Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1874-08-29

signed by Mr.. Beecher, and dated January l.,
1871. This alleged letter, the whole of which
appears in Mr.. Tilton's subsequent statement
before the committee, has come to be known
as the letter of apology. When this commit
tee commenced its lab0rs there was therefore
no allegations before them except such vague
| allusion to an offense of some sort said to
have been committed by Mr.. Beecher against
Mr.. Tilton, and for which according to the
same authority he had apologized. 1t will be
seen that the question before the committee
then was what, if any, offence had Mr.. Beech
er committed against Mr.. Tilton?
Fifth. At an early period Of the inver,iga-
ton, Mr.. Tilton was called before the COM
mittee and made an extended written state
ment, and in sense, specific charges, which
showed that the offence referred to in the
Bacon letter, so called, was, as Mr.. Tilton
now alleges, adultery with his wife, Mrs.
Elizabeth r. Tilton. BY this statement, so
made by Mr. Tilton, the field of enquiry was
somewhat enlarged by the alleged facts, let
tiers and circumstances therein set forth. 1t
is proper in this connection to state that the
offences as alleged by Mr.. Tilton during some
four years, and until recently, to numerous
persons in writing and outherwise,was an i'm
proper suggestion or salientation by Mr..
Beecher to Mrs. Tilton. But as time passed
and purposes matured this charge passed into
| another form and substance
The offence committed by Mr.. Beecher, as
now alleged by Mr.. Tilton, is stated substan-
TALLY in the Sd and 4th subdivision of his
| statement before the committee. The charge
in effect is that Mr.. Beecher at his residence,
on the evening of October l0th, 1868, or
whereabouts, committed adultery with Eliza
beth r. Tilton, wife of Theodore Triton; that
this act was followed by similar act of
l0ri y,f 20, hot.
Tilton's residence on the subsequent Saturday
morning, followed also by other similsr acts on
various occasions, from the autumn of 1868
to the spring of lS70-the place being the
two residences aforesaid, and occasionally at
other places tie which her pastor would invite
and accompany her, or at which he would
meet her by previous appointment.
The remainder of Mr.. Tiltons extended
statement is made up of citations of alleged
facts and circumstances which he seems to
consider relevant and important as evidence
sustaining his charges as above stated.
The committee have given the evidence
their most careful consideration and find
therefrom that in 1862 Mr.. Beecher became
editor and Mr.. Tilton assistant editor of the
Independent, and that during this relation
they became warm and intimate friends. On
or about 1868 Mr.. Titon began to urge Mr..
L J
became more intimately acquainted with Mr.
Tilton's family. He urged him to do much of
his editorial writing at his study, as it was
more convenient to write there than at the Of
flee of the Independent. Mr.. Beecher visit
| ed his house and friendly relation sprang up
between the wife and family of Mr.. Tilton
and Mr.. Beecher, which continued down to
December in 1870. That the friendly rela-
tons existing between Mr.. Bcecher and Mrs.
Tilton were always well known and under
stood, and met with Mr.. Tilton's cordial ap-
proval.
Some years before any open trouble ap-
peared between Mr.. Beecher and Mr.. Tilton,
he CTilton's) doctrines as set forth in the In
dependent, of which he had become editor.
aroused a storm of indignation and opposition
in the west where this paper was widely cir
culated. After much discussion this led to
the starting of the Advance newspaper in Chi
cago, to supersede the Independent. Mr..
Tilton while editor Of the Independent, a
leading religious newspaper, had come to de-
ny the inspiration of the Scriptures and the
divinity of Christ. His social views about
that lime also underwent radical change in
the direction of free love. This marked
change in the religious and social views of
Mr.. Titon was source of great grief and
sorrow to Mrs. Tilton. Mrs. Tilton seemed
to be Every religious woman, amounting
almost to enthusiasm, and when this change
occurred in her husband she naturally sought
her pastor for counsel and sympathy. She set
forth in strong terms the suffering her hus-
bands course was causing her.
1t now appears that during these years Mrs.
Tilton became strongly attached to Mr..
Beecher, and in July 1870, confessed to her
husband an overshadowing affection for her
| IN hon tha ,ofn ,bor
Mrs. Tilton separated from her husband,
going with her children to her mothers house.
She sent for Mr.. Beecher. and on his visiting
her she made statement to him of her suf
ferings and the abuse which she had received
at the hands of her husband, which greatly
shocked Mr.. Beecher. He asked and received
permission to send Mrs. Titon his wife,
whose judgment in such matters he considered
better than his own. Subsequently he agreed
in advising with his wife that it was desirable
that Mrs Tilton should separate from her
husband. Mr.. Tilton, however, subsequently
forced his wife to return to his house by send
ing for and obtaining possession of his young
est child, who was sick with the Group.
During Mrs. Tilton's temporary absence
from her mothers home, she suffered mis-
carriage, the next day after her return on the
24th, which resulted in serious illness, con-
>
physicians being in daily attendance on her
from the 9th to the 30th of December inclu-
sive. Early in December of this year, owing
TO the marked change in Mr.. Tiltons relig-
ious and social views, Mr.. Bowen felt con-
strained to give him notice that his services
as editor of the Independent would terminate
on the day named in the notice. Subsequent
ly to the notice, or about the Both of Decem
Der, Mr.. Bowen had entered into a contract
with Mr.. Tilton, by which he was to be edi-
tor of the Brooklyn Daily Union, and chief
contributor of the Independent for five years.
But within few days after making this con-
tract, Mr.. Bowen received such information
of Mr.. Tilton's immortality as to alarm him,
and led to an invervew between himself,
Tilton and Oliver Johnson, at the house Of
Bowen, on the Goth day of December, 1870.
At this interview Mr.. Tilton sought to retain
his place and Bowens confidence by offering
to join Bowen in an attack on Mr.. Beecher.
This interview resulted in the insolent letter
which Tilton wrote and signed, on the 9th
of December, demanding that Mr.. Beecher
leave Plymouth pulpit and Brooklyn. That
evening, Mr.. Bowen, on his way home, de-
livered this letter to Mr. Beecher Beecher,
on reading it, expressed his astonishment at
| ~, raoaint of suoh lottar op5 dapoupra1 IL q