Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1874-08-22


Which lave been committed 20 me coma to
ny knOW.e edge in the unhappy affair under in
yc-t'EstI0u. In go doing shall use no words OF
ChxractcriZa alton Of any Of them OF incQlpatiOn
81 ,be Pzrres, nor shall l attempt TO ascfibe
motives. rave .hrB necessary TO exactly state
tact IesyII < she Occurrences, their acts of
Cn.i.siOn AID commission, to be interpreted by
tem-eIyts- in giving conversations or mar
ra'ises, of course, Can IN most tses give only
tie sLbStaI &C Of TIE first, and Will attempt TO
give wiIds Cnly vi en- they 80
INPEE-sKO THEMSELVES UPON MY MIND
ss 70 remain IN my memory, AMI Of the latter
Only 80 much rs set ms ~ NE material
have known Mr.. riltOn since 1880, infinite
ly, IN the krndest of social and pers nal
fTiendsbip- 1 have known Rev. Henry Ward
Beecher since 1SC9, and then casually as an &C
0uaiItaDce ard an attendant upon his ministra
lions Up 10 the beginning OF the occurrences OF
SEEING NIB TILTON's vALEDICToRY
as editor Of the Independent, on the 22d OF De-
ctmbeT, $50, 1 inferred that there Id been
sCme differences between himself aud SIR.
Henry G. Bowen, the proprietor, but learning
that Til;on had been retained as contributor
To that journal, and editor Of the Bro ,klyn
Union, OF which Bowen was also proprietor.
supposed that the differences were not personal
or unAiBd- Up TO that time, although L had
been a frequent visitor at Mr.. TItOn's house,
and had seen himself and Mrs. Tilton under sill
phases OF social Intercourse, had never known
or heard Of the
sIIGBTEsT DISAGREEMENT OR UNKINpNRss
existing betw cen them, but had believed their
marital relations were almost exceptionally
pleasant On the 26tn day OF December, 1910,
being at Mr. Tiltobs house, ne came home from
an interview with MIR. Bowen, and told me with
some excitement of manner that he had just
had a conference with Mr.. Bowen, and that In
that interview Mr.. Bowen had made certain
accusations against Beecher, and had chal-
leDged him (1IltOn), as a matter OF duty TO the
pubic, TO write an open letter, which Mr..
Bowen was to take to Mr.. Beecher, of which he
showed me the original draft, which is as IOl-
lows.
Here il published Tiltoa's letter to Beecher
OF Decsmb ~, 1870, calling upon him To cease
the ministry OF Plymouth church and quit
Tilton explained that the words "for reasons
which you explicitly understand were inter-
lined at the request OF Bowen; and he fufu Their
stated that he told Bowen that he was prepared
TO believe his charges, because Bescher had
made improper advances 10 Mrs. TiltOn. Sur
Iris6G at this, asked him, "WhaI?' when he
replied. Don't ask me, 1 can't tell you" I
then SAID, els IL possible you could have been so
foolish a. to sign that letter On the strength OF
BOWen's assertion and not have Bowen sign it
too, although as you say, he was TO carry II to
BeeCbeI?' he answered,
'MR. BOWEN GAVE NIX HIS WORD
that he would sustain the charges aud addUce tho
evidence TO prove them whenever called upon"
said, I'll fear that you will ind yourself mis-
taken. Has the letter gomez He answered,
Bowen said he would take il Immediately" /
Afterwards learned from Beecher that Bowen
had done 20, because on the LIST OF January fol-
loving, Bescksr gave me the copy he received,
and md by later memorandum made at The
time On the envelOps that the original draft
given to NE by 1llton on the 5th Of the same
i insert here the following memorandum of
facts above stated, made at the time, giving the
hour when il was made:
"BsookLYS, Dec %, $50 Theodore Triton intor-
D.eC s tdsy that he hsd sent note to NIB echer,
thar be BeeCberj should retire from his palpit sd
gHit the cry q Brooklyn. Tee letter was an open
said ;ba. n BcWso) would sustain Tilton in this
InaGay or two after that Tilton called on me
At ny house and said that he had sent word 10
Bowen that he was going TO call on Beecher
within half an hour, or shortly; that Bowen
ITilcE
told HIM Il he should say 10 Beecher what he
tBoweD) had told HIM concerning
(BEECHERs) ADULTERIRs.
