Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1874-10-01
BOWEN BLOWS.
Poor Old Miss Catherine Bseeher, thS
OetOgenaFfan, Answered by II. g. h.
Of the independent,
A Flat Denial of All Her Allegations.
Accom- panied by a Threat Of An
Oiher and n worse Expose.
From the Chicago Tribune ]


NEW YORK, September 27.-The ri
| btne viii print tomorrow the following Jet
l ter from Henry c. Bowen, ia answer 10 the
| abusive communication Of Miss Catherine
Bsecher, I'm which ehe 9rraigns Mr.. Bowen
] together with all the Others who have either
| explicitly or implicitly appeared in an a. H.
] tude of opposition toward her brother. Special
/ attention is called 10 section seven, in which
! NJ Bowen denies that he ever wrote to Tilton
! or anyone letter charging Beecher with
/ aduitry and rape. The letter referred TO was
| the celebrated Woodstock letter" first pub
lished in the Brooklyn Eagle, and subsequent
/ ly referred 10 by MOuiiOn IA ais nfst state
menJ, and parts OF it quoted. In IL Bowen
/ was represented as describing an outrage by
Bsecher on lazy in his own Bowen >
house. Besides the publicity given II in the
way above referred u, II has been widely
printed in the public press, and yet, strangely
enough, neither MI Bowen nor any OF MS OF
bsecner's friends have before taken occasion
70 deny, or even cast doubt on, the perfect
authenticity Of the letter:
! TO tue Editor Of the Tribune;
''SIR-Miss Catherine Beecher, in a CONF
municatiOn published on Friday last, says:
"tFirst-Ihe real originator of this mean
ing the srOOklyn scandaD Is the proprietor Of
! the Ineepe77deHt
"My reply to this statement is that it is
wholly false, as Mr.. Beecher himself very well
',Seoond-she says the said proprietor OF the
TRie pendent is described to me iherl, etc, thus
plainly iutimating TO the world that she has
no acquaintance with me, perhaps has never
seen me. Miss Beecher has probably forgotten
that / acted as her banker for 4 long period Of
time, until / gave her notice, as Others, be-
ueve, had done before, that desired the ac-
count closed on my books. She also omitted
20 state that she had be-n 10 my Off g repeat
edly on business, and has visited me at my
house in Brooklyn and at Woodstock. Her
individual opinion Of ae on thls acquRint
ance she does not give to the public.
Third-Biiss Beecher says that various
gentlemen and ladies have Informed me lherl
or the mean and dishonest practices Of this
man incl. She probably refers in this case
10 one who had spoken to various gentlemen
and ladies' in Brooklyn, during period Of
twelve months OF more, Of my her dIshOn-
esty in not paying him certain sum which
he alleged was due de finally induced
chosen friend TO come and see me on the Sc
riOus charges. was astonished ST the de-
VelOpment, so long Kept rom my notice, and
insisted on the spot that he he warm friend
OF my accuserl should himself examine all
the facts and ngures and make an impartial
award, promising, II my accuser won d do the
same, 10 abide by this decision. An agree
meat was signed to that effect, the result of
which was that my accuser was Obliged 10
pay me one thousand dollars. The referee
was MI Charles Gould, since deceased; and 1
have now in my possession his written award
Mr.. Gould told me many times afterward that
! had been greatly WIOnged in this matter
Whsther certain ladies and gentlemen IN
Brooklyn ever heard of the verdict in this
10 anyone, cannot say. The whole story Of
'meanneSs and distress, I pronounce a wicked
fabrication, without even the shadow oftruth
in IL.
"Fourth-Miss Beecher further says that her
brothers efforts TO fulill his duty as = Chris
uian friend and pastor IN these matters were
met only with anger Ny reply is this, that
Mr. Beecher never, in any single instance in
his life, either directly or indirectly, by word
or hint, as friend, neighbor or pastor, ever
charged me with a dishonest act, or that had
ever Wrongedt4ny one out OF a cent.
"Fifth-Ihe withdrawal OF Mr.. Beecher and
Mrs. stowe from the Independent did not call
forth increased exasperatkDn, or any exas-
perAlion whatever, as Miss Beecher charges,
ana Mr.. Beecher very well knows from my
own lips.
'Sixfh-Miss Beecher charges fresh excite.
lnent and malignity on my part, on aec0ul 1t
Of q lady authuress in his lmyj family, who
refused an offer OF marriage on the supposed
statement is utterly destitute of truth, and
entirely beyond my comprehension. 1t is a
malicious invention.
''Seventh-Mfss Beecher says that this ma
ligDity prompted the letter to Mr.. TluOn ac-
cusing my brother IMr. Beecherl with adul-
terry and rape Ny answer is that / never
wrote such letter to anybody, that never
acknowledged to any one that j had done SO.
aud, therefore, could make no confession on
the subject, a. Miss Beecher alleges.
"Eighth-Miss Beechsr's final statement
that I have 'adroitly cOntrlved to maintain
membership in the church is also a stupid
falsehOOd, as is well known both in and out of
Plymouth church. I have neither managed
nor contrived, nor used a single effort 10 in1u-
ence the action of she church or any one OF It's
members.
"This is not the FIRST attempt Miss Beeoher
has made 10 convey information on the sub
lcct IN question: ana my a0Vlce IS that In fu-
ture she look more carefully after her facts,
or she may need more than mutual friend
to help her out of some seFiOus difliculty. l
am quite willing that Mr.. Beecher should be
both Judge and jury on my conduct, for he
knows, she has often said, and recently, too,
that he did not censure or condemn me for
the course I had taken in this most unf0r-
tunate affair. Happ ly for me, in this matter, !
have witness OF his words in one VINO Is
low, and always has been, one OF Mr.. Beech !
er's WaTmest frle nds. Very respectfully.
"B BENtY G. BOWEN.