The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1874-07-22
The Sensation of the
Age!
TiltOn's Statement :!
A TERRIBLE INDICTMENT.
Beecher Accused of Seduc-
ton /!
TiltOn's Statement
A TERRIBLE INDICTMENT.
LETTERS OF REECHER AND
MRS. TILTON.

New YORK, July 21.-Mr. Tilton's state
ment before the Plymouth Church Committee
was made public to-day. Prefxed TO the
sworn statement is an explanation of the rea-
sons which oblige him to make the startling
revelations contained therein coupled with ex-
pressions of deep regret that circumstances COM
| pei the exposure. Then follows
Mr. TiItou's sworh Statement.
Whereas the Rev. Henry Ward Beecher has
instieated the appointment of committee CON
SsIing Of six members of his church and So
ciety to inquire and report upon alleged asper-
sons upon his character by 1heo1oie Tilton,
aud whereas Mrs Elizabeth Tilton, formerly
the wife of Mr.. Tilton, has openly deserted her
home in order to cooperate with Mr. Beecher
in conspiracy TO overthrow the cred blity aud
good repnte of her late husband as a man aud
citizen. therefore Theodore Tilton being thus
authorized and required and by the published
demand made upon him by the Rev. Henry
Ward Beecher, aud being now and hereafter
released by act of Mrs. Tilton from further
respons, lily for conceament of the truth
touching her relations with Mr.. Beecher, there
fore Theodore Titon hereby sets forth under
solemn Ca b the following facts and testimony:
First-That on the I'd of October, 1856 at
Plymouth Church, Brooklyn, marriage be-
tween Theodore Titon and Elizabeth M. Rich
ards was performed by the Rev. Henry Ward
Beecher, which maria re thirteen years after
wards was dishonOred and violated by this
clergyman through the criminal solution of
this wife and mother as hereinafter set forth
Second-That fof a period o: about fifteen
years extending both before and after this mar
rage an intimate friendship existed between
Theodore TIlton and the Rev. Henry Ward
Beecher, which friendship was cemented to
such degree that in consequence thereof, the
subsequent dishonoring by Beecher of his
friends wife was crime of uncommon wrong
fulluess aud perfidy.
Thrd-That about nine years ago the Rev.
Henry Ward Beecherkbegan and thereafter con
tinued a friendship with Mrs. Elizaneth r.
Tiiton for whose native delicacy and extreme
religious sensibilty he often expressed to her
husband high admiration, visiting her from
time TO time for years until the year 1870 when,
for reasons hereinafter stated, he ceased such
visits, during which period by many tokens
and attentions he won the affectionate love of
Mrs. TitOn, who after long moral resistance by
her and after repeated assaults by him upon her
mind Nth overmastering arguments accom-
plished the possession of her person, m aintain
ing with her thenceforward during the period
hereinafter stated the relation called criminal
Intercourse, this relation being regarded by her
during that perol as not criminal morally
wrong, such had been the po yer of his argu
ments as clergyman to satisfy her religious
scrupeS against such violation of vi. tue and
honor.
Fourtb-That on the evening of Oct. 10TH
1868, o. tbereabouts, Mrs. Elizabeth r. Tiltou
held an interview with Rev. Henry Ward
Beecber at his re idenct, she being then in d
tender state of mind, owing to the receu deaf,
and burial of young child, and during this
interview an act of criminal commerce tool
place be ween this pastor and his parishioner,
the motive on her part being as hereinhefore
stated not regarded by her at the time criminal
or wrong; which act was followed by similar
act of crlmluality between these same parties
at Mr.. Tlton's residence, during q past, raj
visit paid by MI Bee her to Der on the subse
9ueut Saturday evening; followed also BY other
similar acts on various occasions from the au
tumn of 1868 to the spring Of 1870. the places
being the two residences aforesaid and occa-
slonally other pla' es to which her pastor would
invite and accompany her, or at which he
would meet her by previous appointment; these
acts of wrong doing on her part from first to
last not wanIon or consciously wicked but arts
ing through a bnding of her moral perceptions
occasioued by the powerful influence excited
IN her by Rev Henry Ward Beecher as her
trusted religious preceptor and guide.
