The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1873-05-30

not deny the general truthfulness OF
the account. Several passages al
luding to Mr.. Beecher,s proposals to
his wife he did most emphatically
deny, and yet he read those self
same passages TO me from his own
manuscript last Thanksgiving day.
It was evident Mr.. Tilton was on his
guard and purposely eyading and de-
nying, this, too, at an interview to
which / was invited by him, he we'll
knowing my character as q journalist,
and evidently expecting me to make
use OF anything he might communi-
cate. He played the role of brayado
to perfection, and said that he didn't
care Q snap about what the paper
snid, or what Mesdames Woohuil and
ClaHin or Colonel Blood did. There
did not exist, he said, a single scrap
OF paper emanating from his pen
which he was not wiling to have
given to the world at any time,
whether addressed to q man or
or woman. Allusion being made by
me to the manuscript statement Of
his case which he had read TO me last
Winter, and which was intended at
the time for private circulation, and
possible. publication, he said that
there were at that time certain con-
tingencies existing which affected
not himself but others, but that now
happily these were all removed.
Notwithstanding this statement, my
recollection is perfect that what Til
ton read to me as his story tallies
exactly with what the thunderbolt
says in reference to Mr.. Beecher
soliciting Mrs. Tilton to extend to
him the favors of wife-hood, and
furthermore. that the letter from
Tilton to Bowen, but recently pub
lished, was there IN ertenso, the one
case being that in which the honor
OF his wife was attacked, the other
springing from business and salary
relation with II. G. Bowen. Mr.
Tilton then alluded to the fact, well
known 10 those who are au faid In
this matter, that Mr.. Bowen's FIRST
wife, now dead eleven years, was al
50 victim to Mr.. Beecher's lust,
which very reasonably accounts for
the vindictive spirit shown by Mr..
Bowen when he urged Tilton TO
write that demand for Beecher's res
equation which he SO obligingly car
ried, and which he was smart enough
not to sign. In view OF the fact in
this connection that notwithstand.
ing the hot shot the Eagle is pouring
finto the Union, of which Bowen i
proprietor, calling him the slanderer
Of his pastor daily; and in view, fur,
thermore, that last Wednesday Mr.
Beecher's friends offered Sl25, 900 fol-
the purchase of controlling inter.
est in the Union, the situation il
certainly suggestive.
Not the least disgraceful feature
therefore, of this thoroughly dis
graceful affair, is the bare-faced a
tempt of Beecher's friends to hide
the shame Of the dead wife with the
glamour of gold. It may be well Il
mention here fact not general,
known. During the incarceration o
Woodhull and Claflin in the Ludlow
Street Jail, where they were visited
daily by George Francis Train. {
gentleman named Westbrook, from
Western Pennsylvania, ex-ministel
and ex-lawyer. and now q successful
coal operator, also called upon then
and heard their story. Thence b.
went TO Tilton and interviewed him
Tilton read him statement nov
} published in the thunderbolt, pre-
viously read to me. and supplement
ed that reading by the recital o
gross rape by Mr.. Beecher upon th
person of celebrated literary lad,
of this city by the name of Proctor
. dressing the story up in glowing ant
dramatic colors. This is the case al
luded to in the letter from Tilten b
Bowen, lately published, in whicl
the grossness of the rape was con
: cealed by the characteristic stars
Westbrook, himself, is my authorit
for this; and, further, that Tito
told him that upon learning of thi
> rape from Mr.. Bowen, Tilton calle
7 upon Miss Proctor and asked her
she had told Bowen of the outrage
. and that she said she had, and in
mediately swooned ut his feet. O
! recovering her consciousness, b
J asked her whether she had CON
municated the intelligence to HI
q Bowen verbally or in writing, an
she answered verbally. Mr.. Tito
admitted to me to-day that he ha
such an interview with Westbrool
had told Westbrook of his intervie
with Miss Proctor, but evaded dire,
a questions about the lady, and mail
! tained that the story was exaggera
: ed. All this time we were walkin
: along the street, Tilton carrying Il
. Reviesc in his hand, title out. 3
: sought the most frequented thorough
4 fares, Just as the churches were di
: missing their congregations. an
. seemed in no way to be annoyed
: his conspicuousness. He chatte
! pleasantly, and several times laughe
: heartily at what the paper sa
!. about him. intimating that the thu
y derbolt's true story was put togetl
: er by some clever hand from Il
4 pilfering memories of those to who
! ! be had read his statement. He sa
4 the original statement called his tr'
story was in the custody of NJ
Z Frank Moulton, which remark "
= confirmed by Mr.. Moulton himsel
= Mr.. Moulton also says in his pap
q that he, when called upon. will sho
"a satisfactorily where he got the stat
i bment he published. When partil
q from Mr.. Tilton, he asked me in
,r careless, off-hand manner, how t
q town talked about the scandal.
q told him this: Every man ] hl