Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1875-04-03
BEECRERS STORY TOLD By HIMSELF.
Testimony Yesterday


Ward Beecher continued his testimony as
follows: Mrs. Tilton consulted me with re-
! gard TO her duty to her husband and children,
and she asked for my advice and counsel on
this matter. She asked me If il was right 10
| bring up her children under q parent who
| seemed to have doubt of the truth of the
| Bible and disbelieved in the divinity of
| Christ. / think this was not far from the
! year 1861. When i first became acquainted
| with her was chiefly struck by her simple
ity of manner, and during her domestic
| trials / was impressed by her religious ma
| ture. She was actively engaged i'm benevo-
| lent work. She was always talking OF her
husband. and appeared devoted TO him. Her
| feelings towards me We're as her pastor and
| friend. never thought she displayed
ANY SYMPTOMS OF CLOSE AFFECTION.
had a lifelong affection OF respect and eS-
TEEN for her. had the utmost affection for
| her as Christian woman and wife and
| mother, but no affection in any other connec-
tion; the 10th of October, 1Stjs. Il remember
| by the 9th, as it was prayer-meeting night
and after IL went 10 the Academy OF Music;
| saw Mrs. TiltOn at that meeting, aud had a
conversation with her about being present at
| dinner To the Rev. Morley Punsheon. "A cell
| ebrated English preacher; the conversation
was about my being present on that occasion;
| have 10 recollection of being i'm town on the
| Eth of October, but may have been; spent
great portion of my time in Peekskill; on
| been present in New York; on Saturdays |
| visit my greenhouses; / usually make il a
| day of vaca lion, and visit the park and book
stores and walk up and down the streets;
| did not usually visit my friends on thai dav.
nothing occurred on either the 10th or iIIh
| between Mrs. Tilton and me that has inn
pressed Itself Oh my mind; up TO December,
| 1870, there had never been any undue famili,
! arlty between US. l never, directly or in Ii
reetly, solicited improper proposals from
her never hal any faVors from her. Il
would be impossible with such woman.
NEVER HAD CARNAL INTERCOURSE
or connection during that time with Mrs.
hilton. lThis drew applause from the audi
| eEce, which was promptly suppress sell by the
| officers under the direction OF the COURT The
witness was handed a letter sent To- him by
Mr.. TiltOn through Mr.. Bowen. dated Deem
Der 2s, 1870. He said: / remember receiving
such letter. Mr. Bowen brought me the
letter and said ii was from 'rilton. opened
IL ana read ii, and said this Is sheer insanity:
this man is crazy. Bowen said he did not
read it. and / handed il 10 him 20 read. |
made some expression of surprise that Tilton
should have written me such a letter. Bowen
said he and TiltOn had some iii fereuce be
tween them, and he proceeded to talk about
1llton. He. said that he had reduced Tilton
from the edltorship of the Independent 10
that of cOntri butor on account OF business
reasons, as Mr. Tilton's views did not agree
with those of the paper; that when he had
dismissed him stories were told To MIN by
parties about Mr. Tilton. One was i'm regard
TO woman at Winsted, and another in the
northwest; one was woman in the Office 10
whom he had
MADE IMPROPER ADVANCES.
l told him was not surprised, and told him
what Bessie Turner tod me, and also said
there was another woman with whom rumor
| and talk with her about IL. He expressed
some repugnance at first, but afterwards
went into the parlor and spoke TO her. Mr..
Bowen said he had doubts as to whether he
could retain him on the Brooklyn Union,
and thai he could not retain him ia any posi-
ton on the Independent. Mr.. Bowen grew
more and more friendly, and on account of
this atatck he said / ought Ia get ought of
town and he would stand by lie as "a friend.
This was near five in the afternoon OF De-
CENTER 20. 1 will not say that Nj. Bowen
came from Mr.. TiltoDS, but he said MT.
TiltOn had requested him to give me this
letter. Between the Goth and 3Oth of Deem
Bowen, Mr.. TiltOn or Mrs. Tilton. About
O'Clock in the evening OF the 26th Moulton
called on ne and said Mr.. TiltOn was al his
house and desired AL interview Immediate
~. said ii was my prayey-meeting night.
He said 10 get some person to take my place
and go with him. / dill SO; when ] reached
asked him
WHAT TILToN WANTED.
lie said L would see when l went there.
There was some conversation about Tilton's
leaving the Independent, but / cannot re-
member what. Mr.. Moulton and / entered
the house, and ne locked the door. He said
. Nj. Hilton is i'm the upper front parlor wait
ing for you asked him 10 90 up. He said
you had better go alone. TiltOn met me then
and In the most stately manner asked me 70
take chair, which did; he drew "A small
paper out of his pocket, and, sitting down.
ne said: Il have summoned you to this in
terview on matters of Importance ne askpl
me If had received his letter from Bowen
calling for my resignation and leaving
Brooklyn; said had, and he said he wanted
to recall it, and wished me to think it had
never been written; he said it was a grand
thing TO write this letter, but a sfander Thing
10 take IL back; he then spoke of his troubles
with Mr.. Bowen, and Charged me with being
concerned in them and acting against him;
he said had not only injured him in bust
Eess prospects, but had also
INSINCATED MYSELF INTO HIS HOUSEHOLD
and displaced him; that I had caused his
wife to transfer her affections from him la
me; that 1 had consp!red with her and her
mother for a separation; that / had taught
her 10 lie, and that under my influence She
had become deceitful and Enthusiastically;
that j, who had tied the nuptial knot had
reached o., my hand to unloOse it; that had
made overtures to hef oi All improper char
acter, and made some reply. He read 10 me
what purpOrted TO be a letter from his wife
stating that Mr.. BeeCher had asked her to be
wife TO him. with all that that Implied:
that he had burned up the ginal and would
Durn this copy that there would not be Iile
against the reputation OF his wife. tie said.
II want you TO 90 down and see nv wife at
her house, This staggered me. said ..This
is but dream; you could never maxi these
charges against your wife" He said, 60
down, ii Is but a few blocks or Mr. Moul-
ton went with me to Mrs. Tilton's; | never
invited him 10 so there. When / went TO
Mrs Ttlton's do not remember who opened
the door: they told me TO go I'D stairs: went
up and knocked. and the door was oDenel:
no person was there during the Interview: il
was up stairs in the double rooms connected
ny lClulHS uOOi>.
MRS. TlLTON WAS SUPPORTED RECLINING
IN BED,
with her hands folded. Her eyes were CLOSET
She did noi accost me. She was as one dead
l sat down on a chair by her bedside and
sald, Elizabeth: | have irst seen your hus-
band, and had long 'interyiew with him
he mas Sent me To you 10 verify his state
i0eIlts. He has charged me with alternating
Your affections from him, and with teaching
you untruthfulneSs aid deceit. He has
charged me with making improper advances
to you. / asked her did she say so. She said
My friend, could not help it.' l said, ..You
know these things Were not So" She said
she could not help it, She said something
about IL she confess ed that her affections had
been alternate from him he light be induced
10 reveal his alienated affections. She asked
me what She could do and l said she could
retract these charges in writing She said
she would do il If ii was not TO b. used
against her husband. brought her writing
materials, and she raised herself up in bed
and wlote the frst part of the
LETTER OF RETRACTION.
Mr.. Eyarts showed the letter TO the wit
ness and asked him what portion was writ
ten. He asked and received permission 10
read IL, which he did.
The witness continued: L did not suggest
these words to her, and size then wrote the
additional part of the letter, saying that
never had behaved imprOperly her. When