Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-07-21
BEECHER.
Samuel WillSesOn Before the In
yestigating Committee.
Beecber's 80 Offence, Consisted of
eH@H Words Only.
TiIton,s Grievanee Alleged 10 be want
of Money

substance is that in the last week in
March, 1872, Tilton came to his office and
took from his pocket wOrn proof press OF
a letter he proposed TO publish in the next
issue Of the Golden Age. unless Henry
Wap1 Bescher did him justice. The let
ter (Which was dated Jan. l, 1STl,) was ad-
dressed to Henry G. Bowen, and acknOwl-
edges the receipt of a sudden notice break
ing his two engagements with the hide
pendent and Brooklyn Union and goes ON
TO say that it was in the early part of the
rebellion that Bowen first intimated to
him that Beecher had committed acts Of
adultery, for which, if he (BOwen) should
expose him, he would be driven from the
pulpit. .t-
From that time forward Bowen's refer
ences to the subject (says Tilton) were fire.
quent On the 25th of December, 1870, at
an interview in Bowen's house, at which
Oliver johnson was present: zoo
s.You (Bowen) spoke freely and indjg-
nantly of Beecher as an unsafe visitor in
the families of his congregation. You al
luded by name 10 woman, now a widow,
whose husbands death was fastened by
his knowledge that Mr.. Beecher had main
tanned with her improper intimacy. You
informed 20 us that Beecher had made to
you confession of guilt, and with tears
implored your forgiveness. After Mr.. John
son retired you related TO me the case OF
another woman whom Beecher took in his
arms by force, threw her down on the sofa,
accomplished on her his deviltry, and left
her. You suggested demand upon him
TO quit his sacred office, volunteered to bear
such a demand, and to sustain it. This
letter you presented TO Mr.. Beecher at Mr..
Freland's house. Shortly after YOU sought
an interview with me, aud with face livid
with rage threatened with loud voice if
ever should inform MIR. Beeeher of the
statements You made concerning his adult
cry, or should compel you 10 adduee the
evidence on which you agreed to sustain
the demand for withdrawal from Brook
Ign, you would deprive me of my engage
ments with the Independent and Union,
and if l ever attempted to enter those
offices, would have me forcibly elected.
told you l should inform Mr.. Beecher or
anybody else, according to the dictates Of
my judgment. Scarcely had your violent
words ceased ringing in my ears when l
received your summary notices breaking
my contract"
wfIkesOn Proposes a Compromise.
Mr.. Wilkeson says, shocked with the
mischieyouSneSs of the matter Tilton
threatened to publish, he demonstrated
against it. 4 discussion ensue1, on Til
toms part passionate and noisy. He (Til-
toni complained that Bowen 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 plant was that
Beecher had not helped him in his troubles;
that he was lying crushed on the sidewalk
in Brooklyn, and Beecher, who had such
power that, with his little finger, he could
have lifted him up and reinstated him, saw
him in his agony and ruin, and passed by
in silence and indifference. Rising into
dramatic raCe, tTamping the room from
corner to corner, and speaking with intense
passion, he declared, Il will have revenge
on him, viii pursue him to his gravel
at was clear TO me (says WilkeSOn) that
what Tilton wanted was money, and that
hi purpose in coming to me was to raise
money. He left the Office calm and
happy on the prospect Of an arrangement 1
outlined to him. which should Immediately
give him in hand the money Bowen owed
him for his old relations with Beecher and
ton in the Independent and a handsome
notice in the Christian Union Of his news
paper enterprise. The well-known tripar-
lite agreement came from the negotiation
initiated after this interview. Bowen
agreed TO pay forthwith TiltOn's unpaid
salary and TO publish a preparatory card in
the HdepeRdent. On the night of April 2,
1872, when the agreement was ready for
signatures, TiltOn was in happy frame of
mind, and overlooked with love and admir-
alton for Beecher.' WilkeSOn gives the
terms Of the agreement 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
conscientiOusly 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 pen TO sign, but was re-
strained by the Suggz Stion that Bowen
might be less willing TO sign if Tilton
should sign first. 1t was carried away
without Tilton's signature.
Mrs. TiIten.
Wilkeson's statement continues as fol-
lows:
In full and kind conversation between
me and Tilton, after the meeting on the
night of April broke up, he replied to a
clear-cut question / put TO him, that the
only wrong Mr.. Beecher had ever done
him had been to address improper language
to his wife, and that for that he held in his
hands an ample and satisfactory written
apology. ! repeated to him the mention of
gaver inquiry than that, made to me by
a person whose information was alleged TO
be derived in part directly from himself
and in part at secondhand from a confess
sion of his wife. With great spirit he de-
MED the truth of both these statements.
He called the informant at secondhand a
sexually morbid monOmaniac, who had i'm
agined every word she uttered. He scOrn-
fully said there was not a shadow of truth
in her story. He expressed amazement
that the other person should state that he
had ever said that there was anything GRIM
inal in Beecher's eoIduct,and denied in the
fullest and most energetic manner that he
had ever said so, or said any thing that
could be so construed by a truthful and
healthy mind, and he returned to his pre-
vioGs declaration that Beecher's sole ofense
was improper language to his wife, and re-
peated it anew, and again repeated that the
written confession and apology he had in
keeping was ample for that wrong.
The Tfipartite Agreement signed.
The next morning, On the I'd of April,
Tilton came to my office, in the Equitable
Insurance Company's building. He was
flushed and sullen. There was hitch in
the money payment. He said abruptly that
he would not sign the agreement, and that
it would have to b5 altered before he wQuld
sign it. Kindling an anger as he talked,
lie said that in negotiating Mr.. Bowen had
been well taken care of by Clafin, and
Beecher well taken care of by me; hut he
had been left out in the cold, with the
money que frrm Bowen unpaid. / COM
batted this fancy kindly, aud tried to soothe
him, and hold him to the arrangement he
had made, but he flew out wild, and de-
clared with the utmost passion that he
would never, while he lived, sign a paper
that shonld disable him from pursuing
Beecher, and he demanded a copy
Of his paragraph In the tripartite
agreement that he might alter Ii. Imade
a copy for him, and he sat down at the
table and began to scratch and interline it;
but he rose up and carried his work away
uncompletsd. Before he left, ! gathered