The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1871-03-16
ROWEN'S FLORIDA WIFE.
A Damaging Letter.

The reporter OF the Louisville Courier-Jour.
nal sought Mrs. Tabtha Bowen in that city on
Saturday last, and asked her concerning the
alleged letter of hers denying her marriage
with Bowen. She replied:
By this time letter of mine to Judge Fisher
and Mr.. Pennington will have reached these
gentlemen, enclosed with which is the origl-
| nal OF that letter, written by Mr. Bowen him.
! self. together with sundry affidavlts swornto
| by me as to its being written by Mr. Bowen:
's'What, did you write that letter at MT.
BoSen's dictation 2"
''Not exactly. Mr.. Bowen wrote the oflgi-
nal OF thai letter in his room at the Galt house
on the occasion OF his visit to me last August:
He afterwards brought 1t to me and copied
| it verbatim and gave the copy to him."
sWhat led to this action on your part =
~ will tell YOU, sir. Mr. Bowen represented
| to me that several prominent members OF
| Congress of his party had limited to MIN tnat
unless the fact of his marriage with me was
representation, and to save for him his seat, l
gave him the copy Of the letter he had written
| for that purpose. He told me that 1t was only
intended to satisfy these prominent gentlemen,
and for their eyes alone. He sWore to me on
his honor that no one else should ever see IL.
Now, sir, am convinced that Mrs. King, de-
ceived by this letter, consented to the mar
~~S~~
to preserve the original document
s.Did he not insist upon It's destf0es5On p
s.He did; but destroyed what. puSported to
be the original, whereas had 1t secured IN
sale place, and tore upa piece OF paper re-
sembingsit, which had provided for that pur-
sAnd that original is in the hands of Judge
Fisher %
'sWhat were the circumstances of your sepa-
ration from Mr.. Bowen, and how have you
maintained yourself since ?"
~ separated from Mr.. Bowen alter my dls-
.coyery OF his intercourse with the Charleston
woman. He gave me letter to one Judge
Cole OF Marietta. Georgia, recommending me
as his wife to the kind Offices OF that gentle
man. This was in March, 1867. = / then went
to hotel in that place and lived there Tor
some months, assisting The landiady ABOUT tne
house. Afterwards / wrote To Mr-Bowen, tell7
ing him that we had better separate, Where
upon he wrote me his assent and forwarded
me IA order upon Judge Cole for $50. Judge
Cole gave me SIS, with which came to Louis
vile. This was the 7th Of July, 1857. Since
then have supported myself 6y sewing IN
boarding-house, and now rent rooms IN TINS
same house."
Mrs. Bowen, as this correct report of the In.
teryiew will prove, is,a woman Of intelligence
above the ordinary. Her language shows the
result of cultivation; she Is direct In her an
swers, firm In her statements, and at the same
time exhibits reluctance in involving her hus-
band further in the meshes that surround hun.
Witho It further preface, we give below MRS.
Tabitha Bowen's statement:
To the Editor of the Cou7ier-J0unl
+ Tdeplore the necessity OF again appearing
in the columns Of newspaper, but justice To
myself seems to demand that vindicate my
character against the foul aspersions hurled at
nae by the third, ands1 suppose last, dupe OF Y.
G.. Bowen; that, too, at the instance OF him
WAC on the day Of Our nuptlals, vowed 10 lor-
sakesll Others and cleave 10 me, DC, &C., SO
long IS lie should last.
of our marriage That was done at the trial
of Bowen, in Washington, for biSamy.. My
design in this communication is simply TO
establish the fact OF our relations as man and
wife beyond o doubt, If any remains, in the
mind OF the public. Now, in addition to the
evidence adduced at the trial OF Bowen, pre-
sent constructive evidence, and the arst l
offer is in Mr: Bowen's own hanawritinS. at ms ,,s
divorce is dated Washington, d. u, January
10. 1870. He says: "Both OF your letters re-
ceived. certainly shall not enter into any
controversy with you, but in regard TO your
suing me and the lawyer you have employed,
l cure nothing for. You say!you. want money.
Now will give you one thousand dollars II
can bereleased from any further claim, which
can only be done by a divorce. Now II This
proposition suits sou, lee me know The name
OF your lawyer, and will guarantee the pay
ment of the amount as soon as divorce can
be had. y. u. BOWEN.
Letter No. 2, dated Washington, d. e., May
l2, 1870: II am In no hurry for the divorce,
but will furnish the balance OF the money and
aooti in a oh
see Mr.. Speed and inform him. Hoping YOU
are succeeding In business, and that yoa can
wait little while tor the remainder, VIII
close y. Y. BOWEN.
Letter No. 3, dated Charleston, s. c.. July
30, 1870, says "Yours OF the 25th received
Yesterday. shall leave here on the llth Tor
Washington, and will send. the money just as
soon as get there. I assure you have not
withheld IL (the money because the divorce
is not granted, but because have not had 1t
to spare. I should not go tC Washington
were it not to make arrangements for you to
get the money. will send 1t by the middle
OF August, sure. Hoping lhls Will be satlsiac-
tory, and that may hear from you as soon as
this Is received, am, &c., q. q: B."
Now, ask an intelligent aud discriminating
public what does all this mean? Why speak
OF divorce, and the payment OF all COST per-
tanning to the procurement of divorce, II the
relation of man and wife do not and never
have existed? It Is not to be presumed that
Mr.. Bowen, representative or a people, is
lunatic man occupying the high position
he has attained to ought certainly to be q man
of ordinary common sense. II he was Nnfor
turate in his youthful days, and, fell among
thieves, he has certainly ere now recovered
from the fall.
1t was not my intention to refer at all to the
scurrilous article Of Kappa" but it abounds
with such glarinE falsehoods, with your per-
mission will simply state that the story OF
Mrs. 2. R. Bowen to the reporter Kappa"
about what passed between Mr.. Hurley and
myself in 1866, is entirely without foundation.
never saw that gentleman butonce, and that
was in March, 1867, and then ne,erN told him
what he Is reported 10 have said. Nor did
ask him tor assistance. Never told him any
thing in resardto Mr.. G.. G. B. and myself, nm
less It was to Say he was my husband, and to
ask where he could be found, as had been In
formed Mr. Hurley knew.
Again, I-deny most positively the statement
OF '.Kappa" that had said To any one that Mr..
T. J. Mackey had given me $1,000, and agreed
TO give me $4,000 more If G: c. Bowen'was con-
ricted. Nothing of the kind ever occurred be-
tween Mr.. Mackey and myself. Again, never
told any reporter that We lived in Florida on
plantation. We finally moved to, and settled
in, Lee County, Georgia. But I have no de-
oire to protract this communication; nor do
seek sympathy, but have right to ask, and
expect to receive, righteous public verdict.
/ repeat, ana the lawful wife Of C. c. Bowen,
ond oboll. ca oopoydor roraolf rrnfJ, tho darrpp