The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1875-01-05
WORSE, AND MORE OF 1T.
TILTON RESPONDS.

THE ANSWER OF THEODORE TILTON TO THE
ARTICLE OF MR.. BEECHER IN THE CHRIS
TIAN UNION-A sTIN0ING DENIAL OF THE
CHARGES MADE.
The New York Sun OF the 26th inst. gives
the following card from Theodore Tilton
addressed to the public concerning two
trials, the one civil and the other criminal,
involving his controversy with the Rev.
Henry Ward Beecher:
Mr.. Beecher's pronunciamento In the
Christian Union of this week requires me to
reply as follows:
1. 1 have charged the Rev. Henry
Ward Beecher With seduction and
adultery. These charges have
of three quarters ofthe people OF this nation,
including almost unanimously the legal
profession, who, above all other classes, are
most competent to weigh evidence. l now
wait to repeat aud solemnize this proof In a
court of law. To this end two actions are
pending in the City Court of Brooklyn.
These are, first. civil suit instituted by me
against Mr.. Beecher; second, a criminal
indictment procured by Mr. Beecher against
me. The first of these causes, namely, mine
against him, is continually thwarted by his
strange and unexampled demand
for a catalogue of the particular dates and
places ct which he committed his acts
of adultery. What Is the practical effort
of this demand? The sexual intimacy be-
tween Mr.. Beecher and Mrs. Tilton eX-
tended according TO their own account of it)
from the fall of 1868, through the whole of
1869, into the spring of 1870, overlapping
three successive years; and vet Mr.. Bsecher,
while publicly asking for what he calls the
fullest investigation requests me to dwarf
and shrivel my proof OF this prolonged GRIM
inality to TWO particular days, namely, Oc-
tober 10 and IL, 1868; limitation which bis
counsel are willing to enlarge so as to in
clude an entire au'umnal month, during
most OF which Mr.. Beecher was absent from
Brooklyn, sheltered Ia a safe alibi beyond an
opportunity from crime. 1t is an affront to
ethics and equity, and a miracle impossible,
to limit Mr.. Beecher's IA months of adultery
to two DAYS.
UNWILLING TO APPEAR IN a FARCE.
Accordingly gave the public due notice
that so far as the civil case was concerned
(which is the only one controlled by mel l
shall go into court on the first day when I
am permitted to carry all my evidence with
me, but never while must leave nine tenths
of this evidence outside the door. In other
words, to try Mr.. Beecher for adultery, with
the adultery carefully forbidden to be
proved, is q farce at which l am not harle-
quin enough TO play in these sad days.
L.
to battle my case against him, / challenge him
to end this by-plsy of strife over bill of
particulars by calling up his case against
me. This he has power to do at any mo-
ment. What is this case? On the Sd OF
October last Mr.. Beecher went before q
grand jury in Brooklyn, and by his own
oath procured against me an indictment
for libel. This indictment furnishes the
best case to test the real issue between Mr.
Beecher and me. The real issue is not
whether he shall pay me hundred
thousand dollars for running my home
Though not penny of this money would
accept, even if hundred juries should mul
tiply it to million), but simply whether
the Rev. Henry Ward Beecher is guilty
OF seduction and adultery. And whatever
complications may exist in my civil action
against Mr.. Beecher for damages, elIciting
his ceaseless demands for particulars, on the
other hand, simplicity itself is not more
simple than Mr.. Beecher's criminal case
against me for libel If have accused him
falsely In this criminal case | shall
neither trouble him for particulars, nor
drive him from the special term to the gen.
eral nor drag him to Albany to the Court of
Appeals, nor compel him to try his cause
with a mere 1.-THE of bis evidence, nor in
any manner impose on him gossamer's
weight of difficulty in his
BRINGING ME TO JUSTICE.
Moreover, in the criminal case he will be
relieved of his ill-omened fears of civil
damages; he will have the attack instead of
the defense; he will be entitled to the last
word to the jury; and if have borne false
witness against him, he will be able not
only to prove me guilty, but to send me to
the penitentiary.
III. am advised and believe that the cum
ming managers of Mr.. Beecher's safety are
seeking to contravene the ends of justice by
the following strstsgem. to-wit: AS soon as
Mr.. Beecher's counsel shall have restricted
me so as to make inadmissible my proofs of
his fourteen months of adultery (thus cut
ting the very hearts core out of the civil
suit, their plan then Is TO suddenly with
draw the criminal indictment against me,
which withdrawal is to be explained to the
public by Mr.. Beecher's chief champion
and fellow sufferer under charge
of seduction, the editor of the Brook
lyn Eagle, as an act of unexampled
magnanimity shown to me by Mr.. Beecher.
By this plan of operations 1 am to be pre-
vented from trying MIR. Beeeher in the civil
suit; Mr. Beecher is at the same time to be
saved from the grim necessity of trying me
under the criminal indictment; and so, by
these two devices, Mr.. Beecher is to escape
trial altogether. / respectfully request all
fair-mnded persons TO unite in determining
that Mr. Beecher shall not have the moral