New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-05-21
MR.. BOWENS TESTIMONY.

MR. BOWEN'S TESTIMONY.
Mr.. Porter-We come next, gentlemen, to
the testimony OF Henry c. Bowen. 1t Is little curious
that wherever find Bowen appearing in this case he
to give to 1t fresh and peculiar interest lie Is
the next actor In this drama We should not have looked
for IT, What has he to do with the matterf lie mas no
admission to the interior Of the house Of Henry Ward
Beecher and just little TO the interior OF tho house Oh
Theodore Tilton and yet wherever events como To
thicken Henry c. Bowen Ia there. OF his testimony
shall speak with kindness and fobearance 1t would be
inliman to do otherwise Icannot hut remember tne
buets which has received from the beginning OF ts
trial on the part of the friend to whose res
cue he has in his extreme desperation
| refer for a moment to OF these comments
OF which Mr. TiltOn, after manner peculiar TO iseii
Introduces not only witnesses but his own to the
favor the OF the jury as ne feeis dsposcu
This the Henry c. Bowen of whom TltOn In one OF the
exhibits which is before you writes Bowen lifted his
hammer and with unjust blow smOte asundcr my two
contracts" Again, the public little suspects that TINS
act of his turned the fear to meet the OF
horrible charges which he made against Henry ward
Beecher" In the course OF Of these exhibits no
speaks OF Bowens assassinating dagger drawn against
Mr. Becchcr In another portion Of the same exhibit ne
says, Bowen charged Beecher with the most hideouS
crime known human nature" Then Tilton assigns as
the for not making public his written denial OF the
charge of adultery between Mr.. Beecher and his wife
would put my old friend Bowen to serious risk or
being smten dead by Beechers hands" How far Bowen
would deserve his fate cannot say but know that all
Plymouth Church would hound him as rat In his let
ter of Jan. l. 1871 he arraigns Bowen as sanderer
and libolcr lie charges him with dupcity and treach-
cry and describes Bowens face in the last interview as
livd with rage and his violent words as still ringing III
Ton's You may judge OF the estimation IN which
TitOn and his counsel held their case when
they thought its necessities demanded OF them
that they should put Henry C. Bowen on the VIII
A,I ohn
what-whatl That Beocherdidnt SANDER Theodore Ton
to Henry G.. Bowen-that Beecher did nothing tending
TO the removal Tton from his connection with The IN
depnden 1t is but just to Bowen to say that he showed
noble zeal TO all he coud in favor Of the party
who called him. That 1t not from love OF Theodore
Tfon persuaded. That it not hatred OF Henry
ward Becchcr all knew for he worships at Plymouth
Church, 1t must have been from the pure abstract love
Of truth. lIaughter.1 Well what Is the truth as he
tells iti s memory is ycousiy accurate In his denals;
but IL ia sngularly lax In taking them back on cross
examination. Mr. Beccher never advised him to turn
clifton out Of The Independenf He did not. Dir.
Beecher thought he did. He did not Mr.. Beecher
didn't tell you anything against him! No. nothing.
Oh, he did talk generally against him. What did
he say about him Well, 1t was nothing except
SOHO little matter OF fornication and adultery 1t was
nothing serious. What was it he told your Really
don't remember. remember gen rally; he really didn't
think Tton WAS very good man, but he knew nothing
particular against him, II he did, he didn't tell mo- or,
if lie did, forget what it he told me- He talked with
half hour or thrcequatcr5 Of an hour but what no
said cannot fox tue ne of tell know it didn't az
feet mo. know Tilton. didn't need any information
from Bcechcr. had made up my mind about him. Did
,an tell Mr. Bcecher sol Wei, am not quite sure OF
that, but I knew myself. Did Mr.. Beecher
know Really don't know Can't you think, Mr. Bowen,
OF something that Mr. Beecher told yOui Well, he did
tell me that there wcre-there reports against
Theodore Tton. Oh, well, now, but, Mr. Bowen, was
that all That all Positively Certainly What!
didn't they relate to women Oh, yes, OF course they
related to women. Well what womcnP Well he was III
the same place as Mr. Beecher when they were try
ing to ascertain about the birth OF that child be had
not made an entry of the transaction. lI.aughterl
Well bat, Mr.. Bowen, you know something
about this, don't yOui Did he mention names
Oh, he mentioned names. but the names
knew nothing about 1 didn't know the people,
didn't care for them, and didn't remember them.
Then you mean to swear positively that Mr.. Beecher
didn't tell you that Theodore TtOn was guilty OF foul
licentious, aducrous practices with womenf On IN
general way and he mentioned names but don't know
what they There One-I think there was one
that was in hls Fanily" Well you that in
bad way. Busiit happens that, though Bowen was so
forgetul ther was forgetul the afternoon
that day when he back to his own house to meet
Dr. EggcstOn hsalisociate on his newspaper, whom he
had left in that and told that he had just
from Mr. Beechers and Mr. Bcecher had told him horr-
tcry and had told him how he had attempted
the ruin of an adopted daughter under his
own roof, and that Mr.. Beecber would
stand his friend that he would be the friend Of The In
DEPENDENT rooiced to know that ho ready to
Theodore Tton from The independent After ALL
Theodore don't you think that Henry c. made pretty
Door witness Did he better thcir easel We have the
proof clear, conclusive cotemporaneous with the fact,
showing that Mr. Beechers account Of that interview is
true Not showing that Woodruff and TtOn right in
showing that Bowen Is reachcrous but showing that his
memory Is trcachefOus But Bowen, who was brought
here TO stab Beecher carries with him another dirk under
his belt and the CONSERVATION OF my friends on tho
other sde thrust 1t under the rib Of the man who called
him. lie reveals the which Theodore Tton oath
has denied that before no had exerted that power
his wife which elected from her the letter, whatever
It was OF the Goth OF December, Henry c. Bowen, his en-
ployer, had said to him that secular Christmas after
noOn the Goth OF December that the ax was suspend
cd his head, the which to fall would before
tho year should end. That explains to you gentlemen,
what Theodore TltOn left unexplained: how it that
when he went home that Christmas week. and found his
wife in her sad condition. weakened by hemOTagc,
out In spirit broken In heart and she supposed draw
ing upon the grave which was to bring her and
broken body side by side with that OF the bastard Paul
lie enters that room and proclams, am ruined man."
On that proclamation Bessie Turner, who felt that
| his ruin the ruin OF tho household to
| which he belonged, and Of her own benefactress,
sank upon the lounge helpless and powsress and even
that old nurse felt the shock deeply that she could not
repeat the account Of the event without tremuous
emotion which you noticed the witness stand This
man into the roOm at one end OF which lies his
weak SICK suffering Frustrated wife, not to sympathze
with her. but" l. /, who took off my crown and laid
it ut Bowens feet, and said God save the
Kng;' /, who have been in the receipt Of the
baronial income OF $4,000 year; l. who occupy the
leading position at the head Of the leading journal Of
America: I am ruined. ruinel. rulnedln And what