The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1874-08-22

l. by continuing for IL to Is years conspicuou
attendant at Plymouth church; q by contract
with me as editor of the Independent; g. b,
continued publications of my sermons. maxim!
the privilege of doing SO even as late as thu
interview at Freelands, one of these points o
settlement: 4, by the settlement of all diff
culties at Freeland's and reconciliation whict
was to lead us to work together, in which no
single hint of any personal lmmoraity, Du
| every item was business.
Fourth-As result of such agreement: l,
was to resume my old familiarity at his house
2, To write him letter that he could give his
family to show that had restored confidence
8, 10 endeavor to remove from him the cold
ness, frowns of the parish as one who had IN
Jured me; 4, A card to be published and which
was published, giving him the right to put IL
the Independent sermons and ltcture-room
talks, &c;5, | am invited to go to Woodstock
and be his guest as l was at Grants reception
b, VI the settlement by committee, whose re-
cord is with Claflin, have nothing to say.l did
not see 5eecher during the whole process, moi
do remember to have spoken with him since;
| Z, Now the force of the statement that he did
not himself believe that L had done anything
immoral which should affect my standing as a
man, citizen or minister illustrating by the
foregoing facts, is demonstrated by his conduct
when he did believe Theodore Tilton commit
| ted immOralities, dispossession of the lnde-
pendent. his ignominous expulsion from the
| Brooklyn Union, his refusal to pay him the
| salary, and forfeit OF contract.
| As part of this transaction Beecher sent
me the following note, marked IN"
| BEEcHER TO MOTION.
MONDAY.
My Dear Friend-I called, last evening as
| agreed, but you had stepped out. On the way
| to church last evening [ met Claflin. He says
| B. denies any such treacherous whisperngs,
/ IL II
| posed letter. He liked the idea. l read him
the draft of it, lin the lecture room). He drew
| back and said had better not send it. L asked
him if b. had had ever made him statement
| of the very bottom facts. 1T there were any
| charges did not know? He evaded and in
| tmated if he had he hardly would be right In
| telling me.
think he would be right in telling you
| Ought to. have not sent any note and have
destroyed that prepared, The real point to
avoid is an appeal to the church and then a
| council. 1t would be a cont1agration and give
every possible chance for parties, for hidings
| and evasions and increase an hundred fold this
| scandal without healing anything, shall see
you as soon as l return. Meantime L confide
| everything to your wisdom as L always have,
| and with such success hitherto that 1 have full
| trust for the future. Don't fail to see c.
| and have a full and confidential talk.
Yours ever
The Woodruff Story.
From the time of the tripartte covenant
nothing occurred to disturb the relations be-
tween Beecher, Tilton and Bowen or either of
them, so far as l know. till the publication in
Woodruff & Cafin's Weekly of an elaborate
story concerning the social relations between
| Beecher, Tilton and Mrs. Tilton.
After that publication appeared it again
| came to the knowledge of Beecher that Bowen
| was making declarations derogatory to his
| character. This was followed by the publca-
Of Z ha IN vub Mr.
| Beecher informed me was done by Samuel
| Wilkeson, and also that Beecher was not a
| party to its publication no. knew anything
| about its publication. There afterwards ap-
| peared an account of an interview between
| Bowen, HI. b. Clafn and Mrs. Woodull pub
| lished in the Brooklyn Eagle, in which an at
| tempt was made to obtain from her any letters
| which she might have, showing that Beecher
| was guilty of criminal conduct, which attempt
| failed, whereupoh Beeeher addressed me the
following note which here produce marked
"N," 2, Beecber to MoultOn.
need to see you this evening any time till
| half-past 10. Can you make appointment?
Will you call at 124. or shall 1? What hour?
l send Clatiin's letter. Keep it. Answer by
telegraph. II. W. B.
P. S. / shall take tea at Towards, "a Hicks
street, and should you call let it be there, or
| will go around to your rooms. l want to show
| you proposed card.
1 also produce letter OF Clafin to Beecher
| the above, marked IN g."
cLAFLIN TO BEEcHER.
New YORK, June %. 1872.
| My dear Mr.. Beecher-I have yours 1t
| was distinctly understood that the call on
| Woodruff was entirely private and not to be
reported. l told Bowen Woodruff had no let
| tiers from you of the least consequence to him
| or anybody else and 1 was entirely satisfied
| after the interview that l was entirely right.
| l went there at Bowen's earnest solicitation,
| knowing it could not harm you, and might
| satisfy him as think it did. 1t was in bad
faith to publish the meeting. All present
| must have been disguised at the utter lack of
| what Woodruff professed to have, but could
not produce. Truly your friend,
| Ell. b. CLAFL1N.
| P. Swish you would call and see me.
You pass the store. L am always in at about
| II a. m. II. b. G.
Beecher when we met in pursuance of his
| note, produced to me memorandum of card
which he proposed to publish in the Eagle, and
| which he submitted to my judgment and gave
leave to alter the same as thought fit.
| BEEcHER's PROPOSED CARD.
| BROOKLYN, June, 1878,
| 1 have seen i'll the morning papers that ap-
| plication has been made to Mrs. Victoria G,
Woodruff for certain letters of mine,
| supposed to contain information
respecting certain infamous stories against
me. She has two business letters, one de-
clining an invitation to a suffrage meeting
and the other declining to give her as
| sistance solicited. These and all
letters of mine in the hands
of any other persons they have my cordial
consent to publish. 1 will only add in this
connection that the stories and rumors which
have for time been circulated about me arc
grossly untrue, and l stamp them, in general
| and particular, as utterly false.
I saw the editor of the Brooklyn Eagle al
his Office, and after consultation with him the
card was published as follows:
The Gard as Published.
To the Editor of the Brooklyn Eagle:
Dear Sir-ln a long and active life in Brook
Ign it has rarely happened that the Eagle anc
myself have been in accord on questions o
common concern to our fellow citizens.
am, for this reason, compelled to acknOwledg;
the unsolicited confidence and regard of which
the columns of the Eagle of late bear testi
mony.
have just returned to the city, to learn tina
application has been made to (Mrs.) Victeri;
Woodruff for letters of mine supposed to con-
tain information respecting certain infamou
stories against me. | have not objeated to hav
the Eagle state in any way it deems fit tba
Mrs. Woodruff or any person or persons VIII
may have letters of mine in their possession
have my cordial consent to publish them. i
this connection, aud at this timel 1 will onl
add that the stories and rumors which hav
for some time past been circulated about m
are untrue, and stamp them in general and il
particular as utterly untrue. Respectfully
(Signed) HENRY WARD BEECHER.
In order that the emendations made by my
self and Mr.. Kinsear may be observed at
glance 1 have enclosed in brackets til
words which are in the original. 1t will thu
be seen how much of this card was the CON
position of Mr.. Beecher and how much he relic
,, upon the judgment of others in its preparf
ton. would have submitted this card I
Beecher before publication but he was absen
For obvious reasons held myself exempte
from this call for publication as was we'll III
derstood by Beecher. 1 know nothing furtht
| of relations of Bowen and Beecher in this cor
| nection which is of importance TO this Ell
, quiry.
have treated of them thus far because tn;
conversation at each stage of it continual
threatened the Placement Of the trouble
Triton and Beecher, an account of which
| now resume.
Mrs. Hooker.
= Another curious complication of the relation
of the parties arose from the publication
I Mrs. Woodruff of the story in her journal.
/ it a matter of public notoriety that Mrs. ISIS
r bella Beecher Hooker, the sister of Beeche
e had espoused the cause of Mrs. Woodruff {
h the question of woman suffrage, and had bee
eF,n Gov e cd, hove al 10