The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1875-02-09
THE BROOKLYN LAGOON.
TILToN ON THE STAND.


TILTON ON THE STAND.
yupeE NELSON'S DECISION HE PERMITS
Triton TO TEsTIFY-THE PLAINTIFF BEGINS
GIVING EvIDENCE-cOMPOsURE AMONG THE
INTERESTED. PARTIRs-THE OLD STORY RE-
TAILED AT LENGTH.
New YORK, Feb. 1.-The Brooklyn City
Court room was again crowded to-day at
the beginning of another week of the great
scandal trial. Mrs. Tilton, Mrs. Field, Mrs.
Shearman and two other ladies, Mr. Beecher,
with his wife and sons, occupied their &C.
eustOmed places. After the court bad been
called to order Judge Nelson gave his opin-
ION as to the right TO testify OF Tilton, In the
following words: "In determining the
question raised by this objection, the
court holds, first, that the plaintiff
Is competent TO be sworn, and 10
testify in his own behalf; second, that as to
abe principal question at issue, be is not
competent to testify as to any confidential
communication. 1t is considered that this
qualified direction respects the present state
of the law of evidence, and also respects
whatever may remain of the rule which i'm
poses silence or restraint by reason Of mari
tai relations, and on the grounds OF public
interest or policy" Theodore Tilton then
took the stand and was sworn, the defense
entering exceptions In answer to questions
by ex-Judge Fullerton, Mr. Tilton said: /
am 80 years of age. L was married on
Beecher. Ny wifs's age is about
81. 1 have four children. l have been
engaged in a literary profession. became
connected with the Independent in the
spring of 1856. / remained there under
Beecher, and, on his retiring in 1868 or 1864
became his successor. / held the position
of director under Beecher. In December,
1870, L owned the house In which lived.
With the library. valued 1t about S2o, CO.,
i owned share in the New York Tribune,
-. h. xrolrr cd or
1880, piece OF land in Prospect
Park, valued at $1,000. There was a
mortgage of s., 500 on my house. When
left the Independent, my property was
valued at about 1880, 900. had money out
at interest, deposited with Woodruff &
Robinson after January /, 1871. Seven
thousand dollars were obtained from Mr..
Bowen: s. 900 from my lecturing tour; 81 900
from my books; $1,000 from MouitoD, and
about s., 600 from subscribers to the Golden
Age. had no debts other than liens on
MY PROPERTY.
/ did not know the source from which the
money came which was given TO me by
Noulton. / did not know that it came from
Bsecher. On the 30th of December, 1870, 1
had an interview with Beecber. Mr.. Evarts
objected to the witness giving evidence in
relation to any statement made to the wit
ness by his wife. Judge Nelson ruled that
the witness could say what passed between
himself and Beecher, but not what his wife
had told him. The witness continued: Moul-
ton brought Beecher and retired. I did not
salute Beecher, nor be me. / crossed the
room and locked the door, went back and sat
opposite Beecher. began in this way. 1
think said: al presume you received from
Bowen letter demanding your retirement
from your pulpit and Brooklyn" He said:
SsI did, SIR" ] told him be need not fear
that letter. lie thanked me. i said he
need not do so, Elizabeth deserved his thanks
and not me. He said be understood
only in general terms and asked
me to tell him what Bowen had said. told
him it would be better to go TO Bowen him.
self. / told him Bowen had said that
Beecher was intimate with the members OF
his congregation for the past % years, that
lies and households, that he was wolf IN
she fold and should be exterminated, and
that Bowen had said that he bad il in his
power to drive Beecher out
told him that after 1 had this interview
with Bowen, 1 told my wife about it and
she was distress and reminded me Of what
said in the previous summer. / would not
recall my promise not to hurt Beecher, for il
he was driven from Brooklyn 1t would he her
shame and that of her children. Beecber
asked me what ! meant Dy her shame and
read to him
EILzABETH'S LETTER OF CONFESSION.
This confession was destroyed on this even-
ing. The witness was going on to relate the
contents of this letter of confession, but it
was objected to by Evsrts, and a long argu-
ment ensued over this point. The judge de-
cided that the contents of the letter should
be left out for the present. Tilton then tes-
tilted that Beecher attempted to speak, but
the witness said: "W&it, hear me through
and then speak," The witness said TO
Beecher that Mrs. Tilton had come unex-
pectedly and said to her husband that she
wanted to communicate a secret that had
long been on her mind, and that she
wanted to throw it off, that she had
been at the point several times, and once
particularly when she was on a sick bed.
Before telling the secret she extorted a
promise from her husband not to tell any
one, and not to ipjure the person concerned.
She said it was secret between herself and
her pastor. She said that for a long time a
friendship had existed between them, and
more than friendship. 1t had been sexual
intercourse. 1t began after the death OF
her son, Paul. She went to her pastors
house, and on the 10th of October,
1868, she surrendered her body to him
in sexual embrace. On the Saturday fol low
ing she repeated the act al the house of her
husband, and on several other occasions at
his house and at several other places. It
had occurred all through the fall. In the
month of July, 1870, she had written letter
to the witness, telling the witness of these
facts. She had been greatly distressed,
owing to the rumors of the condition Of
Beechers moral character. She wanted TO
demonstrate the honor and dignity Of
her sex, until he told her that her
love was innocent. She said 20 Tilton
that for long time Beecher's home bad not
been a happy one, that his wife bad not
ben a satisfactory one, and that he wanted
Elizabeth to be wife to him, but she al
ways refused. Bescher's solicitations to her
were oftentimes violent. She had gone
away from the witness in the spring, and
the witness wrote her q letter saying that
until she made full confession he would
neverlook upon her. He said that she had
come do wn from the country on purpose to