltor
But as time passed and purposes matured thi
charge passed ard matured into another forr
and sut stance. The offense committed by M
Beechez, as now alleged by Mr.. Tilton, is state
subs antialIy In the third and fourth subiivi
s1..s Of his afafauent Bv the Abatement III
ahar1e In effect ia that Mr.. Beecher at his res