Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1874-08-14

MT. Bowen agreed that, in consequence Of pro-
ceedings arising out Of this remonstrance, to re-
| move Mr.. Tilton or suppress his peculiar views;
but instead of that Theodore seemed nrmer in
the saddle than before, and his loose notions of
marriage and divorce began to be Swallowed
| editorialy. This led to the starting OF the Adj
rance N Chicago to supersede the Independent
| In the northwest, and Mr.. Bowen was made to
| feel that Tilton's management was seriously
iDjuring the business, and Mr.. Tilton may have
felt that his position was being undermined by
opponents of his views, with whom he subse-
quently pretended 10 believe / was in league.
Vague intimstions of his "feeling hard" toward
me sscribed TO this misconceptiop. AID in
reality taken no step TO harm him.
WHY BREcHER ADVISED MRS. TILroN TO
LEAVE HER HUSBAND.
AFTER Mrs Tllton returned from the west in
December, 1870, young girl whom Mrs. Triton
had taken into the family ed ucated and ire sted
her like her own child, (her testimony, under
with an urgent request that would visit Mrs.
Triton ST her mothers. she said that Mrs. Til
ton hao left her home and gone 20 her mothers
In consequence o. ill-treatmen. of her husband.
She then gave an account of what she had seen
of cruelty and ILL use on the part of the hus-
band that shocked me, and yet more when, with
sought her chamber in the night and sought her
consent to his wishes. 1 immedi ately visited
Mrs. Tilton 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
seemed like nightmare dream. The question
fore yer from her husband. 1 asked perhiisson
to bring my wife TO see them, whose iudgm snt
in all domestic relations l thought better than
my d, and accordingly a second visit was
made. The result of the Interview was that nv
wife was extremely indignant toward Mr.. Tilton,
and declared that no consideration on earth
would induce her to remain an hour with a man
who had treated her with q hundredth part OF
such insult and cruelty. felt as strongly SIS
che did. but hesitated, as always do, at giving
advice 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 children were
present, and wrote on a scrap OF paper: al in
cline to think your view is right, and that sep
aration and settlement of support will be the
wisest, and that In his present desperate state
her presence near him is far more likely to pro
duce hatred than her absence"
TILToN INVITES BKKCHKR TO "sTEP DOWN
AND OUT"
Mrs. Tilton did not tell me that my presence
had anything to do with this trouble, nor did she
let me know that in July previous he had ex-
tracted from her q confession OF excessive Aztec
ton for me. On the evening Of December y.
1870, MIR. Bowen, on his way home. called at my
house, and handed me a letter from Mr.. Tilton.
1t was, as nearly as can remember, in the fol-
lowing terms:
Henry Ward Beecher:-For reasons which you
explicitly know, and which forbear to state, |
demand that you withdraw from the pulpit and
quit Brooklyn as your residence.
THEODORE TrLroS.
''THIs MAN IL CRAZY"
reau IL over tWlC6 Anu turned ID Bowen ana
said This man is crazy. This is sheer insani-
ty." and other like words. Bowen professed TO
be ignorant of the contents, and handed him
the letter to read. We at once fell into CONVEX
sation about Tilton. He gave me some account
of the reasons why he had reduced him from
the editOrsbip of the Independent to the subord
mate position OF contributor, viz: THAT Til
tons religious and social views were running the
paper" Bnt he said that as soon as IL was
known tia he had SO far broken with TIltOn
there came pouring in upon him 20 many stories
1llf0nS hahifg he VA
overwhelmed, and said that he was now consId-
eriDg whether he conld cOnsste ntly retain HIM
on the Brooklyn Union. or as chief contribu
tor to the Independent. He narrated a
story of An affair at Winsted, Conn, some
like stories from the Northwest, aad
charges brought against TIton in his Own
Office. Without doubt he believed these
allegations, and so did /. The other facts previ-
ousy stated 10 me seemed full confederation
We conversed for some time, Bowen wishing my
opinion 1t was frankly given. did not see how
he could maintain relations with TiIton. Tue
substance of the full conversation was that Til
toms inordinate vanity, his fatal facility fer
blunderlng, for which he had genius and Us
tentatious Independence in his own opinions and
general Impractcableness would keep the Union
at disagreement with the political party for
whose service ii was published; and, added %
all, the revelations of these promiscuous immO-
ralities would make his connection with either
paper fatal to its interests. l spoke strongly
and emphatically, under great prov0cation o.
his threatening to me, and the revelation l had
just had concerning his domestic affairs. Bower
derided the letter of Tilton's which he bad
brought TO me, and said earnestly that il trouble
came of it l might rely ON his friendship 1
learned afterward that in further quarrels end.
ing in Tilton's peremptory expulsion from Bow
ems service, this con versation was told to Til
ton. 1 believe that Bowen had an interview,
and received some further information about
1ilton from my wife, to whom 1 had referred
him, although i have no doubt that TiltOn
would have lost his place at any rate. 1 have
also no doubt that my influence was de-
cisive, and precipitsted his final overthrow.
I 20 bfnLr oil nr n faIr
unhappy at the contemplation OF Tilton's i'm
pending disaster. / had loved him much, and
at one time he seemed like son To me. Ny
influence had come Just at the time OF his first
unfolding, and had much TO do with his early
development. L had aided him externally 20
bring him before the public. chad been to-
Until after the war our social intercourse had
been intimate. Ii is true that his nature always
exaggerated his own excellencies. When he was
but boy he looked up to me with afectonate
admiration. After some years he felt himself
my equal, and was very companionable, and
when he had outgrown me, and reached the
position Of first man of the age, he still kind
and patronZipg. had always smiled at these
weaknesses OF vanity. and had believed that
larger experience, with some knocks among
strong men, by sorrows that temper souls, he
would yet fulfill a useful and brilliant career
But now all looked dark; he was to be cast forth
from bis eminent position, and his affairs did
not promise that sympathy and strength which
makes ones house--as mine has been in times of
adversity-a refuge from the storm and tower
OF defense.
Besides a generous suffering, L should have
had selfish reason for such III had dreamt
that was about to become the instrument by
which Mr.. TiltOn meant to fight his way back
to the prosperity which he had forfeited. It
now appears that on the 10Th of December, 1870,
MIR. Tilton having learned that had replied TO
his Threatening letter by expressing such an
opinion Of him as TO sat Mr.. Bowen finally
against him and bring him face to face with
immediate ruin, he eXtorted from his wife, then
suffering from a severe Illness, a document iu-
eliminating me, and prepared an elaborate at
tack upon me.
MUTUAL MouLToN CONES UPoS THE SCENE.
On Tuesday evening, December 80, 1870, about
O'Clock, Mr.. Francis ID. Moulton called at my
house, and with intense earnestness said al
wish you to 60 with me to see Mr.. Tilton."
replied that I could not then, as / was just
going to nay prayer meeting. With the most
positive manner he said: "You must 90; some
body else will take care Of the meeting" 1
went with him, not knowing what trouble sgi-
tated him, but vaguely thinking that might
learn the solution OF the recent threatening let
ter. On the way asked what was the reason
Of this visit, to which he replied that Mr.. Tilton
would inform me; or words to that effect. On
entering his house MT. Moulton locked the door,
saying something about not being interrupted.
He requested me to 60 into the front chamber
over thu paYIOr. Vas uud0r the frun