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

| anger anu UUlu uim ue SQUulu say " 1)CSOHo
what he (Bowen) Lad told him concerning hi
J | (Beechers) adulteries, he would dismiss hin
from the Independent and Union. Tlton tolt
him he never had been Influenced by threats
| and he would not be in the present case, ant
he subsequently received Bowen's letter of dis
missal.
What the Charges Were.
What these charges were and the account O.
interview will appear in the following lette
| addressed to Bowen by Titon dated LIST of Jan
1861. which also gives, in substance and il
more detail what Tilton had said to me in the
two conversations which have mentioned
, Letter already published.
Moutou continues:
In this letter 1 have omitted the sentence
ouoted as the words of Mr. Bowen after the
words "as Yearly as can recall your words,
that" simply desiring to say that it contained
| a charge of rape and something very nearly
like ravishment of woman other than Mrs.
Tilton, told in words unit to be spread upon
the record, but if desired the original is for the
inspection of the committee.
Mrs. TiIton's Confession Shown Beecher.
On Friday exening. 3Oth December, being
the night of the Plymouth Cnurch prayer
meeting. Tilton came to me and SAID ID SUP
stance that by his wite's request he had deter
mined to see Beecher, III order 10 SNOW 10
Beecher confession of his wife OF the IN
| tercourse between them, which he lTilton) had
| never up to that time mentioned 10 MIN
| (Beecher) and the fact OF the confession OF
| which his wife had told him that she had never
| told Beecber, although her confession mad
been made in July previous, in writing, which
writing he (Titon) had afterwards destroyed,
| but that his wife hearing that if the Bowen
| accusations were made public the whole mat
| ter would be known, and her own conduct with
! Beecher become exposed, had renewed her
! confession in her own handwriting which he
handed me to read, which was the first know
| ledge had of its existence.
| Tilton did not tell me how his wife came to
make the confession in July last. Indeed, /
NAV state here once for all, i refrained from
| asking confessions of the acts of all the par
ties further than they chose to make them vol
unfairly for the purpose for which L was act
ing. Tilton wanted me to go down and ask
Dnecher to come up and see him at my house,
said to Mr. Beecher, 'tMr Triton wants you
to come and see him at my house, Immediate
ly."
He asked ''what for9''
replied. ''He wants to make some state
ment to you in reference to your relations with
his family
He then called to some one in a back room to
go down and say he should not be at prayer
meeting; and we went out together. 1t was
storming at the time, when he remarked there
is an appropriateness in this storm and asked,
''What can do?'
said, "Mr. Beecher, am not Christian,
but ii you wish L will show yon how we'll
heather can serve you" We then went to my
house and / showed him into the chamber over
the parlor, where Mr.. Tlton was, and left them
together, In about an hour Mr.. Beecher came
down and asked Uieif had seen the confess
sion of Elizabeth. said | bad.
Said he, This will kill me-" and asked me
to walk out with him. l did so and we walked
to Mr.. Tlton's house together, and he went In.
On the way he said, '.This is terrible catas-
trophe; it comes upon me as if [ was struck by
lighting" He went into Tlton's house and l
returned home.
Within an hour he returned to my house and
we left my house again together and L walked
with him to his house. Tilton remained at my
house while Beecher was absent at Titon's
house, and when he returned there was no
conversation between them. When we arrived
at Beecher's house, he wanted me to stand by
him in this emergency and procure reconcil-
iation if possible. l told him would because
the interests of women children and families
were involved, if for no other reason. That
ended the interview for that night.
During this evening nothing was said by Mr..
Beecher as to the truth or falsity OF Mrs. Til
toms confession, nor did he inform me that he
had obtained from her any recantaton of the
confession, which afterwards learned he had.
| returned TO my house aud had some converse
ton with Tilton in which he told me he had
recited to Beecher the details of the confession
of his wife's adulteries, and the remark which
Reecher made was, This is all dream,
Theodore aud that that was all the answer
Beecher made to him 1 then advised Titon
the sake of Beecher's family the matter should
be kept quiet and huShed up.
