The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1874-08-22


l have known Mr.. Theodore Tlltor
since 1850, intimately, in the kindest relA'
tons Of social and personal friendship
l have known Rev, Henry Ward Beech
or since 1869, and then casually as an &C.
quaintance and attendant upon his minis
lration upto tho beginning oi the occur
renee OF which l shall speak. Seeing
Mr.. Tilton's Valedictory as editor Of the
independent on the 22d Of December,
1870, | inferred that there had been some
differences between himself and Henry
Q. Bowen, proprietor, but learning that
Tilton had been retained as q contributor
to that journal and editor Of the Brooklyn
Union, OF which Bowen was also propfl-
etor, supposed the differences were not
personal or unkind. Up to that time, al
though | had been frequent visitor at
, Tilton's house, and had seen himself and
Mrs. TiltOn under all phases oil social In
tercourse, l had never heard or known Of
the slightest disagreement or unkindness
existing between them, but had believed
their marital relations = most CXCep-
ltonally pleasant. On the Goth day OF
December, 1870, being at Tilton's house
he came home from an interview with
Bowen and told inc with some excite.
ment OF manner that he had Just had q
conference with Bowen and In that inter.
view
BOWEN HAD MADE CERTAIN ACCUSATIONS
against Beecher and had challenged him,
Ttlton, rs matter OF duty TO the public
to write an open letter, which Bowen was
10 take 10 Beecher, Of which he showed
me the original draft, which Is as follows:
BROOKLYN, December 9th, 1870.
Henry Ward Btteher:
sm:-I demand, for reasons which
you explicitly understand, that you imne.
diately cease from the ministry OF Ply
mouth Church and that you quit the city
OF Brooklyn as residence.
signed, THEo. TILTON.
Mr. TilIOn explained that the words
"tor reasons which you explicitly under
stand" were interlinGd at the request oI
Bowen, and he further stated that he told
Bowen he was prepared 10 believe his
charges because BeGcher made improper
advances to Mra. Tiltou. Surprised at
this asked him, "What," when he re-
piled, Don't ask me, can't tell you" l
then said, "ls it possible that you could
have been so foolish as 10 sign that letter
on the strength Of BoWens assertion aud
not have Bowen sign II too, although as
you say be was 10 carry it to BeeCher"
He answered, "BowCn gave me his word
that
HE WOULD SUSTAIN THE CHARGES,
and adGuce evidence to prove them when.
ever called upon" l said, ~ fear that
you will find yourself mistaken" He an.
swered, Bowen said he would take ii
Immediately"
! afterwards learned from Becchcr that
Bowen had done so, because on the 1st OF
January following Beechcr gave me the
copy he received, as | found by men,
orandum made ut the time on an envrl-
ope; and find by the latter memoran-
dunn on the envelope that the original
draft was given TO rue by Titon on the
9th oil the same month. l insert here the
following memorandum OF the facts above
stated, made at the time, giving the hour
when it was made:
BROOKLYN, December 20, 1872.
Theodore Tilton informed me to-day
that he had sent note 10 Mr.. Beecher, Of |
which Mr. Bowen was the bearer, de-
mandiDg that he (Beecher) should read |
1t from his pulpit, and quit the City Of |
Brooklyn. The letter was an open one. |
Bowen knew the contents Of It, and said |
that he would sustain Tilton in this de- |
mand. In day or two after that Tilton |
ralIad m mo az INV hnruo nd uai5 hn ha1 Il
sent word to Bowen that he was going
to call on Beecher within hall an hour, or
shortly, and that Bowen came up into
the office with great anger and told
him that II he should say to Beecher what
he (Bowen) had told him concerning his
(BeeChet's) adultery, he would dismiss
him from the lndependentand the Union.
Tilton told him that he had never been
influenced by threats and he would not
be now, and subsequently received Bow
ems letter OF dismissal. What those
charges were and an account Of the inter.
view appear in a letter addressed 10
Bowen by Tilton bearing the date OF the
lst OF January, 1871. This letter has been
often published, and opens by allusion 10
the suddenness OF Bowen's breaking the
two contracts with Tilton, one with the
Independent and the other with the
Brooklyn Union.
On Friday evening, the 30th oil Decem.
ber, being tho night OF the Plymouth
Church prayer meeting, Tilton came 10
me and said IN substance that by his
wite's request he had determined 10 see
Beecher in order to show to him the con.
iession of his vile Of intercourse between
them, which he (Tilton) had never up 10
that time mentioned TO him (BecCher)
(the fact Of the confession OF his
wite) He had told me that he
had never told Beecher, although
her confession had been made in July in
writing, which writing he (Tilton) had
afterwards destroyed, but that his vile
fearing that Il Bowers accusations
against BeeCher were made public, that
the whole matter wculd be known, and
her own conduct with BeechCr become
exposed, had renewed her confession In
her own hand writing, which he handed
10 me to read, which was the first kuowl-
edge that had OF its existence. Tilton
did not tell me how his wife came 10
make the confession in July, nor did l at
that time or ever after ask. Indeed
may state here, once for all, that re-
Trained from asking confession Of the
acts Of all parties, further than they chose
to make them voluntarily, for the pur-
pose for which l was acting.
Tilton wanted me to go down and ask
Beecher to come up aud sec him at my
house, which l did. ! said 10 Beecher:
"Mr. TiIton wants you 10 come and sec
him at my house Immediately" He asked,
"What iorp' l replied, "Ho wants 10
make some statement 10 you In reference
to your relations with his family" He
then called to some one in the back room
TO go down and say that he should not be
at tho prayer meeting, and We went out
together. II was storming at the time,
when remarked, "there Ia On appropri- |
ateness IN this Storm" and said, "Mr. |
Beecher, am not christian, but If you |
wish, | will show you how well heather |
can serve you" We then went to my
house, and | showed him into chamber |
over the parlor, where Mr. Tilton was,
aud left them together. In about an hour
Dir. Beecher came down, and asked me
II l had seen the confession Of Elizabeth.
I said that l had. Said he,
''THIs WILL KILL MRp
and asked mo 10 walk out with him. l
did SO, and we walked TO Tilton's house
together, and he went In. On the way
he said "This Is q terrible catastrophe; II
comes upon me as II struck by lightning"
dc went into Tilton's house and l re-