Knoxville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1875, 1874-07-29

] llldls W NdNlSlN ilNl ltliElbuH SClhllt0
against such violation Of virtue and
/ honor.
Fourth, That on the evening of Oc-
tober 10, 1865, or Whereabouts, Mrs.
J Elizabeth r. Tiltun held AN interview
with Rev. II w. Beecher at his resi-
deuc-, she being then in tender state
of mind, owing to the recent death
and burial of young child, and du-
I ring this iuie View an act OF criminal
Z commerce look p ace between this pas
tor and this parishioner, the motive on
/ her part beng, ~ htreiubeiOre stated,
not eearled by her at the time as
criminal or wrong, which act was fol-
! lowed by n similar act of Crimnality
/ between he same parties at rilton's
/ house, during pastoral visit paid 10y
/ Beecher ON the subsequent Saturday
evening followed also by other similar
acts on variou, occasions, from the au-
l tumn Of 1865 to the spring of 1870, the
| places being he two residences ature-
said, and occasionally other places, TO
/ which her pastor would invite and ac
company her, or at which he would
meet her 10y previous appointment,
/ this wrong being on her part from tirSI
/ to last.
/ NOT WANrON uRCONsCfOUSLN WICKED,
but arising through binding of her
moral perceptions, occassioued 10y u
| powerful influence eXerted on her
| mind at thai time to this end 10y Rev.
! Henry Ward Beecher, as her trusted
religious preceptor and guide.
/ Fifth, That pastoral visits made toy
/ Mr. BeeCher to Mrs. TiltOu, during the
! year 1865 became 50 frequent IA to eN-
| cite comment, bring in marked con-
/ trast with his known habit of making
/ pastoral calls on his parIshiOners,
| which frequency, in Mrs. Tiltun's case,
/ Is shown in letters written to her hus~
/ band during his absence in tue West.
! These letters give evidence that during
IA period of five or six week" twelve diff.
/ ferent pastoral calls on Mrs. Tilton
were made 10y Beecher, which calls be-
/ came noticeably infrequeut on Tilton's
return to bis home.
Sixth, That previous 20 the afore-
said criminal intimacy one Of the rea-
sons which Mrs. Tilton alleged for her
encouragement of such exceptional at
tentions from Rev. II. w. Beecher,
was the fact that she had been much
distressed with rumors against his
moral purity, and wished to convince
him that she choud receive his kind
ness and yet rest his solicitations, and
that she chould inspire in him 10y her
purity and fidelity increased respect
for the chaste dignity of wOmanhOod.
Previous to the autumn of 1868 she
maintained with Christian tirmness
toward her pastor this system of re-
sistance, always refusing his amOrOus
pleas, which were strong and oft re-
peated. and in letter to her husband.
dated Feduary 3, 1868, she wrote rs
follows:
ITO love is praiseworthy, but to abuse
the gift is sin Here | am strong
No demonstrations or destinations
could cause me to yield my woman
hood
Seventh, That the first suspicion
which crossed the mind of Theodore
Tilton that Rev. H. w Beecher was
abusing on might abuse the affection
and reverence which Mrs. Tilton felt
toward her pastor, was an improper
caress given by Beecher to Mrs. Tilton
while seated by her side on the floor
of his library, overlooking engraviugs.
Mr.. Tlton "A few hours afterwards ask
ed of his wife an explanation of heI
permission of such liberty, whereat she
at first denied the fact, but then con
fessed it, aud said she had spoken
chidingly to Beecher concerning it,
On another occasion Tilton, after leav-
ing his house early in the morning
returned to it in the afternoon, and
going to his bed chamber found the
door locked, and when on Knocking
the door was opened by Mrs. Tilton
Beecher was seen within, apparently
much confused, and exhibiting IA flush.
ed face. Mrs. TiltOn afterward made
plausible explanation which, from
e. the confidence reposed in her by hel
husband, was by him deemed satisfac
tory.
+ Eighth. That in the spring of 1870
on Mlton's return from IA winters ah
sence. he noticed in his wife sucE
evidences of absorption of her mind in
Beecher that in a short time an es
. arrangement took place between hel
: husband and herself In consequence
she went into the country earlier than
usual. After an absence of several
weeks she voluntarily returned to hel
home in Brooklyn ON the evening O
July 3, 10 and then and there, within
few hours after her arrival, and after
eXacting from her husband a solemn
promise that he would do Rev. II. w
, Beecher no harm, nor communicate tC
Nun W lliL sue W as dbOub w say NlIt
made a circumstantial confession to
a her husband of the criminal facts
/ hereinbefor stated, accompanied with
r citations from Beecher's argument:
, and reasonings with her to overcome
her long-maintained scruples against
r yielding to his desires, and declaring
;. that she had committed no wrong tC
= her husband or her marriage vows
i and in support of this opinion her pas
tor had repeatedly assured her tina
she was spotless and chaste, which sht
believed herself to be. She furthe
: stated that her sexual commerce Will
: him had never proceeded from low o
. vulgar thoughts, either on her part o
: his, but from pure affection and relig
= ious love. She stated, furthermore
: that Mr.. Beecher habitually charac
9 terized their intimacy by the term,
" NEST. HIDING ~
, that he would suffer pain and sorrow
s il his hidden secret were ever mad
- known. She said that her mind wa
,. often burdened by deceit, necessar!
= for her to practice in order to proven