Mrs. TiIton,s Recantation.
The next morning as was leaving home for
business Tilton came to my house, and with
great anger said Beecher had done mean act;
that he had gone from that interview OF last
night to his house and procured from Elizabeth
a recantation and retraction Of her confession.
He said for thatact he wonld smite him-that
there could be no peace. He said you said that
what have told you of meanness of that man
is now evident. Tilton said Beecher at the in
terview last night asked his permission to go
and see Elizabeth, and he told him he might
go, which statement was confirmed by Beecher
himself, and Beecher left him for that purpose.
L said, clifton, now don't get angry. Let us
see if this can't be arranged. [ will 60 down
and get that retraction from him."
EEou.ten Hseacnes the Esetraction.
I was then going to my business, so l was
unable to go that morning, but went that even
ing; saw Beecher and told him thought that
he had been doing very mean and treacher-
Gus act. Treacherous first towards me from
whom he wanted help, in that he did not tell
me on our way to his house last night what he
had procured from Mrs. Tilton and that he
could not expect my friendship in this matter
unless he acted truthfu,ly and honestly towards
Inc. I further said, sMr. Beecher, you have
had criminal intercourse with Mrs. Elton,
you have done great injury to Tilton otherwise.
NOW W ueu you are Gun tTOulSu WIFI tOu dSh
permission of the man to agoln visit the house
and you get from that woman, who has sconfes-
sed you have ruined her, recdntation, and re-
traction of trouble foryour mere personal safe
ty. That won't save you"
At that interview he admitted with grief and
| sorrow, the fact of his sexual relations with
| Mrs. Iilton, expressed some indignation that
| she had not told him she had told her husband;
| that in consequence of being in ignorance of
| that fact, he had been walking on a volcano,
hal ,n had inn
| with Bowen's and in reference to Tiltou's fam
| ily. He said that he had sympathized. with
| Bowen and had taken sides with him as
| against TiltOn in consequence OF stories which
| were in circulation in regard to him, and es'
pecially of one specific Case. He had been in
| formed that Tton had improper relations with
woman be named and to whom letter from
his wife will make a part of this statement
| and had so stated to Bowen, and he told me he
would write to Bowen and withdraw those
charges, and gave me the rough draft of the
| letter which he wrote and sent to Bowen, which
| letter is here produced:
BEECHER TO BOWEN.
BROOKLYN, Jan. 2, 1871.
My Dear Mr.. Bowen, Since I saw you last
| Tuesday have reason to think that the only
| cases of which spoke to you in regard to Mr..
! Tilton were exaggerated in being reported to
me- and should be unwilling to have any
thing said, though it has been but little,
weigh on your mind in matter so important
to his welfare. am informed by one in whose
judgment and integrity greatly rely, and who
has the means of forming an opinion
better than any of us, that he knows the
whole matter about Mrs. Ballard, and that the
stories are not true, and that the same is the
case with other stories. 1 don't wish any re-
ply to this. l thought it only due to justice
that should say so much. Yours.
II. w. BEECHER.
Mr.. Beecher told me that Mrs. Beecher and
himself, without Knowing of the confession
| Mrs. Tilton to her husband, has been express,
ing great sympathy towards Mrs. Tiiton, and
taking an active interest with her against hal
husband I said, g Mr.. Beecher, want tina
reconciliation, have come for it. We'll,
said he, "wbat shall I do without it?" re
Piled, 81 don't know; I can tell You what vii
happen with it," He asked, "what will yoI
do ii ! give it to you?" L answered, 81 will
keep it as 1 kept her confession II you &C
honorably will protect it with my lite as
would protect the other with my life" Mr.
Tllton asked for that confession this morning
aud said, II will never give it to you; you
shall not have it from my hands until hav'
exhausted everyieffort for peace" MIR. Beech
er gave me back the paper, the original o
which L now produce in Mr.. Tllton's hand