Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1874-07-30
BEECHER-TILTON.
Ti,ton,. Statement of HI. Grievances


On the evening of the Goth Mr. Theo
! dore Triton submitted bis statement
to the committee OF Plymouth Church
appointed by Mr.. Beecher to investigate
| certain charges which had been made
/ against him, with which the names oil
/ Mr. Tilfon and his wife had been un-
! pleasantly connected notwithstanding
| the committee endeavored to suppress
| its publication, it appeared in print on
/ the afternoon of the 21st in an obscure
BROOKLYN paper, and all over the United
States on the morning of the 22d. The
| salient points of the statement are given
| below. Ii is proper TO add that the
| statement is sworn TO by the maker.
Mr.. Tilton prefaces his statement by
recital of the circumstances which called
| it forth. saying that "A grave offense had
| been committed by Mr. Beecher and duly
| apologized for and that all reference
| thereto would have been omitted were 1T
| not that Mr.. Beecher had chosen to put
| on before the public an afiectation OF
| ignorance and innocence concerning
| them. and had conspicuously appointed
| a committee of six Of the ablest men OF
| his church, together with two attorneys,
| To INQUIRE into what he led the public to
! believe was an unaccountable mystery,
| az If he had neither committed an otfense
nor made an apology, thus prompting the
public to infer that both were the fg-
| ments of his (Tilton's) Imagination and
| that he was under some frightful hallu-
ciuation. living in dream and forging a
fraud The responsibility of the grave
| disclosures he was about 10 make rested
| not with him, but firstly with Beecher,
who had prompted the investigation, and
| next with Mrs. T'ilton, who had joined
| him in conspiracy which could not fail
to be full of peril and wretchedness TO
many hearts.
| The statement commences as follows:
WHEREAS The Rev. Henry Ward Beecher
has instigated the appointment OF a commit
| tee consisting Of six members OF his ehurch
| and society," To inquire and report upon al
! legged aspersions upon his character by Iheo-
dorc Tilton; and :.
WHEREAS, Mrs. Elizabeth r. Tilton, wife Of
| Theodore Tilton has deserted her home in or
| der to cooperate with Bcecher in o coBspir-
| acy TO overthrow the credibility and good re-
| pute OF her late husband as a man and clti-
zen: therefore,
Theodore Triton, being thus authorized and
| required, and BY published demand made
upon him by the Rev. Henry Ward Beecher,
and being now and hereafter released by the
act Of Mrs Tilton from further responsibility
|
relations with Bcecher, therefore Theodore
| Titon hereby sets forth, under solemn oath,
| the following facts and testimony.
Here follow the specifications:
l. Setting forth the marriage OF Mr..
and Mrs. Tilton.
2. That for period of fifteen years
an intimate friendship existed between
| Mr.. Titon and Mr. Beecher which
| friendship was cemented to such de-
| gree that the subsequent dishonoring by
| Bcecher of his friends wife was crime
| of uncommon wrongfulness and perildy.
| g. That about nine years after, and be-
tween that time and 1870, Mr.. Beecher
| had won the affcctionate love OF Mrs
| 1ilton, and, after repeated assaults upon
| her mind with over-mastering argument,
had accomplished the possession OF her
person, and had maintained with her
| until the wear 1870 the relation called
criminal intercourse, "tlis relation being
regarded by her during that period as
not criminal or morally wrong, such had
| been the power of his arguments as a
clergyman TO satisfy her religious scru-
pies against such violation OF virtue and
honor"
Specifications a and detail the occa
sions and places when and where these
relations were exercised.
9. That Mrs Tilton, previous to 1868,
although knowing That remarks were
made derogatory TO Mr.. Beecher's per-
sonal purity, continued to receive his
kindly attentions, being convinced, as
she said, that she could inspire in him,
by her purity and fidelity, an increased
respect for the chaste dignity of woman
hood.
a
7. That the first suspicion which crossed
his mind that Beecher was abusing the
affection and reverence which Mrs. Til
ton bore her pastor was an improper
caress given in his library That Mrs.
Tilton confessed that Mr. Beecher had
done wrong and that she had reproved
him for his onense, whereat he (Tilton)
condoned the oflense. Another instance
of suspicious conduct he observed on an
unexpected return to his residence, which
was also explained by Mrs. Tilton and
forgiven by her husband.
8. That In the spring of 1870 Mrs. Til
ton confessed the relations that she had
been maintaining with Mr.. Beecher, and
that she felt justified before God in her
intimacy with him save the necessary
deceit which accompanied it, at which
she frequently suffered,
o. That after the above confession, feel
ing that she had been artfully misled
through religious reverence for Mr..
Beecher, and from desire to protect the
family from shame, he condoned the
wrong
10 Gives the details of the Bowen.
Tilton quarrel and the meeting with Mr..
Bcecher, with whom he had not spoken
since the confession referred to In the
9Th specification At that meeting the
confession of Mrs. Tilton reduced to
writing furnished to Beecher the first
knowledge which he had received that
Mrs. Tilton had made such confession.
At this interview between Beecher and
Tilton permission was sought by Beecher
to consult with Mrs Tilton on that same
evening. This permission being granted,
Beecher departed and in about half an
hour returned thither, expressing his re-
morse and shame and declaring that his
life and work seemed brought to a sud-
den end Later in the same evening,
Tilton, returning to his house, found his
wife weeping and in great distress,
saying that what she had meant
for peace had only giving pain and
anguish; that Beecher had just called
,, hnr danlar;nu that she had Slain