The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1871-02-24

plOits During n 5ehSi..A o"uIhey
in Search of High Life.
The readers of The NEWS are so intimately
acuusinted with the circumstances OF The disclo.
sure the trial and narrow escape from convic-
ton or the Hon. C. C. Bowen Congressman by
grace of the reconstruction laws from the Com.
monwea;th of South Carolina, Tor the crime Of
bigamy or trigamy as the case may be accepted,
that the following interview, which we find in the
1,ouIsyile Courler-Journal of Monday last. needs
| no preface:
Az INTERVIEW WITH BowEN's FLORIDA WIFE.
tIearfy,r that Mrs. Tabitla Bowen, according to
| her own statement and the generally received
oDirioR, or Mrs. Tabitha Parks Win the accept.
! ance of the Hon. Bowen's statement, mad arrived
the city ~ MaS he
hafl at her residence, just above the corner OF
Second and Jefferson streets, anu inquired II he
| could see Mrs. Bowen. After some pariey Mrs.
Rntuen came into the hall. and, introducing him
self and his profession The prospective interview
er was ushered into her rooms; large, mas.
Go1re 9RpT s3 Tws6 black oVerress and lace
collar. with pink ribbon interlaced, is this Mr5.
Tabitha Bowen, but with Kind, horneiy manner,
with evidence OF having HnocEeu around the
| woriJ somewhat; and with not.at.allforbidding
"pr dT really do not know,n said she, ithat have
much to saw that La; not been already published.
think once before told ) on aIi knew =,
"An interview with yourself was published last
| summer. believe, but you know that there Is
rsport going the rounds that Nj. Bowen tried to
hny yoi on mt the trial the other day in Washing
I m and IL wouldn't 90 any harm " 'es Tue "orl2
| know as TO Its truth"
..WelI y said Mrs. Bowen, ~ didn't know that
thew sail that, but have nothing to say about
'-:t; sof course But how did you happen to meet
tf~ or
well YOU see, j met him In Florida, and he
courted me, and my people were opposed to my
| marryIng him, and so we ran away TO Newport,
Fla, and got married, and there we settled down
| ON q plantation and lived mighty haPpy and CON-
Portable for long time. InaL was Ill 1860. NOW,
| want to tell YOU that MIR. Bowen Is perfect
gentleman, with few exceptions, ana always
ingenious fc!,oS you ever saw; he could do any.
thing, and was as handy as ever ! saw man.
| Well. towards The end OF the war lie was taken
prisoner and sent TO charleston: alu Lnere a
| loria6!e Things, and they got along finely TO.
gether- You see he lett me at home on tile plan.
cation, anu used TO write me that ne had no
money to support me IN Cnarleslon. THIS was
after the close Of the war;"
"What was he doing them"
.Well, he was practlclng law and attending 10
the Freedmans Bureau; wniie e,o ne was , Con, m
wrote that he was working for position, and not
money, ana never once thought that a woman
was what was the meter. Finally, raised
money enough to go to Charleston, without
letting him know. and went to the postoflce there
10 get his address. ! got his number and rang
the bc and woman came to the dour, and
inst then sir the whole thing nashed over me.
Well. made up my mlnu tnat WouLdnt say
fever, and chills shook me like death. told :he
woman that was ILL., SO as to keep Fl ON telling
downright lie, and she took me up stairs 10 her
room. When got little better pumped the
whole thing out Of her, how SHE was supporting
Bowen and he had never been narrled to her.
She never suspected who was, and told her to
tell Bowen to come down tO see me at my hotel.
Well, he knew right or from the description that
1t wus me, and came down 10 the motel anu tolu
me all about It."
'What did you do f'
81 didn't raise any row, and Bowen used to
to see me every onef nS Oh
"Well, about the trial at washington. When
did YOU see Bowen bsfnre thatY'
'lIc came to see me last August, before ne was
married to Mrs. King, to arrange about the
divorce. don't believe lie married her thinking
ne was married to me, but his counsel and m"
counse! over in Indiana said that they could get
The divorce sure by certain day-SiX or seven
days before lie married her. but ne was so
awfuly In love that he wouldn't walt Till lie got
the news"
"Tou knew that he was married.
"Yes. l saw It In the papers. Well, he came
lie didq We'll, he tried to Impeach your char
acter, and said he visited you, but not as hus
band"
"Yes. and that's the only thing that would
make me tell on him. Now, SIR, | viii Just tel!
you that when he came to see me last, two months
ago, he didn't want 10 be known, but took care
to let enough know about Ills being with me-"
''Did he give you ani money?'
"Yts, in the last year he has sent me about
$500 altogether, besides paying the allmony az
ranged" ,;Ssl; No ,rso,oo vou vo !, that gut how
about his putting you or on another man :"
..Yrs sir [ never saw that man before IN s
my life lie was q we'll appearing young fellow,
with good face but he never looked me once IN
the face during The whole trial. Now, slr, 10 ten
you the whole truth, l knew TINS wfole plgn
when Bowen visited me TWO months ago. He
told me that by this plan he could arrange every.
thing. provided assented. Well, indirectly let
him beliye that would do It, for was afraid or
him, and wanted to get from him some OF the
money that was my due"
"WhyP Is he dangcrt US character F'
"Now l tell you, sir, have read novels In my
day, and / know that man VIII 10 anytnl
when he Is desperate he said TO me. wnen W, we
there will be still one left for you to contend
wilh,' meaning that 1t was Mrs. King, and she'd
have revenge II had stald one day longer n
Washington would nav" Eau tnem DUH arrest
cd on 4 peace warrant"
.sWe!t Mrs Bowen. this husband Of yours has
treateL you so meanly, In marrying tins woman
anu then defaming your character, hat should
thiuk y'.u would have no hesitation III exposing
him. Lave you ~
'No, sir. haven't; and you may write down
lust what say. lt was agreed between US TWO
months ago, belng Influenced by pecunidry and
fearful reasons. that this mans name who Should
swear that lie had married me should be John
Wilkinson and that was the name that the black
mOustached young fellow gave In Washington
lie swOre that l was living With Bowen at the
time and that !. fearful Of sometime breaking up
with Bowen, sent for him tWiElnson,) and gave
him two hundred dollars 10 marry me. That he
never SAW me BEFORE and never saw Inc an er that
daT he lad married me. Well, now. must tell
/ you that two or three years after Bowen and
were married. there was some doubt about our
being really married, and sent to lhe Judge at
Newport aud got our marriage certificate; Bowen
didn't know that hal IL until TWO or three years
AFTER but he never doubted that would stand by
the story we had made up, until | handed this
certificate 10 the prosecuting attorney. The
Judge who had given 1t had been summoned from
Newport and he didn't even have tD examine II,
so sure was he tint he had written lt himself.
We'll, they asked this young min, Wilkinson, If
he had gotten this IceRse, TO explain the judges
house and the surroundings, anu he made so
many mistakes THAT the Judge ana everybody
around laughed at him, aud one lawyer. whot sat
behind me- sail: 'If that woman was anything
10 lie there would be one lcsS member VI Con-
gress next Saturday night
after the first day OF court, when lie found
had no; accedei to his plan, Mr.. Bowen Went to
my ruUm was there before was, AMI rarta wih
anger anl wept like child alternately, AMI
male all sorts Of threats against my character
tyil him was IN his power, as liau not means
10 employ counsel anu pay travelling expenses Of
myself anu witnesses 10 rclute him, but told him
he could not allege anything against my char