Fifth-That the pastoral visits made by the
Rev. Henry Ward Beecher 10 Mrs. Titon dur
ing the year 1865 became so frequent as t, ex
cite comments, being in marked contrast with
his known habit of making few pastoral calls
ON his Pensioners, which frequency, in Mrs
Tiitou's case. as shown in letters written to her
husband duriug his absence in the West, the
etteIs giving evidence that during the period
of five or SIX weeks twelve different pastoral
calls on Mrs. Tilton were made bv Rev. Henry
Ward Beecber, which calls became notlcaby
lnfreque on Mr. Til'ons return to his home
Sixth-That previous TO the aforesaid erinii-
nal intimacy, one of the reasons which Mrs
Tiltou alleged for her exceptional attentions
from the Rev Henry Ward Beecher was the
fact that she had been much distressed with
he rumors against his mora pu ity and wished
to convince him that she could receive his kind
ness and ye resist his solicitations, and that
she could inspire in HIM by her purity and fl
deity an ncrea ed respect fol- the chaste dig
nifty of manhood. Previous to the autumn Of
1868 she maintained with Christian trmuess
towards her pastor this position of resistance
always refusing his amorous pleas which We're
strong and oft repeated, am in letter TO her
husband dated Feb Sd, 1868, she wrote as fol
lows: ITO love is praiseworthy, but to 1use
the gift is sin. Here am strong No demon
stratioDs or destinations could cause me to
yield my womaubood."
Seventh-Thatt he first suspicion that crossed
the mind OF Theodore Elton that Rev. Henry
Ward Beecher was abusing or might abuse the
affection and reverence which Mrs. Tilton bore
towards her pastor was an improper .careSS
given by Mr.. Beecher to Mrs. Ilton by the
former while seated by her side on the floor of
his library overlooking engravnos. MIR TIL
ton, few hours afterwards, asked of his wife
an expla OF her permission of such
liberty whereat she at first den ed the fact, but
then confessed it and said tn 1T she had spoken
chidiDglg to Mr.. Beecher concerning it. On
mother occasion, Mr. Tilton, after leaving his
house in early morning, returned to it in the
forenoon, and on going to his bed chamber
found the door locked and when on KNOCKING
the door was opened by Mrs Tilton Mr.
Beecher was seen within apparently much con-
fused, and exhibiting flushed face. Mrs
Tilton afterwards made plausible expIana
ton, which from the confidence reposed in her
by her husband was deemed 10y him satsfac-
tory.
Eighth-That in the spring of 1870, on Mr..
TIlton's return from winters absence, he no.
ticed il his wife such evidences of the absorp-
ton of her mind on Mr. Beecher that in short
time an arrangement took place between her
husband and herself, IL consequence of which
she went into the country earlier than usual
for a summer soiourn. After an absence of
several weeks she voluntarily returned to her
home IN Brooklyn. On the eve of July Sd,
1870, When, and then and there within a few
hours after her arrival and after exacting from
her husband a solemn promise that he would
do the Rev. Henry Ward Beecher harm nor
communica'e to him what she was about to
say, she made clrcumstantlal confession to
her husband of the criminal facts herein be-
fore stated, accompanied with citations from
Mr.. Beecher's arguments aud reasonings with
her to overcome her long maintained scrupes
against yielding to his desires, and declaring
that she had committed no wrong to her hus
band or marriage VOW, quoting in support of
ths opinion that her pastor had repeatedly as
sure her that she was spotless and chaste
which she believed herself to be. She further
stated that her sexual commerce with him had
never proceeded from low or vulgar thoughts
either on her part or his but always for pure
affection and high religious love- She stated,
furthermore, that Mr.. Beecher habitualy
characterized their intimacy by the term "nest
hidiug'' and he would suffer pain aud sorrow
if his hidden secret were ever made known
She said that her mind was often burdened by
the deceit necessary for her to practice in order
to prevent discovery, and that her conscience
had many times impelled her to throw off this
burden of enforced fasehood by making full
confession to her husband so that she wou
no longer be living before him perpetual liar
In particular she said that she had been on the
point of makiog the confession a few months
previously during a severe illness, and she
feared she might die. She affirmed also that
Mr. Beecher had assured Der repeatedly that
he loved her better than he had ever loved
woman, and she felt justified before God in her
intimacy with him, save the necessary deceit
which accom- aned it at which she frequently
Suffered in Der mind
NInth-Tha at after the above named comics,
sion of Mrs. Elizabeth r. Tilton, she returned
TO the country to await snch action by her hus-
band he might SEE fit to take, whereupon,
after many co.'s derations the chief of which
was that she had not voluntarily gone astray,
bit had been artfully MISSED through religious
reverence for the Rev Henry " ard Bpechar az