Knoxville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1875, 1874-07-22
THE BEECHER SCANDAL.
The Facs About Beecher aud Mrs
TiltOn.
Mr.. Triton SIN Raves and Promises 10
convict Beecher-Mr. MoultOn. - N n.
tuRI Friend, Makes "a Statement.

tuaI Friend, Makes IA Statement.
NEW YORK, July l2.--Theodore
Tiltun Is now considered to be in "a
state of semi-lunacy. Mrs. Tilton has
appeared before the investigating com
mittee, and denied in the most posi-
tive manner that there ever was the
slightest improperly in the conduct of
Mr. Beecher toward Der. The reason
assigned by Mrs. Tilton for the strange
conduct of her husband is that when
his intimacy with Mrs. Woodruff was
at It's height she called upon Mr..
Beecher, as her pastor, and asked him
for his advice. Her feelings had been
rribly outraged in consequence OF her
husband running after strange women,
and publicly announcing that he had
become convert to the doctrine of free
love. 1t was at that time Mrs. Titon
asked Mr.. Beecher for his advice, and,
according to her statement, lie advised
her to leave her husband. With
The Lapse OF time r. IT'S free love
fever cooled, and he learned of
the advice Mr.. Beecher had
given to his wife, and to that circum-
stance all the present trouble aud mys-
| terry are due. Mrs. Tilton is unable to
assign any other reason for her hus-
| bonds conduct, as she denies ever hav
/ ing told any thing which would lead
| him or anybody else to suppose that
| Mr.. Beecher had treated, or attempted
to treat her, improperly.
| Theodore Tilton was invited to meet
| the committee on Saturday evening,
| for the purpose of telling his side of the
story Many of Mr.. Tilton's friends and
acquaintauces are of the opinion that
/ ever since becoming acquainted with,
and interested in, Mrs. Woodruff aud
other persons of a like character his
mind has been in very unsettled con-
| dition, and insanity said to be heredi-
tary in his family, is gradually
developing itself. They are confident
that he will utteraly break down
should he ever appear before the com~
/ mittee, and as proof that insanity Is
| hereditary in the Tilton family, it is
alleged that Theodore's brother was
| for long time an inmate of the Kings
| County Lunatic Asylum at Flatbush.
Special Dispatch to Washington
! Chronicle.
New YORK, July 13.-Mr Beecher's
/ letter to the committee of six church
| members. requesting them to inyesti-
/ gate his character as against Mr.. Til
/ toms allusion to an oflense and apology
| in his Bacon letter, has ELECTED the fol-
| lowing reply by Mr.. Tilton. 1t is ad-
! dressed, as Mr.. Beecher's was, to the
| committee
BRooKLYN, July 10, 1874.
! To the Investigating Committee
! GENTLEMEN-Wh on Friday last
| met you at your invitation, the ap-
! pointment of your committee had not
then been made known to the public.
| You sat in private capacity. More
over, one of your legal advisers had
previously given me a hope that if on
my appearance before you would pre-.
serve a judicious reticence concerning
the worst aspects of the case, / might
thereby facilitate through you such q
presentation of Mr.. Beecher's offense
and apology as would close rather than
prOlong the existing scandal. [ re,
jOiced IN this hope, and promptly re-
ciprocated the kindly feeling which
was reported to me as shared by you
all toward myself and family.
Accordingly, when l met you in
conference, my brief statement was il
substance the two following points:
First-That my letter to DIR. Bacon
was written, not as an act of aggres
sion, but of self-defense, arising, a.
therein set forth, from great and griev
Gus provocation by your pas.
tor, your church, the Brook.
Ign Council, and the eX-mOdera
tors criticisms on my supposed con
duct, all uniting to defame me befor
the world, and to in1lict upon me al
unjust punishment for acts done b,
another.
SecOnd-That, having 10y that lette
defended myself so far as | though
the occasion required me to carry m,
reply, | felt unwilling to proceed fur
r ther against Mr.. Beecher without fur
: ther public provOcation or other ne
5 cessity.
: Such necessity is now laid upon m
! by Mr.. Beecher himself in the publ
! cation of direct request by him to you
e to inquire officially INTO his characte
3 as affected by his offense and the apol
: Ogy to which referred. He thus off4r
i TO me direct challenge, not only :befor
= your committee, but before the public
= which l hereby accept.
- l therefore give you notice that
/ shall prepare full and detailed state
r ment, in accordance with the terms q
J, your committees invitation to me t
q furnish such facts as are within m
knowledge touching the matter whlc
e compromises the character Of the Rev
3 Henry Ward Beecher. | shall b
ready to lay this before you within
week or ten days, or as soon thereafte
as / shall find myself able to set tn
. numerous facts and evidences in sue
y strict array as that | can cover theI
:, each and all with my oath to thei
. exact truth, sworn to before magi'
n trate.
y await the appointment by you {
,, a day mutually convenient for m
~. presentation of this statement in pc
- son before your committee. Mean
- while / shall make public my preser
u note 10 you, because Mr.. Beecher
~ letter. to which this is a preliminar
~ response, has been made public +
" him. With great respect ! am trul
!. yours, THEODORE TGLTON.
l. Mrs. Triton Goes Before the COmmitt'
n and AbRndOns her Husbands Home
e, NEW York, July l4.-Mr. Franc
81 ID. MOultOn, Of Brooklyn, the frieI
ID and cOnfidant of both Mr.. Beecher al
~ Mr. WiltOu i'm res Ouse to the inVitl