The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1875-03-24
THE SCANDAL.
Couttuuntiou Of Bessie Turner's Cross.
Examination

i time he made charges, The first time Mrs.
| Tilton LETT the house was on account of these
l after our return from Marietta. / had not at
| that time heard of the trouble with MIR. Bowen,
l but could not swear to this. ] could not say
| if L was asked that question before the commit
tee.
| Mr.. Fullerton read that question from the
book containing the witness testimony, in
| eyes"
Witness continued-If said that, then. it
| must be so. left KeypOrt on account OF
was accused of telling falsehoods while was
/ there. did not threaten to make myself SICK
1 remember little Paurs death. think it was
i after a months sickness. l do not remember II
Mrs. Tton went away after Paurs death 9nd i
i think Mr.. Til;on went to my room in 1868. IL
| was after Paul's death. remember the occa-
sion of Mr.. Tilton's conversation with his wife,
in which he said, ''You have brought this CIR.
on to use against me. These were the exact
| words L could net say if told this to the
committee.
The witness was handed a volume containing
her testimony before that body, and asked If
| on that occasion she used these words,
Witness repliedTThis is not the expression
| used on that occasion, but told the committee
| of it as it was in my mind then. I may have
used the word testify before the committee.
| The two letters counsel read yesterday were in
| my trunk. In looking over my letters came
/ acTOSS THESE Two. L was ITl6DUIy Win Mr. LIZ
| ton after he entered my room in 1868. 1 was
| not angry with him for coming into my room
| on that occasion, but was angry when he put
| his hand on my neck; 1 did not then think he
had any improper designs upon me. l only
| thought so after was in Marietta in 1870, and
had some conversation with Mrs. Tilton left
| for Steubenville in January or February, 1871,
| and wrote a letter to Mr.. Tilton. do not think
| he answered it; 1 wrote him one letter. think
| on May oath, from Marietta, and think only
| one. ~ as s.-E
The witness was asked if she wrote letter
| from Steubenville to Mr.. Tilton, consulting him
with regard to an offer of marriage she had re-
| ceived.
| After some objections and arguments Mr..
| Fullerton handed her the letter and the wit
| ness testified that this was the enc she wrote
l him. He wrote to her first, and this was the
| answer. She also testified, l remember the
time there was q wonan's rights meeting at
Mrs. Ti.ton's, There were present Miss An
1 thoDy and Mrs Stanton. l think they had
chairman presiding. but do not remember that
| any papers were read or reports received from
committees. 1 thought Mrs. Tilton had some
| thing to do with them. remember several of
| these meetings being held, and know of some
| of them being held in Mr.. Tllton's absence 1
think some of Mr.. Beechers people came to
| these meetings, perhaps Mrs Harriet Beecher
Stowe, but l could not say for certain. was
i present on the occasion when Mr.. Titon asked
his wife to stand away from him as he did not
| want any person to make comparison. This
was not said in very loud tone. They were
standing in the folding doors when he said this.
| lie put his head near her ear. He had TO stoop
because she was not so tall. He said: "Eliza-
beth, don't stand near me, don't want any
| comparisons made; the contrast is too great
don't remember if said on the direct exam
| inatOn that Mr. Tilton said. "Stand to one
sidep' did not tell this story before the COM
mittee. did not think of it then. first told
this story to Mr.. Sherman and Mr.. Porter but
| having not mentioned it since.
l saw him hang pictures in his night clothes
on two or three occasions. 1 cannot give the
date. 1t was in the night time in the upper
hall. was in bed and remained there until he
hung them. l do not remember how old was
| then. l was in bed with the children. On one
| occasion Mrs. Tilton was in bed. but the other
Der Mrs. Tlton calling him to 60 to bed, and
| wanting to know what he was hanging pic,
/ lures in his night clothes for. l wondered
| what possessed the man trOtting around in his
night clothes. l remember speaking OF his
wandering about the house looking for soft
| bed. Mrs. Tilton accompanied him think.
| only remember this but once. -
The witness was asked if she had not stated
| in her direct examination that Mr.. Tilton was
| in the habit of going around in his night
clothes looking for solt bed.
