The Leavenworth weekly times. [volume] (Leavenworth, Kan.) 1870-1880, 1874-08-27

UT k093V w. NO 1kI8eDoU8 o. co000eDoo |
imposed On any Of the parties concernisg |
anything mid q this isserview, save an e. |
peci.l pledge mutually given that nothing |
shoa6 b said coocerning Mr.. Beech<r's |
demoastraaions tovards Mre. Til.op. Oliver |
johnson ays that Bowen's statements in re- |
gard to Henry Ward Beecher were not in
tina'ioas Of Beechef's adulter:er, bat |
sirsighticrsard changes Of the same. Henry |
G. Bowen seated that he knew four or Eve !
easo Of NJ. Bsschers adultesous intercourse |
Win women. Oliver johnson ssys that
Bowen at this interview plainly declared
hat Henry Ward Beechef hsd confessed his |
guilt to him (Bowen) and eaid: Il cannot
stand it any logger; you and owe duty
to society in this matter; that man ought
mot 10 stay another week in his pulpit; it ia
mot saje for our families to have him in this
city," The allusion to the widow was made
By Theodore Tilton, and Henry c. Bowen
aid: "Hef husbands death vas caused by
his knowledge Of her improper intimacy
With Beecher. have NO doubt about H."
Al Tie conclusioa Of the arbitration, the par.
tie sisned . tzipartite agreement. drawn up
By Wilkesoo. and signed FIRST b. Bowen. 1t
bound the parties 10 Say nothing of tie
wrong committed BY Beecher, and exoner-
aied him fully. Tilton, however, refused to
ien il, and said he was willing to eigu an
agreement never to repeat the charges Of
Bowen, II for NO ether reason because il
vould shield his household No copy Of it
was given to Moulton. Appended to it was
. copy Of the article 10 the Golden Age, SO
that il might be known exactly to what
scandel it referred. Moulton could rot tell
how the agreement wss published. Ii was
also agreed that Tiltcn should write letter
to Bowen to be published in the Indepen-
ent with comments by Bowen. Feecher
soon after heard that Bowen was cireu'a-
ting other scandals about him, and proposed
writing him letter Of remons,rancs, stating
the terms Of the covenant AMI the reasons
why BOwen's moath should be closed.
The memorandum of that letter was in his
possession, penciled by Bsecher, and as fol-
low:
Beeeher's statement of Bowen's settle
ment: First, that he allowed himself to
listen to uniounied rumors; second, that he
never brought them either to me nor in
any proper manner to the church, and that
he only whispered them and even that only
When b had . business end in view; third,
he did mot himself believe anything had &C.
CURED which q, fitted me for the utmost
trust, a. was showa BY continuing for
twelve or fifteen years a conspicuous at
tendant at Plymouth church, BY contracts
With me 20 editor Of the Independent. my
sermons, etc., making it \ privilege of do
ing 20 even - late as the interview at Free
land's. One point Of the settlement Of al;
the dificultie, and reconciliation, which
Vas to lead to our working together, in
which Wa not hint Of any personal i'm
morality, bat every item was business. vas,
~, was to resume my old familiarity at
bis house; %, to write him letter that he
could z W to his family to show had re-
stored confidence; Sd, the endeavor to re-
move from me all GOODNESS and form, and
NOT treat him as one Who had injured me; 4th,
. card to be Published, and which was pub
lished, giving him the right to put in the
Iudependeut my eefmons and lecture room
talks, etc; 9Th, I was to be iavi;ed to
Woodetock, and be HIS guest, as
vas at the receptions. OF the settlement
| BY the committee. whose record il with
Clafliu, have nothing to say. | did not
see Mr.. Bowen during the whole process. nor
do remember to have spoken to him since
Therefore. the force Of the statement that he
did not believe had done anything immor.
al, which should effect my Standing as a
man, citizen and minister, is demonstrated.
Beecher also sent Moulton the following
letter:
My Dear Friend-I called last evening,
IS sgreed, but Won had stepped out On
the way TO church last evening ME, C!aAin.
He says Bowen denies any such treschesons
whisperings, and is in right state. men,
TONED my proposed letter, and he liked the
idea. read him the draft Of it in the lee
ture room, but he drew back and said had
better not send il. asked him ii he had
ever heard statement OF the bottom facts,
and If there were any charges / did not
know. He evaded me, and intimaied that
it would be hardly right to tell me. think
he would be right in telling you; he ought
to. / have not seat any note, and have de-
stroyed thai prepared. The real point to
avoid is an appeal to the church and then to
a counsel. 1t would be confagration, and
give every possible chance to parties for hid
ipgs and evasions, and increase q hundred
fold this scandal, without healing anything
l shall see you when l return. Meantime,
confide everything to your wisdom, as ! al
ways have, and With such good result s.
(Signed) H. W. +.
Until the publication Of the Woodruff
story, nothing occurred to disturb the friend
~ relations Of these parties. Then Beecher
learned that Bowen WA again rehearsing
the scandalous stories. The tripartite COW
enant was then published, but Beecher in
formed Moulton that he was not a party
to il. An account OF the interview be-
tween Bowen, Clsflin and Mrs. Woodruff
Was published in the Brooklyn Eagle, in
| which an attempt was made 10 obtain !e.-
tiers from Mn. Woodruff that might i'm.
plicate B1cher; whsrsnpon Beecher al
dressed MoultOn note, expressing anxiety
to see him, and naming several places and
hours that q meeting could take place. A
pcs,st ript stated that he had sent Clain's
letter, and said he wanted to show Moul-
ton . card he proposed publishing. The
Clsfin letter stated that the call on
Mrs. Woodruff was strictly private,
and that the report Of it was
breach of good faith. lie had told Bowen
that Mrs. Woodruff had no letters Of the
least consequence. He complained of bad
faith in publishing the interview, and said
be only went there at Bowen's earnest So
licita:ioo. When Moulton and Beec.er
met, the latter shovel the card he proposed
to publish. II invited Mr.. Woodruff to
publish any letters she might have from
him, stating ct the Fame time that she had
two-one declining an invitation to q suf-
fr.Ge meeting, and the other declining re-
cuniary assistance asked, and characterfzirg
% gro<s slsnde's the stories circul s.ed about
him derogaiory to his character. This was
the foundation OF the we'll known card pub |
lished in the Brooklyn Esgls, and which
similar statements. Moulton pub
lished this during Beecher's absence, but
held himself excepted from the call TO pub
lish Letters for obvious reasons. He krew
nothing further Of Bowtn's o. Re,cher's re-
lations In this connection.
II Was we'll known that Mrs I.abella
Hooker, Beecher's sister, had tspoused the
cause Of Mrs. Woodruff. in the question Of
woman suffrage, and had adopted her social
tenefs. She had learned Of Beecher's rei1-
lions With Mrs. Tilton, and had written him
, letter in regard to it. which is an e1piici,
recital of al the circumstance 1. is dated
1t Hartford, November 1, 1872, and CONF
DEAR BRorHER:-In reply to your wor's.
III you still believe in that woman," ETC., let
ne say that from her personally have new.
r heard word on this subject, and when
Yearly year sgo heard that she said she
expected you to introduce her 4. Steinway.
wrote her most indignant and rebukinc
ester. to which she replied in . manner that
etooished me BY its calm assertion that she
Considered you ss true friend 10 her az ny
elf.