The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1874-09-26


Beecher, Mrs. Tilton and Mrs,
Morse, aud the Report of Ply
mouth Church Committee Re.
viewed.
Theodore Tilton's statement in reply
to the denial of his charges by Henry
Ward Beecher and Mrs. 1ilton, their
stateme ITS before the Plymouth Church
committee, and that committees find.
ings upon the evidence submitted to it,
is too long document to be reproduced
in these columns, but in Difference to
the general interest in its subject mat.
ter We summarize its points as follows
The statement attempts to follow the
chronological order of events and is di'
vidcd into sections, of which the first
and second are devoted to showing by
letters and other documentary evidence
that up to July Sd, 1870, the time Of
Mrs. Tilton's alleged confession of adul.
terry with Beecher. there had been a
continuous and warm friendship be.
tween Tilton and Beecher and Mr.. and
Mrs. Tilton had been a loving and happy
couple. This impeaches the evidence
and theory that Tilton entertained en-
vious and vindictive feelings towards
Beecher, and that he was cruel and un-
loving towards his wife.
The third section details the occa-
sion and substance Of Mrs. Tilton's
confession to her husband, and relates
that she fixed the date of her first act
of adultery by memorandum in her
diary. This confession was full and
free, made voluntarily and when she
was in good heath, solely because her
reproached her with the de-
ceit. A letter is produced from Susan
B. Anthony which appears to confirm
the former statement that Mrs. Tilton
also made confession to her. That
Beccher seduccd Mrs. Tilton and she
did not tender her love unsought is ar
gued from the expressions Of their Cur
respondcnce, his frequent gifts to her
AID the admissions Of the parties then
and since.
The fourth section introduces Mrs.
Morse, the mother-in-law, as learning
of her daughters crime and henceforth
plotting against Tilton. A letter from
Mrs. Tilton to her husband and to her
mother is produced, showing both that
the mother knew her daughters secret
and that she had led the daughter to
believe that her husband was going
wild over it.
Section five, by ber letters, exhibits
a change in Mrs. Tilton's tone Of mind,
corresponding to the time of her con-
fession and confirmatory of the state.
ment that she did so confess.
Through the three succeeding Sec
tions tho Bowen affair is taken up and
it's connection with Tilton and Beecher's s
affairs explained. This led to the in
terview at Moulton's house in which
Tilton first told Beechcr of Mrs. Til.
toms confession.
In the next two sections it is shown
by the records of Plymouth Church
itself that as early as October, 1873,
Tlton had, to Mrs. Bradshaw, accused
Beechcr Of adultery with Mrs. Tilton.
This disproves Bccchcr's statement and
the committee theory that the origi-
nal charge was only improper solicita-
tiOn.''
Through sections eleven and twelve
Tilton, denying that he entertained un-
usual or free love notions concerning
marriage, and citing Beecher's part
in the Mcfarland Richardson affair,
for which Beechcr was publicly censur-
ed by Mr.. Bartlett, now his attorney,
while he, Tilton, was for the first time
accused Of loose notions because he de-
Tended Richardson, he proceeds to cx-
plain his support of Victoria Woodruff
as prompted and urged by Becchcr, to
prevent her exposure of Beecher.
The thirteenth section tells in detail
how Beechcr repeatedly and particular
ly acknowledged his adultery with Mrs.
Tifton and of his appeals to Tilton's
sympathy by exhibitions of rcmorse,
profound detection and heart-breaks,
which Tilton suspected were feigned
but Moulton believed were genuine. II
close this scction," says Ti1ton, ''by dc.
claring, with solemn sense Of the
meaning of my words, that Mr.. Beech
cr's recent denial under oath
that he committed adultery with
Mrs. Tilton, is known tc
him, to her, to Mr.. Moulton, to me,
and to several other persons, to be an
act of perjury
in section fourteen, after taking uI
Beccher's comparison in which hi
speaks of his own home as if he hac
never complained of it. and relating
how Beechcr frequently and always
and his relatives sometimes, complained
of Mrs. Beechcr, Tilton then takes ul
the charge of blackmail. To prepare
for that charge he says, Beccher mis-
represented his circum stances, Mrs
Tilton was persuaded to testify tt
want at home, and yet Mr.. Beeche,
knew (tecause he was Informed by ont
of the custodians Of the money, at thu
time when Mrs. Morse wrote to hin
that Tilton could not pay
his debts, that at thai
very time-the winter O.
1870-71,-Tilton had several; thou
sands in cash on deposit in New York
and owed no debts. Again, Mr.. Beech
er's statement represents Tilten as hav
ing ill-success in the lecture field tn,
succeeding winter, yet a note is pro
dxccd from the Vice President of thu
Library Bureau, to the effect that Til
ton filled more lecture engagement:
than any but one of the one hundred
lecturers on the list. A note from Mrs
Tilton is also produced showing his sue
cess that winter. As to his usins
Beecher to extort So 200 from Bowen
he shows by his contract with Bowe,
that he was clearly entitled to tha
sum, when Bowen broke the contract
He shows further, by notes from hi