| Witness replied he was in the habit of going
| around in that way. Sometimes he wOnld
| sleep in the front bedroom and sometimes in
the back. That was what l meant by his
/ CuAuShuS UcuS Ou TIC L mCubOuCu III
particular he had been to tevery bedroom in the
| second and third stories. When he came to my
| room in the second story l went to the third
| story with Carroll He then came up there aud
| left and went down to the one arose from
first. Mrs. Tilton accompanied her husband
| carrying pillow in her arms When left the
| third story bedroom they were just preparing
| to go to bed. He finally went to bed in the
room adjoining mine on the second story
On closer crOss-examinatiOn the witness cor
rected herself in saying he had slept in all the
beds in the house. She said he did not sleep in
| the front room on that occasion. In the morn.
| ing [ saw him in one of the third story bed
rooms. l remember when Mr.. Tilton stayed out
all night. cannot remember the year, but it was
| before little Pauls death. do not remember
| that Mrs Tilton said that he had to write an
| obituary of Pitt Fessenden. l remember
| sneaking of an occasion when he reproved Mrs.
| Tilton for bothering him about servants. l Z.
think be controlled the affairs of the household
l in certain way. He used to talk to the ser
wants, and If they did not please him he caused
Mrs TIlton to discharge them. l cannot think
of any instance of this kind. The occurrences
of Mr.. Tilton locking his wife in the room took
place in the years 1867, 1868 and 1869.
The witness was asked if she was sure these
were the years. She stated, went there in
1866. A year afterwards 1 noticed Mr. Tilton's
uDkindness to his wife.
Mr.. Fullerton repeated the question and ask
ed for a direct answer.
Ex-Judge Porter objected, and accused the
counsel for the prosecution of insulting the
witness.
claimed any idea of such thing.
The last question and answer were then read
by direction of the court, which ruled that the
latter sentence in answer should be stricken
out.
The witness then continued:-I am sure of
these three years. 1 do not know the occasion
of his locking the door for the first time. l
have known him to lock the door in the room
over dozen times, on one occasion for three or
four hours. When he locked her up on these
occasions he was alwa Us in the room.
The recess here INTERVIEWED
After recess Bessie Turner was conducted to
the sta nd and she continued:
1 wish to correct a statement about little
Paul's death. l said that in July it occurred,
but it was on the 25th of August, 1868, and
when went to the house it was after 1 left
Mr.. BOWS.
Mrs Titon was once locked up in the second
story bedroom for two or three hours. | was
generally up in the sitting room, or sometimes
down stairs / think this was 1867, possibly in
the winter. The other occasions were in 1867
and 1863 Mr. Tilton was a public lecturer.
He was away sometimes in the early part of
the winter. He used to read articles to her
and subject them to her criticism, but do not
know that he read his lectures to her when
she was locked up. 1t was a scolding lecture
he was giving her, for his voice was raised very
loud. On one occasion l went to the door and
knocked. 1 heard Mrs. T. say, Dear, 1 will
make every dollar 60 as far as l can" The
tears were running down her cheeks. His face
was very red, but he kept it averted from me.
On that occasion heard Tilton's voice raised
in an angry manner. could not tell what he
was saying. 1 knocked at the door and it was
opened. Mrs T. was sobbing and crying. I
remained there about fifteen minutes They
had been there for three or four hours. This
was in the afternoon, after lunch, about half
past o'clock. When Mr.. Bates was there, on
another occasion, Mrs. T. was locked up. On
this occasion Tllton was standing by the
bureau. do not know how many feet from
the door he was. Mr.. Bates was there on the
evening of Sunday. He came to SUPPER and
left at O'clock. They wedt to the room, and
after he had gone followed them up stairs
into the front sitting room, and they went into
their room, where they stayed some time. 1
was up and down stairs while they were in the
room. They were 10 there about three or four
hours. | did not go to bed until they came
out. Dozens of times Tilton had her locked
up; at least, two or three dozen times, but it
may have been more / am sure it was three
dozen times. When l said over dozen times
l meant it was more than dozen times.
Witness was questioned with regard to her
statement of over dozen times if she meant
three dozen times
Counsel on the other side objected and some
legal quibbling was engaged in.
The question was allowed and witness said:
FT ho6 in nd hot IL UnOd M