Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1874-07-29
TILTON -BEECHER SCANDAL.
TiltOn's Statement to the In
vestigating Committee.
He Charges CrlminaIity Be-
tween Beecher and
Mrs. TiIt0n.
The Alleged Confession of the
Crime by the Parties.
A Long Array Of Letters and
Documents.
Beecher Unqualifiedly Denies Til
TOMS Statement.
A Detailed Answer to all the Charges
to be Made in Few Days.
Mrs, Tilton Makes a Statement Un-
equivocally and Positively
Denying That Of Her
Husband.
Beecher Unqualifedly Denies Til
TOMS Statement.
A Detailed Answer to all the Charges
to be Made in a Few Days.

4AuSuC
Gentlemen of the Committee: On commune
eating to you the detailed. statement of facts
of evidence. which you have been several
days expecting at my hands, let me remind
you of the circumstances which cali this state
ment forth.
In my recent letter to Dr.. Bacon I alluded
to an offense and an apology by Rev Henry
Ward Beecher. To whomsoever else this allu-
sion seemed indefinite, to Mr.. Beecher it was
plain. The offense was committed by hlrn.
The apology was made by him. Both the acts
were his own, and were among the most mo-
mentous occurrences of his life. OF all the
men III Plymouth Church, or in the world,
Rev. Henry Ward Beecher was the one man
who was best informed concerning this Of
Tense and apology, ana the one man who least
needed to inquire into either. Nevertheless,
while possessing perfect knowledge OF both
these acts done by himself. he has chosen
to put on a public affectation OF ignorance
and innocence concerning them, and has
consciously appointed a committee Of
six OF the ablest men of his church,
together with two attorneys. to inquire into
what he leaves you to regard as the unac
countable mystery of this offense and apology.
as ifhe had neither committed the one nor
offended the other, but as If both were mere
Pigments of another mans imagination, thus
adroitly prompting the public to draw the de-
lucination or delusion, a living fraud. Fur
thermore, in order to cast over this explaDa-
tion the delicate glamour which always lends
charm to the defense OF wOman's honor.
Mrs. Elizabeth R. Tilton, lately my wife, has
been prompted away from her home to reside
among Mr.. Beecher's friends, and to co-ope-
rate with him in his ostensbly honest and
laudable inquiry into the facts concerning
which she too, as we'll as he, has for years
past had perfect and equal knowledge with
himself.
This investigation, therefore, has been pub
licly pressed upon me by Mr.. Beecher, Sec
onded by Mrs. TIlton, both of whom, IL SO
doing, have united IN assuming before tbs
public the non-eXlstence OF the grave and
solemn facts into which they have conspired
to investigate, for the purpose not of elicit
ing. but of denying the truth. This joint as
sumption by them, which has seemed to your
committee to be in good faith, has naturally
led you into an examination, in which YOU eX-
pect to find on their part nothing but lnno-
cenee, and on my part nothing but SANDER.
1t is now my unhappy duty, from which I
have in vain hitherto sought earnestly to be
delivered, to give you the facts and evidences
for reversing your opinion on this subject. In
doing this painful l may say heart-rendlng
duty, the responsibility for making the grave
disclosures which I am about to lay before
you belongs not to me, but first to Mr..
Beecher, who has prompted you to this exam
ination, and next to Mrs. TiltOn. who has
joined him in a conspiracy which cannot fail
to be full Of peril and wretchedness to many
hearts.
call you to witness that in my FIRST brief
examination before your committee, begged
andi mplored you not to inquire into the facts
of this case, but rather seek to bury them be-
yond all possible revelation. Happy for all
concerned had this entreaty been needed. It
is now too late. The last opportunity for
reconciliation and settlement has passed.
This investigation, undertaken by you in ig-
norance of the dangers against which Mr..
Beecher should have warned you in advance,
will shortly prove itself, to your surprise, to
have been an act Of wanton and wicked folly,
for which Rev. Henry Ward Beecher, as its
originator and public sponsor, will hereafter
find no space Tor repentance, ''tholgh he
seek it with tears" This desperate man must
hold himself only, and not me, accountable
for the Indebtedness which these disclosures
will carry to his own home and hearth, as
they have already brought to mine. I will
add that the original documents referred to in
the ensuing statement are for the most part
IN my possession, but that apology and few
other papers are IN the hands Of Francis D.
Iculton. Truly yours,
(Signed) THEODORE TILrsN.
TILToN's SWORN STATEMENT.
WHEREAS, The Rev. Henry Ward Beecher
has instigated the appointment of a commit
tee consisting of six members of his church
and society to inquire and report upon alleg-
ed aspersions upon his character by Theodore
Tilton and,
WHEREAS. Mrs. Elizabeth S. Tilton, wife of
Theodore TiltoD, has deserted her home in
order to cooperate with Mr.. Beecher in a
conspiracy to overthrow the credlbility and
good repute of her late husband as man and
a citizen
Therefore, Theodore Tilton, being thus au-
thorized and required, by published demand
made upon him by Rev. Henry Ward Beecher,
and being now and hereafter released by act
of Mrs. Tilton from further responsibility for
the concealment of the truth touching her
relations with Mr.. Beecher; therefore, Theo-
dore 1ilton hereby sets forth, under solemn
oath. the following facts and testimony:
l. That on the I'd day OF October, 1865, at
Plymouth Church, Brooklyn, marriage be-
tween Theodore Iilton and Elizabeth NJ.
Richards was performed by Rev. H. w. Beech
er, which marriage, thirteen years after
wards, was dishonored and violated by this
clergyman through criminal seduction of this
wife and mother as hereinafter set forth.
z. That for the period Of about fifteen years,
extending both before and after TINS mar
rage, an intimate friendship existed between
Theodore Triton and Rev. Henry Ward Beech
er, winch friendship was cemented to such
degree that IN consequence thereof, the sub
sequent dishonoring by Mr.. Beecher OF his
friends wife was crime of uncommon wrong
fulness and perfdy.
3. That about nine years ago Rev. Henry
Ward Beecner began, and thereafter con-
tinued, friendship for Mrs. Elizabeth r.
Tilton, for whose native delicacy and extreme
religious sensibility he often expressed to her
husband high admiration visiting her from
time to time for years, until the year $780,