New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-06-25
false having been published against me. now de-
sire to publish ii in my own vindication.
ELIZABETH r. TuTON.


CITY Court, BRooKLYS.-Theodore Iilton ast.
Henry Ward Beecher.
City of Brooklyn, County Of Riogs.-Elizabcth H.
Tilton, being duly sworn, says as follows:
9 In the months of September, October, anu NoVen-
Der, 1862 resided With my husband in Livingston
st. and had the entire charge of the household af-
fairs.
No person was employed in laying carpets or in at
tending to any work at the house during thoSc
months except by my directions. l did not employ
or authorize the employment Of any men named
Price or Loader for any work about the house OF any
kind nor do recollect or believe that any such
men were in my house during any Of the three
months above mentioned, or in any part OF the ran
of 1869 nor, to the best Of my knowledge and be-
lief were they ever in the house at all, az any tme
Ihave read in The Neu- York Herald statement.
pnrportng to have been made by man who am
now informed is named Joseph Eoader, to the ehect
that i'm the month of October, 1869, while Loader
and one Price working on the hall stars
opened the door to Mr. Beecher, that he seized hoio
of me- clasped his arms around my waist and KISSED
me- raising me OFT my feet, and then walked INTO the
front parlor with his around my waist. Inc
whole of this story is utterly false and none OF THESE
events occurred.
annex TO this affidavit an extract from newspa-
per containing all the information which have con-
corning the statement of rhs man Loader as 10 what
happened in the house while he says he was there.
This narrative, far ii relates III any way 10 MI
Beecher or myself il entirely false, and the occur
rences therein described never took place, either III
October, 1859, or at any other time.
There never was any mprOpriety OF conduct or
any IMPROPER relation between Henry Ward Bcecher
and myself, and all charges of adultery or of inn
,ronar oonduct hot veen lis or of any attempt upon
his part or mine to have solicit any improper or
indecorous relations or acts utterly and abso-
lutely false.
There never was any act Of familiarity or mark OF
friendship or affection, either on the part OF Mr..
Beechcr OF my SELF in the absence of my husband oil
greater degree or different kind from What took
place habitually between us in the presence OF my
husband. Nor was there ever a. great fannllarlty
between Mr.. Beechcr and myself as there was be-
tween me and my step-faher or brother, nor dm
any act or word ever pass between Dir. Bcechcr ana
myself which could not with equal proprety have
passed between father and daughter.
The front parlor was divided from the library by
glass fodng-doors, to which there was 10 key, aud
which were never locked. These doors would not
come closely together and when they were shut
there were always two wide cracks. one between the
two doors and the other between one OF the doors
and the wall, and through these cracks any one
could easily what was going on III the hoht par
lor Nor was it possible in 1869, or at any time
while lived in NV husbands house. for any one to
look through the cracks between the Ioiiine-doots
without the figure of such person being through
the glass of the doors from the parlor. The front
parlor was. therefore. place in which no secrecy
was possible and at the same time no one cond nave
approached The folding -doors as the man Price IL
al box do Wit being
from the parlor if [ had been there. The sofa was
close to the front window, and it was my custom
ALWAYS to have the blinds opeu at the season OF the
wear referred to- 80 that passers by could have seen
the sofa from the street The children of the neigh
borhood were also accustomed constantly 10 pay
about our house, and 10 run freely over the
piazza in front, upon which the pafior
windows opened and there was not the
slightest security for privacy in the front parlor,
either from people outside of the house or from
servants and children within. 1t was frequently
the case that quite number of children were play
ing upon the piazza in afternoons for long time
without interruption, and in full view of the parlor.
In October 1859, / had no housekeeper, but had
three servants and wet-nurse, and also had III the
house three children from six years old upward, De-
sides my baby, then about four months old. all oil
whom, excepting the baby, were accustomed to go
freely.
No housekeeper. nor any other person, paid the
bills of work-people Of any kind employed about
the house in the Fall of 1869 / paid all such bills
myself.
Miss Dennis was not in house at that time, nor
was there any elderly lady in the house who could
or would have paid for any work done in 1t ; nor,
indeed, was there any elderly lady at all with us
during that Fall except occasional visitors, none OF
whom interfered with the family affairs.
No man or men were employed to lay carpets in
our house at any time in 1869. We purchased no
new carpets, and had no fresh carpets laid down
after first moving into Our house in 1865 with the
exception OF single carpet for an upstairs room
and in particular no new carpet was laid down on
the hall-stairs, and no men were employed
upon the work of laying down either new or
old carpets on the hall-stairs at any time in the
wear 1869 such work, when it was done at all,
being done by women. The only work that was
done by men about carpets was the carpct-shaking,
which was done by man with whom was well
acquainted for several years, and who was not one
of the men referred to in the annexed newspaper
article did not employ strangers to do work on
either the carpets or the furniture of the house and
if any two men employed upon such work,
they will be able to produce the record from the fur
niture upholstery OF carpet stores with which had
dealings; and as | am informed and believe, these
two men, Loader and Price, were not employed by.
OF in any way connected with any of those stores.
nor employed by, OF connected with, any person
whatever with whom either my husband OF had
any dealings in the year 1869
In conclusion, declare in the presence Of Al
mighty God, that am absolutely innocent OF all the
otienses charged against with relation to Henry
Ward Beecher, except only, that under the influence
of my husband which found it impossible to resist
so long as l persisted in living with him, have
made CHARGES against Mr.. Beecher which were false