The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1875-02-16
IT DRAWS TO A CLOSE.

ERsroRY OF THE TRlPARTITE AGREEMENT
a LACK OF FAITH IN BOWEN DISCLOSED
| BoWEN's EPIsToLERY EFFORT IN TYPE
AND THE SLIPS DISTRIBUTED ABOUT TOWN
MORE ABOUT THE TRUE sToRY-THE
CROSS EXAMINATION TO BE FINISHED TO-
DAY.
| NEW YORK, Feb. Notwithstanding
the snow and rain and icy sidewalks this
morning, the Tilton-Beecher trial In the
Brooklyn City Court room had as crowded
an attendance as on any previous day. Mrs.
TiltOn and Mrs. Field were present early,
| but Mr.. Beecher and wife did net arrive I'M
| I'll short time after the proceedings began.
a few preliminaries having been settled by
the counsel, Mr.. Evarts continued the
gross examinati OF Tilton. The witness
said: have no copy of the draft OF the tri-
partite. agreement. He WAS handed q
pamphlet. 1 do not know whether this
Is copy of the original draft of the
agreement, though 1t purports TO be.
l could not swear that this is the exact
phraseology OF the original draft. l think
| that the tripartite covenant as put into nv
hands for signature was in the handwriting
| Of Samuel Wilkinson, and | have an impress
sion that the draft was written by him too.
L think the original draft was read to me in
Moulton's study ia the presence OF Mr.
| Claf1in, Mr.. Wilkinson, Mr.. Moulton and
myself. / could not say whether this was ut
chance meeting nor can l say whether it
was In the morning or evening that it took
place. l can not say whether the papsr
shown me then was prepared for my sig
nature. Ny recollection is that Clafiin asked
me day or so after that if Brown withdrew
his charge in writing against Beecher, that 1
would not spread them any more. / said if
| Bowen signed the agreement L would sign
| il twenty times over. expressed nv belief
O1ln rrrDfu sr =.
nant. picked up pen and made motion
with my hand as if signing the paper, and
then stated that if Bowen would at ach his
name to it would sign it as often as they de-
sired. The witness went on to explain that
in a more extended examination of the
agreement he saw the paragraph he was
asked to sign, and as it was NOS in the terms
he desired, he refused to attach his name TO
it unless it WAS modified in some degree. 1
do not remember reading all the document,
but read the paragraph relating to Bowen
when uttered this exclamation The wit
ness continued: What prevented nay sign
ing 1t then was because
BowEN's NAME WAS NOT ATTACHED
to the clause prepared for him. expressed
my willingness to sign it, but did not signify
any intention. 1 do not remember any per-
sons saying, "Don't sign it first as Mr.,
Bowen may sign it." Moulton may have
said this, but don't remember whether he
did. My impression is shat Moulton said ne
thought Bowen would not sign it, and Claflin,
| shaking uis head, said "Bowen has got to
sign it," do not know who took away the
paper from MOulton. l saw the paper
again when was expected to sign, but /
don't remember the day or the hour. think
1 saw it in Wilkinson's Office, In what
was then the North Pacific railroad Office,
and it then lay between us. l do not re-
member whether 1 called for it. can not
say whether l then perused or considered
| the document. l do not know whether it
was Wilkinson's office on that occasion.
do not remember the date when the draft
came into my possession and was made the
subject of my change. The award given me
was Bowen's check for 1900. Moulton was
| there then, but do not think handed over
the check to him, but perhaps l gave the
check a day or two after for deposit to Frank
Woodruff. have no draft of this proposed
change in my possession, but WIlkin-
son has. 1t was left in his possession.
do mot think composed the paragraph,
but took portion from that of Wilkison's
and iJ reads as L inserted it. / do not re-
member that / signed it at this interview,
| but remember the parties were not to.
gether when they signed. 1 think, however,
Bowen signed it first, 1 did second and Mr..
Beecher last, signing over my name. This
paper was not executed in duplicate, but
only one copy was signed. Wilkison had
several copies prepared for publication.
This signed copy was given to Horace b.
Clsfiin. do not know whether any person
was present when L signed 1t. 1 can not say
whether Wilkison, Stowe, Clafiin or Free
land were then present. Possibly Moulton
may have been present, but do not remem-
Der the place or time at which
THIS PAPER WAS SIGNED.
/ can not now remember who got the paper
after it was signed. think ! got the check
from Bowen on the night OF the signing of
the arbitration. / cidn't sign the arbltra-
ton without getting the check, but Obtained
it half an hour after my name was written
to it, though Wilkison said to the contrary
before the investigation committee. Evarts
asked the counsel on the other side for the
production of the "True Story" but the
prosecution had not brought it into court,
and promised to do so after the recess. The
witness continues 1 put in type the Bowen
letter, with comments, about the end of
March, 1872. / discussed it with Oliver John
son before 1t was put in type. i showed
/ D. hn eli inc ot 70 n