Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1874-07-21
The Statement Of Samuel W1kersOH be-
fore the PlymOuth.Church In
vestigatiHg Committee.
Beeeher Accused OF Rape, Indiserimi-
nate Intimacy and Adultery
The Case OF Mrs. Tilton
by 1iItOB.
Money and Revenge at the Bottom Of
TiltOn's Pursuit Of Beecher-The
PIainest Expose Of the Case
Yet GiTen, Etc.

NEW YORK, July l9.-The Herald
prints the statement Of Samuel Wilker
son before the BeecheI investigating
committee, the substance OF which i
that in the last week of March, 1872, Mr.
Tilton came to his Office, and took ron
his pocket 3 warm pToOf-press Of lettel
he proposed to publish in the next lssuS
of the Golden Age, unless Henry Ware
Baecher did him justice. The letter
which was dated January lst, was ad'
dressed TO Henry c. Bowen, acknowi'
edges the receipt Of a sudden notice
breaking his two contracts with the H.
dependent and Brooklyn Union, and goes
on to say that il was
IN THE EARLY PART OF THE REBELLION
that Bowen first intimated to him
that Beecher had committed acts Ol
adultery, for which, il be Bowen
should expose him, he would be driven
from the pulpit from that time forward.
Bowen's reference 10 the subject, says
the Tilt0ns, were frequent. On The
tvyenty-fifth of December, 1870, at an
interview in BOwen's house, at which
Oliver johnson was present, you
(Bowen) spoke freely and Indignantly
of Beecher as an unsafe visitor in the
families Of his congregation. You all
alluded, by name, TO a woman, now 3
widow, whose husbands death, you did
not doubt. was hastened by his knOwl-
edge that Beecher had maintained with
her
IMPROPER INTIMACY.
You informed Us that Mr.. Beecher
had made to you a confession Of guilt,
and with tears implOred your forgive
ness. t%fteT Mr.. johnson retired, you
related Ia me the case of another wO-
man Mr.. Bgecher took in his aims by
force. threw her down upon the sofa,
and Accomplished upon her his deviltry,
and left her. You suggested demand
upon him to quit his sacred ofnce, and
volunteered to bear such demand, and
to sustain it. This letter you presented
to Mr.. Beecher at Mr.. Freeland's house.
Shortly afterward you sought an inter
view with me, and with face llyld
with rage threatened with loud voice
that il l ever should inform Mr.. Beecher
Of the statements You made concerning
his adultery, or should compel you to
adduce the evidence oH which you
agreed TO sustain the demand Tor
HIS WITHDRAWAL FROM BROOKLYN,
YOU would deprive me of my engage
ments with the Independent and Union,
and if / ever attempted to enter those
Offices, YOU would have me f0Tcibly
elected. I told you should inform MT.
Beecher or anybody else, according to
the dictates of my Judgment. Scarce
ly had your violent words ceased
ringing ia my ears, when l re-
ceiYed your summary notices break
ing my contract. Mr.. Wl6esOn
saws he was shocked with the mischiev-
business Of the matter IiltOn threatened
to publish. He demonstrated against
il, a discussion ensued, which on Til
TOMS part was passionate and noisy. He
(Ti!ton) complained that Bowen had
dismissed him without cause, and ruined
him in prospects. He had crowned
this wrong by refusing 10 pay large
debt for editorial service, OF which he
,gss in pressing need, and compelling
him to bring suit to collect II. his
next complaint was that Dir. BeecheT
had not helped him in bis troubles;
that he was lying crushed on the side
walk ia Brooklyn, and Beecher, 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,
-ramping the room FROM corner to cor
oer and speaking with intense passion
be declared: II will have revenge on
him, l will pursue him to his grave"
II was clesr 10 me, says WiikersOn,
that what TiltOn wanted was money,
and that his purpose in coming 10 me
was to raise money. He left my Office
calm and happy in the prospect of an
| outlined to him, which
should Immediately give him in hand
The money Bowen owed him, restore
1is old relations with Beecher and
Bowen, procure for him a fiattering
notice in the Independent, and a hand
sorne notice in the CBT68tiGn Union of
ais newspaper enterprise. The well
known tripartite agreement came from
.he negotiation initiated after this in
.erview. Bowen agreed to pay forth
With Tilton's unpaid salary and to pub
ish
PREPARATORY CARD
n the ladependsnt on the night OF
A pril 2, 1872, when the agreement was
-eady for his signature. TiltOn was in
happy frame Of mind, and overflowed
With love and admiration for Beecher.
gives the terms Of the agree
nent SIS Originally drafted. This paper
was read at a meeting Of four gentlemen,
lf whom Tilton was one. He was
with il, and said he could con-
and heartily subscribe his
name to every word Of it, and would
ign it twelve times over if that would
induce Bowen to sign it once, and in his
took up a pen to sign it, but
vas restrained by a suggestion that
Bowen might be less willing to sign il
TiltOn fret signed. 1t was carried away
without TiltOn's signature. WilkersOn's 4
statement continues as follows: "In 4
'ull conversation between me and Mr.. I
rilton, after the meeting on the night /.
IF April %, broke up, he replied to
A CLEAR-CUT QUESTION
{ put 10 him, that the only wrong Mr..
3eecber had ever done him had been to
address improper language to his wife,
md that for that he held in his hands
IN ample and satisfactory written apol-
Wv. / repeated to him mention Of a
-raver Injury than that, made TO me by
/ person whose information was alleged
o be derived in part directly from him
elf and 10 part at secondhand from a
confession ofhis wife. With great spirit
le denied the truth Of both Of these state
nents. He called the informant at Sec /
midland a sexually morbid mOnOma-
liae. who had imagined every word she
Uttered. He said there was not q shadow
4 truth in her story. He expressed
that any other person should
tate that he had ever said there was
pythinR criminal In Mr. BeecheT's con-
net. and denied in the fullest and most
neFretie manner that he bad ever said
D. on said anything that could be 50 con-
tfued by a truthful and healthy mind;
nd he returned 10 his previous declara-
ION that Mr.. Beecher's sole O1ense was
language to his wife, and re-
eated 1t anew, and again repeated 1t,
hat
he WRITTEN CONFESSION AND APOL-
OGY
e had in keeping was ample for that
Tong. The next mornings on the third
( April, TiltoD came TO my Office IN the
,quitable life insurance company build
~, He was flushed aud sullen. There
iss a hitch In the money payment. He
aid abruptly that he would not sign the
that il would have TO be
ltered before he would sign il. Kind
ng in anger as be talked, he said that
! ihe negotiation Mr.. Bowen had been
7ell taken care Of by Mr.. Claiiin and