Ellsworth American., 1874-07-30
The BROOKLYN Scandal.

brought TO the attention of the public,
through the open and apparently boa4ti1l
efforts of Theodore TiilOn. From time TO
ame' he has thrown cut hints and intifna-
uons IA relation to Mr. Beecher. which
had the tendency In Keep alive the excite
ment and awaken the curiosity OF all who
had previously any knowledge oil tie mat
ter. AZ lat. ha has made his specific
charges, aud the whole community have
been treated dd 5tGusenBl for davs to every
statement and counter statement made,
10 gossip. fumor. tile talk ana surni>e
which fill the columns OF The Metropolitan
papers.
We give below an abstract of the
charges made by rilton. the preliminary
statement of Beechcr. aud ,he statement
OF Ms. Tilton. so that our readers may
Judge for themselves OF the character OF
The controversy and charges.
Committee OF Plymouth Church are
now investigating the whole matter. and il
l. hoped that they may soon make an end
Of their lAbors and report In manner
which will be satisfactory 10 the public
mind
CHARGES or THEODORE TuroS
Er,i, That on the n of October. 1875, at
, Plymouth church. BROOKLYN. a narriag. be-
tween Theodore rilton aud Elizabeth Il
richardson was performed by the Rev Heur,
ard Beecher, which marriage thirteen wears
ait"rward. WAS dl>hdnored sud violated hs
this cergs man through the seduction Of this
"A a. har k.sr. .ff.ar &
Second, hat for a period Of about lflecn
wears extending both before and afler thi. mar
mage an intimate frieudship existed between
lheodore Tilion and the key. Hurry AZ ard
snbsoldch has been kept Q, aDaesber Of Ii.
lriends 20 -. a crime Of uncommon wrong
fuln,,s and pcihdv.
Third, That shout wears ago the REV.
Henry Ward Beecber began AMI ths sreaft..r
continued friendship With Mr.. Elizabeth Il
Hilton. for whose native delicacy and pxtr,tn..
religious >en-ibiity he often expre<s sod 20 her
husband high admiration. Visiting her from
time 10 time Tor years Snih the ar ISso, wh,n
Tor reasons hereinafter stated. lac ceased u,,l
visits, during which period by many tokens
and attentions he won the affeetinuafe love ~
Mr.. 1iiton. and after hong moral r. .i.taas. bv
her anu alter repeated assaults by b m uts,n
her mind with overInastering Arguments. a.
eompli>hed the posse s>ion of her Person main
tanning with her henceforward duripy the
period hereinafter stated, the relation, called
criminal Intercourse this relation being re-
garled by her during thai period as not Grim
lnal or morally wrong such had been the BOW
er Of his argument ~ a clergyman 10 satisfy
her religious scruples against such yioiaiion Of
virtue and honor.
Fourth. That ON the evening Of Oct. 10. 1865,
or ihereabo0is, Mrs. Tilton held an interview
with Beecher at his residence, she being then
III tender state Of mind, owing 10 the recent
death and burial OF young child and during
ihi' interview an act OF criminal intimacy took
place between this Pastor and his parishioner:
tht motive on ber part being a. hereinfoF.
stated. not regarded by ber al the time criminal
or wrong. which act was followed by similar
act OF criminalify between these parties nj MIR
lllton's res denoe during a pastoral visit paid
by Becchcr 10 her ON the subsequent SATURDAY.
evening; followed also by other similar aci..
on various occasions, iron the autumn of the
Year lo6s TO the spring of les0 the place. being
the two residences Aforesaid. and ocea,io
other places TO which her Pastor would in, ite
and accompany her, or at which he would meet
her by previous appointment
These acts of wrong doing on her part from
hrst 10 last We're not wanton or consciously
wicked. but arising through a binding of her
moral perception oecasioned by the powerful
influence excited on her mind at that time 10
this end BY Rev. Henry Ward Beechf.r as her
trusted religious preceptor and guide This
charge goes on 10 say that Beecher's freqlieut
calls upon Mrs. Tilton during her hu, band,
absence al the West excited remark, and that
tEa~tu lbT ItfSlNiflr Ills ATTENTIONS De-
cause she had been distressed with ruiuoys A.
To his moral purity and wished 10 couyirlea lin,
that she could receive his kindness and yet in
sllre respect for ''the chaste dignity OF woman
hood That she. with Christian firInaess
resisted his amorons pleas often repe,t,rd nm
10 the Autumn Of 1865, writing to her husband
III February Of that year, as follows: +..
TO love l. pralsew worrhy, but 10 abuse the
glft Is sin. Here l am strong. No fascita-
tons could canse me TO- yield my womanhded.''
sefenihiy' llltoh says his suspicion were
aroused by an Improper caress given his wiis
/ by Beecher while seated on the floor of his
I library looking at pictures His wife fir,
denied the act and then said she had rpproye,l
Beecher for il. He says, on another occasion.
on returning home in the forenoon, he found
his wife's bed-chamber door locked. and. when
opened by Mrs. Tilton, Mr. Beecher was see,,
within. apparently confused. and with flushed
face. Mr.. Tilton afferward made a pIal,.i ibIe
explanation, which her husband accepted As
satisfactory. ri
Eighty, He says that. in the spring of the
year 1859, IN return from winters absence
he noticed such absorption of his wife's mind
on MI Beecher, that an estrangement with her
husband TOOK place, and that, after several
weeks IN the country, she voluntarily returned.
and. extoriing promise that no harm should
be done Mr.. Beeeher, she. on the evening Of
July .. Is. ~, made cireuInstantial conf.,s sion
OF The criminal facts before stated, with cita-
tons of Beecher's arguments TO overcome nor
seruples. She insisted that she had com r,r;.ts
no wrong TO her husband or marriage VOW
quoting her Pastors assurance that she WAS
spotess and ehaste, which she believed herself
to be.
Mr.. Beccher has made u preliminary state
ment, in which he says: 81 4.rf H-4
Il do not propose at this time to prepare an
examination Of the remarkable statements of
Mr.. Theodore Tilton, made before the com
mittee OF investigation and which appeared in
the Brooklyn Argus Of July 2Ist, IA. reco,-
nize the many reasons which make it of tran.
seendAnt Importance 10 my self, the church and
cause Of public morality that shall give a full
answer to the charges against me: but having
requested the committee of Investigation 10 !
search this matter to the bottom, it is to them
that i must look for my yindication, But
cannot delay for an hour TO defend the rersIta
ton Of Mrs. Elizabeth Il. TiitOn. upou whose 1
name, in connection with nine, her husband
has attempted TO pour shame. One less de-
serving such disgrace l never knew. From
childhood she has been under my eve and 4
since reaching womauhood she has had nv
sincere admiration and adection. IehaFsh for
her pure feeling, such as . gentleman might
bonorably offer 10 a christian woman, and
which she mi shf receive and reeiprocate with
out moral scruples. 9D nDfEd 8af hesosfi
reject with indignation any imputati0n
which reflects upon her honor or nv own
MY regard for Mrs Tilton was perfectly well
known to my family when serious difficulties
sprang up In her household. Il was 10 NV
wife tnat she res0rted to for counsel and both |
OF Us, acting from sympathy, and, Is it subse- |
quenty appeared, without full knowledge.
gave unadyised counsel which tended to harm |
have no doubt Mr.. TiltOn for,nd thaf M. /