Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1875-07-09

The following affidavit, made by Mrs.
Elizabeth K. TlltOn. was handed to the re-
porters for publication -
CHy Court Of Brooklyn Elizabeth R.
TiltOn, being daily sworn. says as follows
In the months of September. October and
November. 1859, | resided with my hus-
band in LiylngsiOn street, and | had the
entire charge of household affairs. No
person was employed in laying carpets or
IN doing any work at the house except by
nv direction. During these months did
n0t employ or author ze the employment
Of any man named Price OF Loader for any
work about the house of any kind. nor do
reco.lect or believe that any such men
were IN nv house during any Of the three
months above mentioned nor in the fall
OF lo69, nor 70 the best Of my knowledge
and belief were they ever in my house
have read in the New York Herald
statement purpOrting to have been mi ade
by man whom am informed to be Joseph
Loader. to the effect that IN 1863. while
Loader and one Price were working on the
hall stairs. opened the door to Mr. Beech
er, when he seized hold of me, kissed me
and then walked into the front parlor. with
has arms around ny waist. The whole OF
this story l. utterly false. | annex to this
atldlylt the extract from the newspaper
containing all the Information which |
have concerning the statement of this man
Loader as 10 what happened in the house,
while he says he was ,here. This narrative.
50 far as IL related TO myself. is entirely
false, and the occurrences therein described
never took place either in October, 1869,
or at any other time There never was any
improper conduct or improper relations be-
tween Henry Ward Beecher and myself,
and all the charges of adultery, or any at
tempt on his part or mine to have or solicit
anv indec0rous acts are utterly and entire
Is false. There never was any act of famil-
iariiy or mark of affection either on the
part of Mr.. Beecher or myself in the abt
seuce Of my husband to a greater degre-
than what took place in the presence ct nv
husband. Nor was there ever greater
familiarity between Mr.. BeecLer and my
self than there vas between me and
my stepiather and brother. Nor was there
any act passed between Us which nigh
not with equal propriety have passed bee
tween father and a daughter The front
parlOr was divided from the library by
folding doors, to which there was no key,
and 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 door and the wall, and |
through these cracks any one could easily |
see what was going on in the front parlOr. |
Now, was it possible IN 1863, or at any other |
time while lived in my husba nd's house,
for any one to look through the cracks be-
tween thu folding doors without the figure
of such person being seen from the closed |
door of the parlor? The front parlor was,
therefore. a place in which no secrecy was
possible, and, at the same time, no one
could have approached the folding doors, as
the man Price described having done, with |
out being seen by me from the parlor ii |
was there. The sofa was in close 10 the |
from; window, and 1t WAS my custom al
WAYS to have the blinds drawn at the season
of the year referred to, so that psssers by |
could have seen the sofa from the street.
In October. 1863, | had no housekeeper,
but three servants and wet nurse, and !
also had three children, besides my baby, |
all of whom, except the baby. we're accus-
toned to 20 in and out through the front
pa-lor freely. No housekeeper nor any
other person paid the bills of work people |
or any other imploye about the house in the
fall OF 1869. | paid all such bills myself.
Miss Dennis was not in my hous, at that
time, nor was there any elderly lady in the |
house who could or would have paid for |
apy work done in it, nor, indeed, was there |
any elderly lady with US during that fall, |
except occasional visitors. none of whom !
interiered with the family affairs
No man or men were employed to Law |
carpets in our house at any time In 1869. |
We bought no new carpets and had no car
pets laid down after moving 10 our house in |
1856. and no carpet was laid down ON the |
hall stairs. aud no men were imployed in
the work of laying down either new OF old |
Garnet on the hall stairs at any time in the
year 1869 Any such work that was done
at all was done by women.
In conclusion | declare in the presence of
Almighty God that am absolutely inno- |
cent Of all the off snces charged against me
with relation to Henry Ward Beecher. ex
cept only that. under the influence of my
husband. which found it impossible to re-
sist so long as persisted in living with |
him, have made charges against Mr.. |
Beecher which were false and entirely un-
founded, and which my husband knew to
be false and declare that | left my hus-
band voluntarily and without any solicita-
ton or inducement from any person, and
especially without any solicitation on the
part of Mr. Beecher; but from eny knowl- |
edge have of his views. contrary to the
desire of Mr.. Beecher and do say because
do find, by sad experience, that the only
result of my long endeavor 20 serve my hus-
band. was that kept myself in his power,
and that it was impossible for me, 50 long
as lived with him. to speak the truth
when he required me to deny it.
ELIZABETH r. TILroN.
Sworn before me this 10th day of June.
1875. A. McCue, Judge of City Court,
Brooklyn.
The Burlington Free Press says it did not
90 and do any such thing as to abuse
MontneIier and esneciallY Montpelier sol