The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1875-05-12
Mrs. Tilton's Evidence.

NJ T0s I1ItOn'S . EY1OPnCe.
The explanation of the mysterious
note handed by Mrs. Tilton to Judge
Nelson Monday morning, the 3rd
inst. is found in her letter, annexed,
together with Judge Nelson's reply.
The Inter Ocean says: There is not
SO much anxiety to hear what she has
to say as there would be had she not
already given the public her state
ment of the case. Probably her evil
dence before the court would be sub
stantially the same as before the
church committee, and this it may not
be uninteresting, in view of all the
circumstances, to recall. Mrs. Tilton
stated before the committee that as
early as 1865 her husband became
suspicious of Mr.. Beecher and used
| to be talking continually about his
wrong doing with certain women
She says:
when Beecher came to see me
| Mr.. Tilton began to be suspicious,
and that might be perfectly trans
parent to my husband with respect to
my interviews with Beecher alone,
used to charge my mind with our con-
| versations and repeat them to Mr.
| Tilton."
She says she was continually ques-
toned by her husband in the most
jealous manner, and when she repeat
| ed what occurred between her and
| Mr.. Beecher, Tilton declared she was
lying about it. In 1869, he began to
assume that she had been criminally
intimate with Beecher. She met these
charges sometimes with anger and
sometimes with silence. He seemed
to use all his influence to compel her
to confess some wrong doing, and
talked so much about it that she
deemed him morbid. She had never
met Beecher at his house, save two or
three times when she went to consult
him about sick person. Never met
him anywhere else by appointment.
Tilton never accused her of criminal
ity based upon her admissions, and
she never confessed to him In July,
1870, as he alleged. In regard to the
S..hoharie Griffith Gaunt) letter, she
said she had no reference to adultery
or thought of it in writing. Mrs
to, and replied:
6 will try to answer that question
The one absorbing feeling of my
whole life has been Theodore Tilton
Neither Mr.. Beecher, l assure you
nor any human being has ever taker
away from that one fact, my love 70,
him; but must say that l felt very
great helpfulness in my own soul fol
having had the friendship of Mr.
Beecher, and also other people-a:
many women as men.
l do not think if / had known al
much as L do now of Tilton, that
should have encouraged Mr. Beech
er's Acquaintance. I think [ did
wrong in doing it, inasmuch as it hur
| Theodore. | do not know as l cal
make myself understood; but do yo,
know what [ mean when | say that
was aroused in myself; that l had ;
self-assertion which | never knew be
fore with Theodore? There was al
ways a damper between me and Mr.
Beecher. With Mr.. Beecher l had :
sort of consciousness of being more
He appreciated me as Theodore die
lot. | felt myself another woman.
felt that he respected me. l thinl
Theodore never saw in me what Mr.
Beecher did
MIR. Sage-Do you mean to sa.
that Theodore put down self-respec
in you, while Mr.. Beecher lifted i
up?
A. Yes. | never felt a bit of EN-
barrassment with Mr. Beecher, bu
to this day l never could sit dow
with Theodore without being self
conscious, and feeling his sense of IN.
inequality with him."
Mrs. Tilton explains the bedroom
scene out of which so much was mad
by her husband, and says that Tiltol
himself was not out of the room fiv
minutes during that interview. TIL
letter stating that Beecher had mad
improper proposals to her she declare
was written when she was nearly ou
of her mind, and was prepared unde
the dictation of Tilton. What sh
wrote she could not tell even to tha
day. Being asked if Mr.. Beeche
ever made any improper suggestion O
request of her, she replied that it wa
utterly false; that she had been forcet
into copying and signing the pape
accusing him. She copied the note
after it was written out by her hus
band, which contained the word
"Mr. Beecher desired me to be hi
wife with all that the name implies.
| She at first refused. but Tilton sal,
he needed it because. it would be
great deal better than anything h
could write. and it was not anythin!
after all. She replied: 1T is no
true, and what will Mr.. Beecher say?'
Frank Carpenter was present, bu
could not hear them, as they spok
low. Tilton told her she had but fif
teen minutes, and she sat down ant
wrote the note. 1t is absolutely falls,
that she wanted to make a stronge
statement; she thought it wickedl.
strong as it was. There was trouble
and she thought it would in some wa.
save Theodore and and bring peace
He had said the whole affair was SOM
scheme to get out of the Woodhul
trouble.
Mrs. Tiiton went on to say that sh,
was never willing to have anything t,
do with Moulton, but that Tilton in
sisted upon it, and finally they brough
letters purporting to come from Mr.
Beecher advising her to trust Moul
ton and follow his advice. The fol
lowing questions were asked and an