New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-05-21
THE ADVANCES TO BESSIE TURNER.


ourv a. 10 the subseaueut accusation this makes we
want to know something the character and the truth
roenness of the man who makes IT, III you are re".-
Ing building you want your cornerstone 10 DC nAeu'
II your verdict in this Is against the defendant IL
must rest on Theodore Tton its chief cornerstone
Is the stone sound or rottenl In my inquiry
as to the incident, she gives in her own SIMPLE
truthful and graphic language the incidents as
they occurred and before I read them l want to
call your attention TO the fact to which she
testified that though she felt that she WAS the subject
of approaches which indicate, she had at that
time thought that aught but the righteousness
of the man. not reaching to lust nor meditatng her de-
sructon Neither from this from the other incident
could she be made TO believe that the man whom she had
been taught by Mrs Ton to love and honor was capa-
BILE Of destroying for time and eternity his adopted child,
she tells you she believed he entertained that
thought until she learned at Marietta he had commu
nicated Of his OF confession TO his own
wife, which satisfied her that what she regarded rs mere
inelcacy had behind deliberate purpose to blast her
young life and her young soul forever Now she tells
the simple facts and / allude 10 them now, not for
the purpose OF doing him an injustice, and
Notwithstanding what ranspired between him and his
wife will do him the justice to say that in my belief be
did not dare the honor OF that girl and that he
there only for the purpose OF satisfying with her
that audn greed which depraved man feels when he
il separated from those with whom be can freely indulge
his lust And yet this incident without the purpose
|
without that purpose shows such seifshness, such
a hearth ssness and such indecacy depraved an in
difference to the corruption he might have wrought in
young and unprotected gill who trusted in him, that 't
enables you to read the heart OF the in which this
foul accusation against Henry Ward Beecher and his
wife had its origin.
had zone 10 bed in the second story bedroom. front
ROOM OF the sitting room connected by folding doors,
and had been in bed very long before Mr. TitOn
came in and said he had come TO kiss me good night
IA hnNa qd
did MT.
He stroked my forehead and my hair, and said what
nice soft hair had and how nice and soft my hesn was
IN then he his hand-was putting hS
hand in my neck and took his hand out; and he says,
why Bessie, my dear YOU are painfully modest ne
in best society do all those things and i il perfectly
proper Nobody bur people ths IN, n mao r br n
sad could not help what they did III the pest class Oh
and what was modest and going TO carry them
out If did NJ think 1t was proper i0r MN 10 put MS
hand in my neck was not going 10 let him do IL.
She was growing to womanhood. She felt that he was
still treating her as child. wOmanly pride revolted,
not unkndly not angy, not dstrustfu but In the AZ
that feminine pride which grows and prospers
the fostering culture OF women such as Elizabeth
r. Tlton she felt IL exceeding the bounds OF pro-
! prety.
! He then laid down. AMI asked M II did motif
would not Ike to be married Why asked MIN what
a-an afe' tlonate ana NEE girl ana olgh 10 nv tIreu
| ought 70 have good husband said that supposed
would get married But DIDN'T think getting married
was the chief end ,nd aim OF life 10 didn't trouble me
thin very sure didn't think would ever have literary
for Husband and he then asked me II didn't THINK
some people had aifnies FOR each other; well. asked
! him what he meant by tnat-what ne meant ny ANN
| itcs;" and lie said -
Mark you he didn't learn this lesson from Mrs Wood
hull this was long before he ever her. Tie dlsc
pie TAU ht the lesson before he learned it from her
H. said that when man saw a woman that he loved
she should De his affinity and they live together A. man
and wife and that was WHAT was mean. py s'ius I3t
each other And then he went on TO say tha II would
allow him 70 and love me ~ ne wanted 10 DO at
no harm should 10 me, and that physical ex-
preston OF love Just the same as kiss or caress
Thi the language, You remember this man put into
the mouth OF Theodore Tlton in the interview OF the
Both Of December having been used by Henry Ward
Beechcr TO debauch Mrs Tilt0n. Whyi Talk OF such
language misleading woman OF the years, the charae
ter the culture the training and the principles Of Eliza
beth r. Tilton! It didn't deceive this schoolgirl! He
tried Bessie Turner, and he failed He tried IL on
her before she received the encaOn for which she sup
posed she was indebted him, although it turned out
that it was OF the unknown and unacknowledged
benecOns many of which proceeded from the pastor
oil Plymouth Church.
He then went on describe again-to tel that he knew
ministers carcssed grs and married wOmen-it was
tbeh tod me that was very strlnge child H. says
Bessie, you have some very singular ideas"
Gentlemen here get a little OF the Interior ~
Theodore Tiltcns house when his wife Again:
anything occur during the night which particularly I'M
pressed yOl and IL state the circumstances regard
10 il A. Yes, SIR; 10 was IN the Summer OF 1868.
| think / t afterward turned out to be 1869.
Nj -hcarman--she corrected IL herself 1t should bc
l-69
MI Porter She made the correction her return TO
the stand subsequently.
NJ. Beach Correction OF what
Mr. Shearman-Oi the dates.
MI PJrter-C direction Of both dates lreadlngl:
Mr. Greeley was thercMr. Horace Greeley making
him visit he was there some three or lout weeks
think ard one night had gone obei, aud was awdkeued
from my sleep by seeing Of tail figure standing
over me jumped and said, VINO y there! And MIR
Tlton said Ii,isn! il is only M Tn'0a i,d taen
think raised myself up and 1t seemed a, L w. in
strange place. all whrIed around because had gone 10
bed IN the second story back -0edrOUin-and his
next to mine. and had gone 10 bed ~ one az
and says. What do you-what did you bring me here
for; what are yon DONG And he sald that he ~
lonely and he wanted somebody TO love him and -ad.
You would not have done ms u MIS- Iilton had been
home; you should not take liberties when Mrs Tion
away that you would not take when she Is at home and
then up and LEFT the bed and went to my own room
| and locked the door.
There is simple truthful. chdlike narrative o.
incident. the occurrence OF which man who heard her
speak has tina; Entertained an honest doubt
True he didn't debauch her. but was that decent thing
H. the man who capable OF thus bcraying the cont
dence OF adopted child the man who 10 be believed
when he becomes the OF wife pure that he Is
compelled to admit her purity in the same breath in
which he charges her with foul adultery Well, gentle
men, there two very significant facts In this eonnec
ton-facts OF deep, of vital significance After that
story once again. Theodore Titon on that stand
He felt its pressure sinking sinking, sinking him
hopelessly. He is not good man; he Is a
| bad man and a bold lie brought himself 10 the
point OF denying the last incident but he had such
| confidence that there God above and hell
below that could bring himself TO deny the other
Conscience makes towards or us all. Vital to
his destroy the crediby OF Bessie Turner he
gives qualified denial 10 the last OF these
and the rest he leaves undenied acknO
confessed. He may bring Il thousand housekecpers
whom he confuse in the recollection OF
dates; contradict by proxy what he dares