The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1875-02-02
soecher-TiIton Trial-Tilton has
Right to Testify.

great scandal trial. Mr.. 1llton, NJ rs
Field, Mrs. Shearman and two other
ladies, and Mr.. Beecher with his wife and
sons, occupied their accustomed places,
After the Court had been called to order,
Judge Nelson gave his opinion us to the
right to testify Of Mr.. Tilton, in the fol-
lowing words:
In determining the question raised by
this objection the Court holds:
First-Tnat the plaintiff is competent
to be sworn and TO testify IN his own be-
half.
H..Second-That rs to the principle OF
the question at issue, he is not competent
to testify rs to any confidential commu-
cation.
1t is considered that this qualified di-
rcction respects the present state OF law,
and also respects what may remain OF
the rule which imposes sllonce or re-
straint, by reasons Of mutual relations,
and on the grounds Of public interest er
policy.
Theodore Tilton then took the stand,
and was sworn, the defense entering tho
exception.
In answer to questions by ex-Judge
Fullerton, Mr.. Tilton said: Am 80 years
old; was married October 2, 1865, by
Mr.. Beccher; my wife's age is 81; |
have four children; engaged in the liter
ary profession and became connected
with the Independent in the spring of
1856; remained there under Beechcr, and
on his retirement in 1868 or 1864, became
his successor, or held the position of man
aging director under Beecher; in De-
ccmber, 1870, owned the house in which
| lived. with its library valued at
about twenty-five thousand dollars L
owned a share in the New York Tribune,
a small farm in the West valued at ST.
500, a piece of land in Prospect Park
valued at $1,000; there was mortgage
OF $500 on my house when l left the
Independent; my property was valued at
about $4,000; | had money out ut lnte-
rest deposited with Woodruff u Robin
son after January lst, 1871; $1,000 /
obtained from Mr. Bowen, $4,000 from
my lccturing tour, 81 900 from my books,
$4,000 from Mr.. Moulton and about s5,-
600 from subscribers Of the Golden Age;
| had no debts other than liens on
proper; did not know the source
from which the money came which
was given me by Moulton; did not know
il came from BecCher. On the 3Oth oi
December, 1870, ] had an interview with
Beecher.
Mr.. Evarts objected TO witness giving
evidence in relation TO any statement
made to witness by his wife.
Judge Nelson ruled that witness could
say what passed between himself and
Brecher, but not what his wife had told
him.
Witness continued: Moulton brought
Beccher and retired; | did not salute
/ Brrchcr, nor be- me; crossed the room
/ and locked the door; went back and sat
yppositc Bcechrr: ! began in this way
think: IL SAID, | presume
yeu received from Bowen letter
! demanding your retirement from your
pulpit and BroOklyn, he answered did
sir. told him he need not fear that
letter, he thanked me. ! said he need
not do 50; that Elizabeth deserved IN,
thanks ami not me; he said he understood
the ,birct OF this interview only in
General terms and asked me to tell him
what Bowen had said; | told him il
would be better to go TO Bowen himself
| told him that Bowen had said he wa!
! intimate with the members OF your con
gregation for the past 20 years; that yor
I were not safe man, and had ruIucc
family households; that you were
A Wolf In the Fold
and should be extirpated, and that
Bowen had said he had II il
his power to drive Beechcr out
Of Brooklyn in twelve hours
| told him that after ! had that inter.
view with Bowen, told it to my wife
She was distressed and reminded me that
said in the previous summer that !
would not break my promise to hurt Mr.
Beccher for that if he was driven from
BROOKLYN it would be- to her shame and
that of her children; Mr.. Beccher asked
me what meant by her shame, and |
read to him Elizabeths letter of confess
ion; this confession WAS destroyed by
Elizabeth two years after, and the copy
of It was destroyed this evening. The
witness was going on to relate the con-
tents of this letter of confession but It
was objected to by Mr.. Evarts, and a
long argument cnsucd over this Toint.
The Judge decided that the contents of
the letter should be left out for the pre-
sent. Tilton then testified that Beccher
attempted to speak but witness said,
Wait, hear me through and then
speak" witness said to Beecher that
Mrs. Tilton had come unexpectedly and
said to her husband that she wanted to
communicate secret that had long been
on her mind, and that she wanted To
throw it oil, that she was at the point
several times and once par
tjcularly when she was on n sick
bed. Before telling the secret she ex-
torted promise from her husband not
To- tell any one, and not to injure the
person concerned. She said it WAS Il
secret between herself and her pastor.
She SAID that for n long time friendship
had existed between them. More than II
friendship. 1t had been sexual inter-
course. 1t began after the death Of her
son Paul. She went To- her pastor :
house, and on the 10Th of October, 1868,
she surrendered her body to him in
sexual embrace. On the Saturday fol-
lowing, she repeated the act at the house
of her husband, and on several other oc-
ca-ions at his house, and at several other
places. Ii had occurred all through the
fall. In the month Of July, 1870, she
had written II letter to wit
ness. telling witness Of the facts.
She had been greatly distressed owing to
rumors concerning Beecher's moral
character. She wanted to demonstrate
the honor and dignity Of her sex, until
he told her her love was,innocent. She said
to Tilton that for long time Beecher's 5
home had not been Il happy one; that his
wife had not been u satisfactory one and
that he wanted Elizabeth to be a wife TO
him. but she always refused. Beechers ;
solicitations to her were often times vio-
lent. She had gone away from witness
in the spring and witness wrote to her a
letter saving that until she made a full