Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-07-29
Bowen Says Beee1ier Confessed
to Him on His Knees.
Tilton Arrested for Libel
The Suit Brought by a Brooklyn
Editor In Search Of
knowledge.

4
teriay morning, end it is Known that Mr.
MOulton is al present acting under tiIt ad
vice of Gen. Butler. He has not vet beer
invited by the committee 10 make his ap
pearance before them, and it is believed
that whenever he is called he will refuse tC
| give his testimony.
Tilt0si Thinks MonIfOn viii Refuse "a
Testify.
Mr.. Tilton thinks that in view of the
gravity of the charges made against Mr.
Beecher, and the magnitude which the
question has now assumed, Mr.. MoultOn
will not tell what he knows except before a
tribunal having power to ipel lriih 10
give his evidence, and whenever Mr.. Moul-
ton does speak; it must be in confirmation
Of his (Tilton's) sworn statement.
Organized 20 Acquif.
1t was stated yesterday; b. friend OF
Mr.. TiltOn, that he had given it as his
opinion, that during the present investiga-
tion no evidence would be adduced calcu-
lated to convict Mr.. Beecher of the princi-
pal charges made against him. He believes
that only such testimony rs tends 10 es-
tablish his innOoeIice win be sought after,
and thinks this is but what might be nat
urally expected from the constitution of a
committee who are all his personal friends.
Their report, he believes, will be to the
effect that, from the testimony brought be-
fore them, they felt bound to acquit, with
the expression, perhaps, Of regret, that they
were not empowered to compel other wit
nesses TO testify in the ease.
Beeeher Not 10 be Called on.
The committee it is said have come TO
the conclusion that Mr.. Beecher should not
be called upon to testify until Tilton's
statements have been strengthened by some
thing more than his own affidavit.
II. B. Carpenter Interviewed.
The Brooklyn 1dTyUs to-day prints part
of an interview with f. 3. Carpenter on
the subject of the Beecher scandal. Car
penter says he was first brought actively
into the case by BeeCher. Ia May, 1873.
Beecher sent for Carpenter, wishing him
to come Immediately to Brooklyn. Beecher
had learned that H. G. Bowen had re-
as5eited 10 Carpenter the charges which he
had formerly made 10 Tilton against
Beecher, and which he had withdrawn in
the tripartite agreement, and that Bowen
had said in the presence of Mr.. E. ID. Hol-
ton, of Milwaukee, and Carpenter, that he
did not wish them to understand that he
had made : rciractlUn. Beecher wished
Carpenter TO confront Bowen on these
points. II was also said the trinartite cove
nant was to be made public. He went TO
MOultan's house. Beecher was not there,
but Moulton said he wished Carpenter
to 90 to Beechel's residence with Claflin
and MOulton., They went, and Carpenter
repeated in the presence of Bowen, Moul-
ton and Claflin, the statement by Bowen
to himself concerning Beecher. Bowen
admitted all end ClaGn expressed his as
tOnishment that Bowen should have told
these things after signing the covenant.
Claflin was the person who induced Bowen
to sign the covenant. Bowen said he pro-
tested against making the agreement pub
lie. Claflin said to Bowen if the state
ment was untrue he would make the most
unqualified denial; but if true he should
stand by them. Bowen had said TO Car
penter that Beecher had made
Confession 20 Him ON his Knees.
Mr.. Tilton and Moulton had been told by
Beecher that this vas a lie. Mr.. Capen-
ter said TO Bowen, There is a direct lie be-
tween YOU and Mr.. Beecher. And for one
| want to know the truth Claiiin thought
Mr.. Beecller ought to be present at this in
teTyiew. MOulton went to his house for
him, but did not find him. Bowen ex-
pressed a willingness TO meet Beecher next
day. Claflin agreed to arrange an inter-
view.
A few DAYS after Carpenter saw Claffiin,
who told him Beecher had said, "There
isn't force enough in BrC Dklyn to draw me
into a private interview with Henry C..
Bowen" Carpenter says in his business
relations with Bowen they had frequent
regarding his difficulty with
Beecher. Bowen said Beecher's friends
wanted him TO sign. 4 sweeping document
declaring his charge against Beeeher were
untrue. He refused. Clafin then urged
him to al least sign a paper Withdrawing
The charges, and he consented.
The interviewer here inserts the follow |
ing note: Mr. Carpenter here repeated to
the writer the substance of a conversation |
which took place between Mr.. Beecher and |
himself June l, 1873, after service at |
Plymouth Church. We can only say that |
the statements which Mr.. Carpenter SAYS
Mr.. BeecheT made that evening are, if true, !
IF the
Significance and Importance. !
Mr.. Carpenter declares that he will not |
make public this conversation unless he is |
called upon to testify before a proper tribu- |
nal. Ii was during this interview that |
Beecher told Carpenter that I'm case TheO- |
dOre TiltOn would make certain disavOwals |
he would share his fame and fortune with |
him, and pour in subscribers to the Golden |
Age by thousands. The interview which |
MIR. Carpenter speaks Of occurred on the |
evening of the same day when Beecher /
wrote his touching letter dated Sunday, |
June ], 1873. Great significance attaches |
20 Carpenters statement, from the fact that |
Beecher'S card, eXonerating Tilton from |
being his slanderer and defameT, was pub
ished the next day, June ?, 1873. Car
Denter says TiltOn had no vindictive feel |
ng against Beecher, and tried hard |
before publishing the letter 10 DIR. |
Bacon to find some means by which |
Beecher should free him from the |
mputatiOns cast upon him by Dr. Bacon |
before he decided to publish his letter.
DIR. Bacon
aid to a friend of Carpenter, IF Mr.. Til
on publishes that letter, and the Plymouth |
Church does not reply to it within twenty |
our hours by suit at law against Mr.. |
liltOn, they will have no case before the
christian Church" More of this inter
lch Il 10 Dt printed lO-lnOfrOW.
How Mrs. TfItOn Takes Mrs, StantOn's
Statement.
The Brooklyn Union SAYS: "Not half |
he evidence is yet received by the com
nittee. MOdlton will be invited to give
before Mr.. Beecher does,
whose statement will be reserved till the
ast moment. Mrs. TiitOn will be again
allied, and possibly Mr.. Tilton. Edward
)vinston, at whose house she is stopping,
avs she is perfectly calm and serene. She
cad the interview wirh Mrs. Stanton, and
it utterly false. She had been
dviSed by friends not to make any written
enial of statements from such sources.
lrs. Tilton's children have gone to Mount
lair to her friends
DIR. StOrrS.
The brooklyn Eagle says DR.. Storrs,
tho is now enjoying vacation at Prince
On, will be called TO testify. Beecher will
OF appear before tonight or tomorrow
light, as he cannot testify satisfactorily to
imself or others, until he has seen the
lleged originals of the letters written by
i'm. He has kept no copies Of letters he
as written
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