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

diabolical teachings of these latter
days, his frequent efforts to prove me
insane, of weak mind, insignificant
and mean presence, all rank in the cate
CORY of heartlessnees, selishness and
falsehood, having its climax in his pre-
sent endeavor to convince the world
that am or ever have been unable to
distinguish between all innocent and
guilty love.
Her Declaration of Innocence.
In summing up the whole matter,
Mrs. Tilton SAYS: 81 affirm myself
before God to be innocence of the
crime laid upon me. That | never
have been guilty of adultery with
Henry Ward Beecher in thought or
deed, nor has he ever offered to me an
indecorous or improper proposal.
To the further charge that | was led
away from my home by Mr.. Beecher's
friends and by the advice of lawyer
whom Mr.. Beecher had sent to me,
and who in advance of my appearing
before the committee, arranged with
me the questions and answers which
are to constitute my testimony on Mr..
Beecher's behalf, | answer that this
is again untrue, having never seen the
lawyer until introduced to him few
moments before the arrival of the
committee, by my step father, Judge
Morse. She says she saw well nigh
with binding eyes, that Tilton had
put into execution, the almost daily
threat of his life that he lived to crush
out Mr.. Beecher; that the God of battles
was i'll him that he had always been
Mr.. Beecher's superior, and all that
lay in bis path, wife, children, or
reputation, If need be, should fall be-
fore this purpose"
The Free Love Apostle Opens Her
Mouth.
New YORK, July 24-Victoria
Woodruff is here. She declares that
the statement attributed to her in re-
gard to her relation with Theodore
Tilton, is absolutely without founda-
ton. She says she will reserve what
she has to say on the Beecher>Tilton
matter till both parties have exhausted
themselves.
What Tilton Said on Cross Exam
nation.
New YORK, July 27.--The follow
ing is portion of the Tilton cross ex.
animation before the Beecher investi-
eating Committee:
Question-Have you not frequently
asserted the purity of your wife.
t Answer-No, / have always had a
strong technical use of words. l have
always used words that conveyed that
i'm preston. / have taken pains to say
that she was a delicate Christian wo-
man. That necessarily carried the
other, as he took it. l do not think it
carried the whole, / have said that
Elizabeth was tender, delicate, kind
ly Christian woman, which | think
she is.
Q.-Have you not stated that she
was as pure as an angel?
A.-No, l have not sought to give
Elizabeth a good character. / have
always wanted to do so. think she
deserves good character. think she
is better than most Of us, better than j
am. l do not believe in point ofactual
moral goodness, barring some draw
backs, that there is in this Committee
50 white soul as Elizabeth Tilton.
, To the question as to his wife's devo-
ton and purity of life, witness said
she was pure, unless technical mean
ing was applied to the word purity.
She sought consolation of her pastor
and he took advantage of her ortho~
dOX views to make the net and mesh
,
which witness held him in contempt,
which no other English words could
, describe.
Q.-You say year after what you state
as Mrs. Tilton's confession, she insist
, ed she had not violated her marriage
, vows?
Ayes, Elizabeth was in sort of
vapOrous mood she was between light
and dark; she could not see it was
wrong. She mentioned it to her mother
! in mypresence-that she had not done
, wrong. She can not bear to do wrong.
/ A sense of having q ne wrong is
enough to crush be- She naturally
seeks for her own peace aconscientious
] verdict. She never would have had
r these relations If she had supposed at
) the time they were wrong. Elizabeth
? never does anything that at the time
+ seems wrong. For such a large moral
nature there is lack of certain balance
and equipoise. She has not will that
guides and restraints; but Elizabeth
never does at any time that which
: does not have the stamp of her con.
science at the time upon it,
3 Q.-Do you say that she did or did
not insist that she had violated her
marriage vows?
A.-She always was saying that II
never seemed to her wrong, and she
: said: Theodore, l do not see that
, have now wronged you"
Tilton described ia detail the inn
proper caress which occurred in the
: parlor while looking over engravings,
J saying that Beecher touched silly Mrs.
TiltOn's lower limbs. He said of the
bedroom scene that he went to .he
, room door Elizabeth came and she
was surprised that the door was locked
! she was surprised at finding me Mr.,
+ Beecher was sitting in red plush
: rocking chair with his vest unbutton.
ed his face colored like a rose, when
saw him.
Q.-Was the explanation satisfactory
; to you on that occasion 90 NH.I..ln
A.-Entirely so. / should have
3 thought nothing of 1t had | not won.
! dered at the door being locked. a,1ag
7 Q.-What was the explanation given
J which you found satisfactory /?
A.-The annoyance Of the children,
3 My wife said 4: !" Ours and the neigh.
I IL i Il