Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1874-08-26

Salu that Mrs. 1lltOn nad left her
home and gone to her mothers in
consequence of the i'll treatment of
her husband SIZE then gave an
account of what she had seen of
cruelty and abuse on the part of
Eer husband that shocked me, and
yet more when, with downcast
look, she said that Mr.. Tilton had
visited her chamber in the night
and sought her consent to his wish
es.
Immediately visited Mrs. Til
ton at her mothers and received an
account Of her home life and of the
despotism of her husband, and of
the management of a woman whom
he had made housekeeper, which
seems like a nightmare dream. The
question was whether she should
go back or separate forever from
her husband. / asked permission
to bring my wife to see them,
whose judgment in all domestic re-
lations / thought better than my
own, and accordingly second vis-
it was made. The result of this
interview was that my wife was eX-
tremely indignant toward Mr.. Til
ton, and declared that no consider
alton on earth would induce her TO
remain an hour with a man who
had treated her with an hundredth
part of such insult and cruelty. L
felt as strongly as she did, but hes
itated, as l always do, at giving adj
vice in favor of separation. 1t
was agreed that my wife should
give her final advice at another
visit. The next day, when ready
to go, she wished final word, but
there was company and the child
ren were present, and so / wrote
ON a scrap of paper, 81 incline to
think that your view is right, and
that a separation and settlement
of support will be wisest, and that
in his present desperate state her
presence near him is far more like
ly to produce hatred than her alb
sencc." Mrs. Tilton did not tell
me that my presence had anything
TO do with this trouble, nor did she
let me know that on the July pre-
vious he had eXtorted from her o
confession of excessive affection for
me.
On the evening of December
9th, 1870, Mr.. Bowen on his way
home called at my house and hand
ed me letter from Mr.. Tilton. 1t
was, as nearly as | can remember,
in the following terms:
"Hcnry Ward Beecher: For reasons
which you explicitly know, and which L
forbear to state, ! demand that you with
draw from the pulpit and quit Brooklyn
as a residence.
Signed, THEODORE TIIToN.'
read it over twice, and turned
to Bowen and said "this man is
crazy" "This is sheer insanity"
and other like words. Mr.. Bowen
2 professed to be ignorant of the con-
tents and l handed him the letter
! to read. We at once fell into q
conversation about Tilton. He
gave me some accounts of the rea-
+ sons why he had reduced him from
the editorship of the independent
I to subordinate position of con-
tributor, namely, that Mr.. Tilton's
e relieio is and social views we e rui =
: ing the paper, but he said that as
l soon as it was known that he had
n so far broken with Tilton there
/ came pouring in upon him so many
T stories of Mr.. Tilton's private life
q and habits that he was overwhelm-
n ed, and that he was now consider
!. ing whether he could consistently
u retain him on the Brooklyn Union,
Il or as chief contributor to the Iude-
J. pendent. He narrated the story OF
l. the affair at Winsted, Connecticut,
some like stories from the north
n west, and charges brought against
s, Tilton in his own Office. Without
lie doubt he believed these allegations
of and so did i. The other facts pre-
'e viously stated to me seemed a full
ID corroboration. We conversed fol
~ some time. Mr.. Bowen wishing my
rs opinion. 1t was frankly given.
p did not see how he could maintain
@ his former relations with Mr.. Til
ID ton. The substance of the full con
4, versation was that Tilton's inordin
j. ate vanity, his fatal facility fol
"a laundering, for which he had
of genius, and instantaneous indepen
n dence in his own opinions and gen
at eral impracticableness, would keel
of the Union at disagreement witt
is the political party for whose ser
or vice it was established, and now
ut added to all the revelations of thes,
ed promiscuous immoralties, woulC
e, make its connection with either pa
re pers fatal to its interests. | spoke
ed strongly and emphatically, under
t. the great provocation OF his threat
to ening letter to me and revelation
i'm had inst had concerning his do
,as mestic affairs. Mr.. Bowen derideC
re- this letter of Tilton's which he ha'
lis brought to me, and said earnestl,
,lt that If trouble came of it | nigh
r. rely on his friendship. / learne'
lis afterwards that in a further quar-
ly rel, ending in Tilton's peremptor
in expulsion from Bowen's servicC
lis this conversation was told to Nh
/ Tilton. | believe that Bowen ha'
/ had an interview and received som
IN further information about MIR. III