The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1874-07-23
THE BEECHER- TILToM SCANDAL.
STATEMENT OF SAMUEL WILKESON Be
FORE THE COMMITTEE.
THE TRIPARTITE AGREEMENT TILToN' IS
STRANGE COURSE.
NEW YORK, July 10,

lest week of March, 1873, Theodore Tilt0n
came to his office, and took from his pocket
worn proof-press of letter he proposed to
publish In the next issue Of the Golden Age,
unless Henry Ward Beecher did him justice.
The letter. which was dated January LIST,
1871, was addressed to Henry C. Bowen,
acknowledges the receipt OF a sudden notice
breaking his two contracts with the Independ-
emf and Brooklyn Union. and goes on to State
that it was in the early part of the rebellion
that Bowen fist intimated to him that
Beecher had committed acts OF adultery,
for which, if he (Bowen) should expose him,
he would be driven from the pulpit. From
that time forward Bowen's references to the
subject, says Tilton, were frequent, and the
letter continued
On the 25th Of December, 1870, at the In
terview in Bowen's house at which Oliver
johnson was present. you (BoWen) spoke
frequently and Indignantly of Beecher as an
unsafe visitor in the families of his eongre>
CATION. You alluded by name to woman,
now widow, whose husbands death you
did not doubt was FASTENED by his knowledge
that Mr.. Beecher had maintained with her
Mr. Beecher had made to you a confession of
guilt, al d with tears implored your forgive.
ness. After Mr.. johnson retired you related
the case OF another woman whom BeecEer
took in his arms by force, threw her down
upon the sofa, accomplished upon her his
deviltry, and left her. You suggested
demand upon him to quit his sacred office,
volunteered to bear such demand to sustain
1t This letter you presented to Mr.. Baecher
q tnrX lr6o
you sought an interview with me and with
face livid with rage threatened with 8 loud
voice II l ever should inform Mr. Beecher
OF the statement you made concerning his
adultery or should compel you to adduce
the evidence on which you agreed to sustain
the demand for his withdrawal from Brook.
lyn, you would deprive me OF my engages
ments with the Independent and Union and if
| ever attempted to enter those offices would
have me forcibly elected. I told you |
should Inform Mr.. Beecher or any body else,
according to the dictates of my Judgment.
Hardly had your violent words ceased ringing
in my ears when received your summary
notices breaking my contract
Mr.. Wtlkeson says he was shocked by the
mischievousness of the matter Tilton threats
ened to publish, and demonstrated against it,
discussion took place, on Iilton's part.
passionate and noisy. He (Tilton) complain
ed that Bowen had dismissed him without
cause, and ruined him jn fame, prospects and
estate, and had crowned this wrong by
refusing to pay a large debt for editorial
services, of which he was in pressing need
His next complaint was that Mr. Bcecher
had not helped him in his troubles that he
was lying crush ed on the sidewalk in Brook.
Ign, and Beecher, who had such power that,
with his little finger, he could have lifted
up and reinstated him, saw him in his agony
and ruin, and passed by in silence and indif.
ference. Rising in dramatic rage, tramping
the room from corner 10 corner and speaking
each sentence in passion, he declared 81
will have revenge on him | will pursue
him to his grave" 1t was clear to me, says
that what Tllton wanted was
money, and his purpose in coming was to
raise money. He left my Office calm and
happy in the prospect of an arrangement.
| outlined to him which would Immediately
give him ia hand the money Bowen owed
him. restore his old relations with Beecher
and Bowen, procure for him a flatterlng
mention in the independent and handsome
notice in the Christian Union of his newspa..
per enterprise. The well-known tripart:te
agreement resulted from the negotiation
after this interview. Bowen agreed 20 pay
Tilton's unpaid salary and to
publish preparatory card in the Independent.
On The night OF April Cd, 1872, when the
agreement was ready for signature, Tilton
was in happy frame CT mind and overhowed
with love and admiration of Beecher. Wilke-
son gave tia terms of the agreement as
originally drafted. This paper was read at
a meeting of four gentlemen, of whom Tilton
was one. He was charmed with it and said
he could conscientiously and heartily SUBJ
scribe his name to every word of It. He
would sign it IL times over, If that would
induce Bowen 20 sign once, and in his eager.
ness took up the pen to sign, but he was
restrained by the suggestion that Bowen
might be less willing to sign, if Tilton should
sign first. It was carried to Bowen, without
Tilton's signature 1.
Wilkesons statement continues as ollowes: I'm
a full and kind conversation between me and Mr..
Tilton, after the meeting the night of April End
broke up, he replied to a clear question I.put to
him that the only wrong Mr.. Beecher had ever
done to him had been to address improper lam
guage to his wife, and that for that he had In his
hands ample and satisfactory written apology
repeated to him the mention ola graver injury than
that, made to me by person whose information
was alleged to be derived directly from himself in
part at secondhand from confession of his wife.
With great spirit he denied the truth OF both these
statements. He called the informant at second
hand sexually morbid monomaniac, who had
imagined every word she uttered. He scornfullv
said that there was not shadow OF truth In her
story. He expressed amazement that the other