Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-08-19
BEECnER RESPONSIBLE.
Hrs. TilIen Declares that Beecher.s Scr.
mon on Confession Prompted Her to 1ro,,
Her GMilt-Her Trials and Sf,uooyes-

airs. Ittden Declares that Beeche1.'s Ser
mon on Confession Prom pied He, to Iro,r
Her GHitt-Her Trials and Struggles
She scilt not Lecture.
New York Sun.
Mrs. Elizabeth Tilton on Sunday last was
visited IN her home by a lady of this city
formerly an intimate friend of her family.
She said she had but few visitors, and no one
OF her old friends came to see her EXCEPT
they were sent for. She lived quietly with
her mother and two sons. Within few DAYS
she had taken.
BESSIE TURNER
into her household. The girl came to her
with pitiful story of her attempts to earn
her living. The cold shoulder was turned
upon her by Mr.. Beecher's friends as soon
as the trial was over, and finding she had
mlscalculated upon their support in reward
for devotion to their PASTORS cause, she
obtained a fitful support by lending hen
name to book and story principally written
for her, and then turned to the stage. She
was engaged to play subordinate parts at a
small salary. nl-fortune seemed to attend
her, and she lost her position. Having no
home, she thought of Mrs. Tilton, and asked
shelter. 1t was freely given.
MRS. TILToN TALKED FREELY
of her confession and previous efforts to
save MIR. Beecher. She said she entered
boldly into the plan concocted at the out
break of the scandal to face down the
charges and lie out of them. She kept lie
on the end of her tongue, and for four wears
was ready at any moment to speak it if she
thought it would help Mr.. Beecher. Since
her confession she had enjoyed greater peace
OF mind than ever before. She had repent
ed IN sackcloth and ashes, and believed she
mad obtained Divine forgiveness, and had
nothing now to fear for the future. Asked
if her husband had Influenced her to con-
fession, she said
mot AT ALL.
He did not know I contemplated such a
thing and had not seen me to speak about
it." Mrs. Tilton added that she was per-
suaded to hear Mr.. Beecher preach by Mrs.
Thomas q. Sherman, and others who had
lamented with her at being deprived of his
spiritual consolation She went on Sunday
to Plymouth church heavily yelled. No one
recognized her. and but two or three per-
| son knew she was there. Mr.. Beecher was
Ignorant of her presence. He preached his
| powerful sermon on the downfall of Gil
man, the forger, and the burden of his
argument was that
CONFESSION WAS THE ONLY BALM
| for guilty soul. From his lips the advice
| had peculiar force, and the words rang in
her ears for days afterward She felt the
gradual growth of determination to free
her conscience of the guilt of falsehood,
and, reaching at length what she described
as ''a state of great spiritual exaltation,' 81
she felt that not to confess would be the
greatest sin of her life She wrote to Mr..
Beecher, warning him of her intention.
She was afraid, she said, if the confession
came upon him unawares,
HE WOULD TAKE HIS LIFE.
To lady member of Plymouth church she
wrote "The only place in the world for a
self-confessed adulteress is in States Prison.
alongside William G. Gilman, and how 7
wish l were theren' Mrs. Tilton expresse
the greatest surprise at Mr.. Beecher's con-
duct since her confession. She had felt all
along that her lies were buoying him up,
and dreaded the state of despair into which
she thought recantation would plunge him
Chow can he SO deny God and man?'' she
added. AS to her future, Mrs. Tilton said
she felt she
HAD NONE THIS SIDE OF THE GRAVE.
Her health was impaired, and her troubles
made her physically miserable Her son
| Carroll, to whom she was devoted, left the
Polytechnic Institute when her confession
was published, and remained home with her
exhibiting the tenderest regard for her in
many ways, and seeking to protect her from
annoying visitors. He was induced to meet
James Sherman (brother of Thomas G.
Shearman), and that gentleman, who, Mrs.
Tilton thinks, acted as his brothers ennis
sary, sought to induce Carroll to abandon
his home, on the ground that his mothe,
had confessed herself to be an outcast, and
his father was dishonored man.
| THE LAD REJECTED THE PROPOSAL,
Mrs. Tilton said she had been annoyed by q
lecture agent, who insisted on her going in
to the field, guaranteeing her fortune OF
100000 if she would consent. She wholly
refused to entertain any proposition of the
kind. She claimed that the subject of a re-
union with her husband had never been
preached between them, and asserted dis
] tinctly that she was more adverse to living
| with him
THAN HE COULD POSSIBLY BE.
She did not now feel that she was entitled
to resume her relations as wife of her hus
band and mother of her children. 1t hav
ing been suggested to Mrs. Tilton that others
had suffered through her prolonged opposi
ton to her husband, and that she might
give corroboratiye evidence which woulc
partly vindicate them, she expressed ar
aversion to entering into the details of hel
terrible sin, but intimated that she intended
to prepare history of her experience witt
Mr.. Beecher, and leave it to her husbands
friends, to be made use of as they pleased.
AFTER HER DEATH.
The interview is described as having beer
sorrowful. Mrs. Tilton was deeply in earnest
in all she said, and the lady, commenting
upon it, remarked with feeling: s.No one
could hear Elizabeth Tilton tell her story Of
wo and disgrace without believing that she
was speaking the truth