he would dismiss him from the IHdspeEdsEt and
tie JHiGR. Til,on told him that be had never
been influenced By threats, and he would not
be IN the present case; and be subsequently re-
ceived BOWeE's letter OF dismissal. What those
charges were ard tue account Of the interview
will Bppear in the following letter addressed to
Bowen by Tilton, bearing date or January l,
ISL, which also gives in substance, and in m ore
detail, what Tilton had said to me in the two
conversations which have mentioned
Here appears TIitOn's letter TO Bowen, jan
nary ], ISL, IN reference ID BOwen's breaking
tie IEdsIeHdeHt and Cai0H contTaets,-already
in THE letter 1 have omitted the sentence
quoted as the words OF Bowen after the words
as nearly as / can recall your words, that
simply desiring to say that il contained a
charge OF rape, or something very nearly like
Tayishment or a woman other than Mrs. Til
WORDS THAT ARE UNFIT
10 be spread upon record; but, If desired, the
original is for Inspection OF the committee. ON
Friday evening. December so, being the night
OF the Plymouth church prayer meeting, Triton
came TO me and said, in substance, that by his
wife's request be had determined TO see
Beeeher, in order 10 show 70 Bsecher a confes-
zion OF his wife OF the intercourse between them,
which ne (Iliton) had never, mp to that time,
mentioned 70 Inn, Beecher;land the fact Of the
confession, OF which his wife had told him, that
she had never told Beecher, although her con-
fession bad been made In July previous in
writing, which writing be (riiton) had alter
wards destroyed, but that his wife, fearing that
the Bowen accusations against Beecher were
made public the whole matter would be known,
and Der Osn conduct with Beecher become ex-
POSED, had renewed
Der CONFEssICN II HER OWN HANDWRITING,
which be handed To ne to read, which was the
tTst knowledge had Of its existence. Tilton
did net tell me how his wife came TO make the
Confession IN July, ner did 1, at that time or
ever after, ask. Indeed, NAV state here, once
for all, that RETAINED from asking confessiol
OF the acts CT all the parties farther than they
chose 10 make them 70 me voluntarily for the
purpose for which was acting. Tilton wanted
ne 10 20 down and esk BeecheT 70 come up and
see him al my house, which 1 did. 1 said TO
BeecheT: ''oiT. 1iltOn wants you 20 come aud
see him AZ my house Immediately" He asked
NE: "What fCT?'' replied. che wants TO make
1Siiors iIb hs f. Sp rsters s 70 y9as re-
some one in the back room to 90 down and saw
be would net be at the prayer-mseting, and we
when he remarked: There is an sppropriste,
ness in this Storm aud asked me, "What can
do What can l dO?' l said:
but II you wish, will show you how well q
heather can serve you" We then went TO my
house, and / showed him into a chamber over
the psri0r where TiltOn was, and left them to-
gether. In about an hour Mr.. Beecher came
down and asked me il lhsd seen the confession
OF Ehzabeth. said had. Said he:
This WILL KILL ME-"
arc asked me 70 walk out with him. I did so
and We walked TO rIlton's house together and he
went IN. ON the way he said: This is q terri
PIE cat4stroPhe; u comes upon me as III struck
by lightning" lie went into Tilton,. house
and returned home. Within an hour, he re-
turned 70 my house. and We left my house
again together, and I walked with him ~ his
house. Triton remained az my house while
Beecher was absent at Titon's house. ami when
We returned there was no conversation between
them When we arrived at Bsecher's house be
wanted me TO
STAND BY HIN IN THIS EMRRG RNcY
and procure a reconciliation IL possible. 4 told
him would because the interests Of women and
cLilcren and families were involved, II for no
other reason. That ended the interview that
night. During this evening nothing was said by
beeeher as TO the truth fslsity Of Mrs Tiltonis
confession, nor Did he inform me that he had