The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1874-07-24
BEECHER and HRS. TTLTON 10
MAKE 4 JOINT T.S7,ATEUENT.
TILToN,s LETTER TO RnwEN

c. Bowen, acknowledge the receipt Of
a sudden notice breaking his two con
tracts with the IHdePeHdet and the
BrOOkIvn Union. and goes on TO say that
il was in the early part of the Rebellion
that Mr. Bowen first intimated to hnn
that Mr. Beecher had committed acts OF
for which. if he CBowen) should
expose him, he should be driven from
the pulpit.
From that time forward Mr.. BOwen's
references to the subject" says Mr.. Til
ton, ''were frequent. On the 2jth OF
December, 1870, at an interview in Mr.
Bowen's house, at which Oliver johnson
was present, you (BOwen,D spoke freely
and Indignantly of Mr. Beecher as an
unsafe visitor in the families of his con-
gregation. You alluded by name to a
woman, now a widow, whose husbands
death, you did not doubt was hastened
by his knowledge that Mr. Beecher had
maintained with her an improper init
macy. You informed us that Mr.. Beech
er had made to you a confession of guilt,
and with tears implored your forgive
ness. After Mr.. Johnson retired you re-
lated TO me the case of another woman
whom Beecher took in his arms by force,
threw her down upon sofa, accom-
plished upon her his deviltry, and left
her. You suggested a demand upon him
to quit his sacred Office, volunteered To
bear such Il demand, and to sustain it,
This letter you presented 10 Mr. Beecler
at Mr.. Freeland's house.
BOWEN GOES BACK On HIS OWN WORDS.
Shortly after you sought an interview
with me and with face livid with rage
Threatened with a loud voice if | ever
should INFORM Mr. Beecher of the state
mcntS that you made concerning his
adultery, or should compel you TO add.
as the evidence on which you agreed 10
sustain the demand for his withdrawal
from Brooklyn, you would deprive me
OF my engagements with the Independ-
eHt and the Union, and if | ever at
tempted to enter those offices, would
have me fOrcibly elected. | told you
that | should inform Mr. Beecher or
anybody else, according to the dictates
of my Judgment. Had your violent
words ceased ringing in my ears when |
received your summary notices breaking
my cOntract!'
Mr. Wilkeson says he was shocked with
the mischievOusness of the matter Mr..
Tilton threatened to publish but he re
monstrated against it. \ discussion en-
sued on Mr. Tilton's part, passionate
and noisy. He CT'ilton) complained that
Bowed had dismissed him without cause
and ruined him in fame, prospect and
estate, and had crowned this wrong by
refusing TO pay large debt for editorial
services, of which he was in pressing
need, compelling him to bring suit to
collect it. His next complaint was that
Mr.. Beecher had not helped him in his
troubles; that he was lying crushed, on
the sidewalk in Brooklyn, and Reecher.
who had such power that with his little
finger he could have lifted up and rein
stated him, saw him in his agony and
ruin and passed by in silence and indif-
ference. Rising into dramatic rage,
tramping the room from corner to cor
ner, and speaking with intense passion,
he declared: II will have revenge on
him; l will pursue him to his grave"
WHAT wILKEsoN DID.
''It was clear to me-" says WiIi;es0n
''that what Mr. Tilton wanted wa-'
money, and that his purpose in coming
TO me was to raise money. lie left my
office calm and happy, in the prospect
of an arrangement which ] outlined TO
him. that should Immediately give linn
in hand the money Mr.. Bowen owed
him, restore his old relations with Mr
Beecher and Bowen, procure for him a
fiattering mention in the IpdCPeRdsHt,
and a handsome notice in the Christian
Union of his newspaper enterprises
The well known
TRIPARTITE AGREEMENT
Came from the negotiation initiated
after this interview. Bowen agreed to
paw forthwith Tilton's unpaid salary,
and to publish preparatory card i'll the
IndependeRt. On the night of April I'd,
1872. when the agreement was ready for
signature, Tilton was in a happy frame
of mind, and overflowed with love and
admiration for Mr. Beecher"
THE TERMS OF THE AGREEMENT.
WfIkeson gives the terms of the agree
ment as originally drafted. This paper
was read at a meeting of four gentlemen,
of whom Tilton was one. He was
charmed with it and said he could con-
scientiously and heartily subscribe his
name TO every word of it, would sign it
twelve times over if that would induce
Bowen to sign it once, and in his eager
ness took up the pen to sign, but he was
restrained by the suggestion that Bowen
might be less willing to sign, if Tilton
should sign first. 1t was carried away
without Tilton's signature.
THE INJURY TILTON RECEIVED FRoH
BEECHER.
Wilkeson's statement continues as fol
lows: In full and kind conversation
between Inc and Mr. TiltOn, after the
meeting on the night of April 2d broke
ND. he replied TO a clear cut question
put TO him, that the only wrong Mr..
Beecher had ever done him had been 10
address improper language to his wIir,
and that for. that he held i'll his hands
an ample and satisfactory written apollo
gy. / repeated to him the mention Of a
graver injury than that was made 10 me
by a person whose information was al
legged to be derived i'll part directly
from himself, in part at second hand
from a confession of his wife. With
great spirit he denied the truth OF both
these statements. He called the inform
ant at second hand a sexualiy morbid
mOnOmaniac, who had imagined every
word she uttered lie scOrnfully said
there was not a shadow of truth IN her
story. He expressed amazement that
the other person should state that lie
had ever said there was anything criInl-
nal in Mr.. Beecher's conduct, and de
MED in the fullest and most energetic
manner that he had ever said so, or said
anything that could be 50 construed by
a truthful and healthy mind. He re-
turned to his previous declaration that
Beecher's sole offence was improper Ian
guage to his wife, and repeated it-anew
and again repeated that the written con
fession and apology he had in keeping
was ample for that wrong.
TILToN OFF AT A TANGENT AGAIN.
Ion the next morning, on the Sd of
April. Mr.. Tilton came TO my Office in
the Equitable Insurance Company's
building. He was flushed and suiien.
There was a hitch in the money pay
meut. he said abruptly. He would not
sion the agreement; that it would have
to be altered before he would sign ii.
Kindling in anger as he talked, he said
that in the negotiation Mr.. Bowen had
baen well taken care of by Mr. Claiiin,
and Mr.. Beecher was well taken care OF
by me. but that he had been left out in
the cold. with the money due from
Bowen unpaid.
Il combatted this fancy kindly, and
tried 10 soothe him and hold him 10 the
arrangement he had made, but he flew
.
out wild and declared with the utmost
passion that he would never while he
lived sign a paper hat should disable
him from pursuin-, Henry Ward Beecher,