Year: 1875

ming: MY dear husband, l desire to
leave with you, before going to bed, a
statement that Henry Ward Beecher
called upon me if | would defend him
against any accusation in council OF
ministers" and ending: Affection
ately. Elizabeth A. Yes. sir. but
that is not my letter.


q. How was it written? A. In
the same way as those which L have
already explained. l have no other
explanation for any of them. That
was written in bed. Mr.. Tilton wrote
it first and sat in my sick-bed and
copied it.


Q. Is that true of all the letters
that have that significance? 4. Yes,
sir, so far as my authorship of them
is concerned.


@. Was this letter written when
you were sick? A. Yes.


@. DO you rccollect Mr.. Beecher
calling that evening? A. Yes.


q. When? A. But few hours
before l wrote that letter.


Q. Can you remember that inter-
view with Mr. Beecher? A. 1t was
a very similar one to the other. l
was half unconscious, and was very i'll
prepared to see either of them. My
room was all darkened, and the nurse
had gone to hers. She opened the
door and said that Mr. Beecher want
ed to see me. / certainly do not know
what to tell you about that, either.


O. Do you remember writing some
paper for Mr.. Beecher? A. Yes.


Q. Can you recall the contents of
that paper? A. No, | cannot. l
think it was to do something for him
because Theodore had done somc-
thing against him.


Mrs. Tilton said she never told
Miss Anthony that she had commit
ted adultery or done wrong with Mr..
Beecher, and in reply to the ques-
ton


Q. Did you ever tell any human
being that you had been guilty of
wrong doing with Mr.. Beecher? A.
| have never voluntarily done SO.
Once my husband took me in Mrs.


carriage to the house of a lady
where he had been telling stories
about me and Mr.. Beecher; l went
against my will, and when we got
there he said: Il have brought
Elizabeth to speak for herself, wheth-
er l have slandered her." and l did
not OeDy nlD.


Mrs. Tllton gave an account of GER
tain scenes with her husband when he
would take her to a room, lock the
door, and sometimes keep her locked
up all day. At such times he was Sc
we're in his accusations, and frequently
she fancied his mind was unsettled.
She was often cruelty treated by Til
ton, her house was i'll provided for,
and in some cases she was entirely
ignored in the conduct of affairs. One
time when she returned from visit
she found maiden lady installed as
housekeeper. and she said Tilton was
improperly intimate with this woman,
and the two seemed to be entirely OBJ
livious of the wife's existence. Mrs.
Tilton's story in connection with this
episode is pathetic in the extreme.
She says:


This woman hurt me moro than
any one in the world; she was more
severe and treated me with greater
contempt than anybody else ever did.
and to such an extent that [ could
not speak of it to my husband, as he
never took my side Nor could tell
mother about it. l did not feel like
revealing to her this trouble and
embarrassment and humiliation. [
did not feel that there was place for
my head to lie down in that house;
and frequently went out wandering
in the streets. Night after night [
walked with my water proof cloak on,
and would go back and creep into the
basement and lie down anywhere,
feeling utterly wretched. Once |
went away from home. thinking that
l would not come back; but l found
that [ had left my purse at home, and
had to return. Mr.. Tilton owns lot
in Greenwood, and there [ have two
babies; l went there with my water
proof cloak on, and with the hood
over my head, and laid down on the
been there but little while before
the keeper of the grounds ordered me
| off. | paid no attention to him; did
not regard his or2er until he came
again in few moments and said: II
order you off these grounds; do you
hear me z" l rose or my feet and
said: IF there is one spot on earth
that is mine. it is these two graves
and he actually bowed down before
me in apology. Though he was a
common workman, it was very hearty
and it was very grateful to me. He
said Il did not know that these
were yours and he left me.
Mrs. Tilton concluded her state
ment by saying that she had not one
pang of conscience; that she had done
everything she could as a good wife
and good mother to her children, and
felt that she had borne and suffered
for her husbands sake, and that upon
him must rest the responsibility fol
the disruption of the family and the
sickcning scandal that has ensued.
| 1t is probable that Mrs. Tilton de.
sires in yindication of herself to ties.
tify under the sanctity of an oath to
what she. related before the church
committee. and to this end addressed
Judge Nelson the note which has
been alluded to. Though the stu
alton would be extremely trying, il
seems but just that she should be
permitted. if she desires. to thus place
her word against that of the man who
instead of being to her a protector
husband and friend, has proven hel
bitterest and most unrelenting enc.
my.