Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1875-03-20
NEW YORK.
Beecher.TiltOn.
New York, March 10


very often for several years. Heard Mrs. Put
MANS story and was with Mrs. Tlton on the &C.
casion at Southport, to which Mrs. p. referred.
Tilton was then in one Of these moods. On one
occasion, when little Paul was sick with cholera
infantum, Tilton was absent from home all night
and Mrs. Tton was much troubled. She walked
up and down the room and listened whenever she
heard a carriage. She was listening for her hus-
band Tilton did not return until the middle Of
next day. When Tilton came in Mrs. Tilton
went up to him and said: ooh, Theodore darling
am so glad you came in. She did not know
what happened to him and the child was so i'll
Tilton threw himself on the sofa and said: at
did not matter'-then began stroking his hair. |
know of one or two occasions IN which he offered
objections to her friends coming to the house, but
she always treated his friends well when they
came into the house. On one occasion I'll
ton was away on lecturing tour and Mrs. Tilton
had trouble with her wet nurse, Kate Smith.
When he returned she went to him and asked
for his advice and he said not to trouble him with
her household affairs, but to manage them without
his interference; that if she desired to keep Kate
Smith she could do so, but if she desired to dis
charge her then to let her go, but in no case to
come to him about the matter.
The witness was asked if Mr.. Tilton was in the
habit of scolding his wife.
Mr.. Beach objected.
The question was allowed by the Judge, and
witness replied -
the children and myself He has had her in the
room several times and the door locked. talking
harshly to her and using profane expressions l
never heard her voice raised on these occasions.
This habit of locking himself up with her occurred
at various times, and the bell would ring frequent
ly for meals to which she would not come down.
l remember one Sunday afternoon two gentlemen
were in the room, and he talked to her in angry
manner. / cannot recall the conversation that
took place then. On one occasion heard him up
braiding her, and she said she would do all she
cOud nj n IN L q co. "a
far as she could.
Tilton was very fastldious about his food and on
some occasions when he had ordered breakfast at
o'clock he was very angry because the beef
steak provided for breakfast was dried up, when
he came down at 10 o'clock.
Mrs. Tilton often provided for her husband
some little dish, such as quals or oysters, which
was not furnished for the rest of the family. At
zone time when he offered his wife part of one of
these Dishes Mrs. Tilton asked him to give it to
the children, and Of the children spoke of her
being very unselfsh, when Tilton, turning to
them, said Your mother is one of the most
selfish women that ever lived"
Mr.. Beecher frequently called at Tiltons. His
manner was gentlemany l never saw any i'm
propriety in their conduct towards each other.
never observed any different treatment to him as
compared with other friends who called. | re-
member Of his going up to the sitting room and
playing and talking with the children. Mr. Gree
lev, Mr.. Ovington, Mr.. Bates, Rev. DIR. Haven and
others were in the habit of calling, but they re-
ceved the sumo treatment as Beecher. (Shown
some photography. These saw in the house.
There were three or four portraits of Mr.. Beecher
in different places in the house. There were
books in the house which had been presented by
Mr.. Bcecher.
On one particular occasion Mr.. Titon visited
nv room, in 1867, and we had conversation. l
had gone to bed in the second story bed room
front room-otf the sitting room, connected by
folding doors, and l had not been in bed very
long before Mr.. Tilton came in and said he had
come to kiss me good night. ! was lying on the
side of the bed nearest the door. and he went
around the other side and leaned over the bed and
kissed me goodnight and stroked my forehead and
my hair, and sad, what nice, soft hair | had, and
how nice and soft my flesh was; and then he put
his hand on my neck and took his hand off, and
he said, "Why, Bessie nv dear, you are painfully
modest" and he said "Thcse caresses are all
do all these things. 1t is perfectly proper, and on
ly people of impure minds think of things like as
that not being right"
said could not help what they did in the best
classes of society; that had my own ideas of
what was proper and what was modest and was
going to carry them out, and that didn't think it
was proper for him to put his hand onto my neck,
and was not going to let him do it. He then
laid down and asked me if | would not like to be
married. "Why," asked, what in the world
affectionate and nice girl and ought to be mar
red and l ought to have good husband. said
that supposed when the time came and the right
man came along perhaps would get married; but
did not think of getting married yet; that
thought did not trouble me much, and that was
not the chief end in life. If did get married
there was one thing would not have-a literary
man for a husband; and then he asked me if l
did not think some people had atiinities for each
other. / asked him what he meant by that-what
he meant by affinities, and he said that when
man saw woman that he loved, she should be
his affinity. and they should live together as man
and wife, and that was what was meant by an at
fnity for each other. He said that At was perfect
ly right and proper for him to caress me and that
no harm should come to me. He said was
very strange child and had some singular ideas.
On another occasion, In 1868, went to bed and
was frightened by seeing man in my room, l
jumped up and aske,. who was there, and he said,
Hush it is only me-Mr. Tilton.' Then found
he had carried me into his room l told him he
ought not to lake liberties with when his wife
was away that he would not take when she was
there. | Immediately got mp and went to my
own room and locked the door. (Great sensa-
tion).
met him at breakfast next morning and he
said Good morning." l did not say anything
about what had occurred the night before.
l went off to Keyport that day and did not re-
turn to the house until Mrs. Tilton got home.
did not at that time tell Mrs. Tilton what had
TRANSFERRED between her husband and me. went
to Marietta in the spring of 1870, and remained
on visit to Mrs. Putnam al out or 9 months.
l returned on the 9th of Dec. 1870. Mrs Tilton
came there think in Oct and remained a month
or six weeks; l returned with Mrs. TiltOn because
she was feeble and did not like to trust her alone.
Tilton met us at the depot in carriage and
reached home about or o'clock. Miss Ellen
Dc mis- was at the breakfast table the next morn
ing she appeared to occupy the position of house.
keeper and mistress; Miss Anthony was there.
At dinner Mrs. Tilton took her seat beside Mr..
Titon and burst out crying. She went into the
next room, and Miss Dennis said "Well, this is
strange conduct in Elizabeth" Tilton said to me,
Bessie don't you think Elizabeth Is demented :"
replied, "No, do not, but your conduct is enough
to have driven her into lunatic asylum long ago."
Tilton followed her into the other room, and fol-
lowed and stood at the folding doors and saw him
shaking his clenched hand in her face; he said to
her, "You have brought this girl back to testify
against me-" stepped forward and interfered in
her behalf, and he said to me. leave the house,
damn YOU" said that l would not, and he
struck me with his cenched fist and knocked me
down; then stepping up to me he said in bland
manner, "Bessie, dear, you have trippcd and hurt
yourself" And he then said to me, pointing to a
sofa, that time and again he had seen Mr.. Beecher
and Mrs. Tilton having sexual intercourse; and
Mrs. Tllton said. "I1ow can You tell such things
to the child p He then took me to the other room
and repeated the story TO me.
lie said that he did not claim any Of the chill
dren except Florence He also said that Beecher