New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-06-02
THE WINSTED SCANDAL.


into view bearing upon the conscious knowledge ana
feeling OF Mr. Beechor and OF Mr.. Tton when thoy first
come into one anohers presence the 30th grows out
Of the real gravity weight and substance OF these inpu
tatons against Mr. Ttons morality, which had come 10
Mr. Bowers knowledge, and were made the occasion OF
his deberaton, decision, and its announcement 70 MI.
Tilton. Now that these topics and incidents included
the winsted affair." and the dealing with woman In the
offices of 7he Independent or The BROOKLYN
Union there can be no doubt, upon Mr.. I'll
toms own testimony His mode OF disposing
of them you have heard He has no difficulty IN brush
ing away, while It merely depends upon the turn OF
phrases either these any other facts but the dcuy
is that when the facts return they return not only WIN
the force Of proving themselves but Of discreding him.
II he had admitted the truth then the character OF the
facts would have been all that to be gathered OF I'M
mort from their evidence; but II nc denies them II he
misrepresents Them and they are facts Wthh MS own
knowledge then when our duty brings bacK III shape
not 10 be conradiced not capable OF being dsparageu
these ugly facts that he had swept away by the breath
OF his mouth then the facts back proving him 10
have been false deliberately, consciously false Ana
how many have these blows to be given-not tothe
fabric OF the testimony, but to the characterize IN
grained character of the witness and the pant-neore
they tell to its destruction Why gentlemen OF the jury
II witnesses are to believed in their own case under
the operation Of the biteret and most hateful passions
by their confession that ever actuated men, they must
ut least carry tablet for their testimony and not
have II disfgured by deliberations and double texts
Now this matter about the charges brought 10 Bowens
notice. the prejudice Of TltOn, were regarded by Ion
and his counsel important II true and grave on their
bearing upon what became a principal question WIN
them and has been made principal question with them,
and which shall consider its merits and that Is,
rs bearing on the question Of whether Mr. Bowen owed
Mr.. TOn any money for suddenly abrogatng the con-
tracts and dsmisSng him. The contracts provided that
at his might dismiss him without cause, but then
npon penalty of paying six months salary or compe-
Bation which amounted in the aggregate for the two
papers to s. 600 Very well But If his character was
unworthy his conduct unsuitable to the position of an
editor Of religious print, If his personal credlt
and conduct were such to justify nay, to demand
dismissal why then Bowen was discharged by law, IN
ponscence from any responsibility whatever for the sud
den and summary termination OF the relation And that
pas the situation Bowen understood Ii so. Bowen
never departed from that position until under certain in
Huences which attended the final arbitration and the
Tripartte Agreement" he surrendered that position
md closed the pecunary and the other conrover-
sizes in which he had become involved. WE'LL we have,
then as a sample OF these stories, thus to be tested
whether there solidy in them this Winsted affair."
which shall spend but very few moments upon. But
In you have only evidence OF the gravity OF the i'm
putations but you have evidence OF the ghtnes with
which Mr. Tlltons oath deals with such questions.
1t was charged that in public rumOr, public
fame, at Winsted, Mr. Titon's conduct with a
lecture, had been unseelnly, immoral, and prohigate
Very well Now, he does not prove that 1t was that
will agree but the rImor was OF that kind MI Inton
knew everything that had occurred. What did he do
about it Nothing i'll it mere chd-a sick child at
tha-put upon by his wife because she could not
and girl would like TO and that it was shameful
scurros caumny against him and against her. and had
no real foundation. Well 1t occurred toward the end
think of December 1862 and Ii had been sharp enough
In Its impression occasion the writing Of letter of in
qury to him while it fresh, and he had written an
answer, and that answer we have, and that answer
was written, 1 think, on the 9th or 10TH or
Sth OF January, 1870 There had been casual
insulating of it, you will remember" 1862
by that common by which, at the first Of
January Of year. are very apt to put the date OF
tho old year. Well, that helped him little while. He
said that in 1870 this Wnsted affair." the knowledge OF
which had been thus brought to Mr.. Bowens attention
old affair 1t had happened years before; there
Was nothing in it little school girl, young Well when
got hold Of this letter. that 1869" you know helped
him little. If this was written January 1869, then it
would have December, 1868, that 1t happened but
probed the matter and got from him, finally by refer
ence to the memoranda OF engagements. having the
means always of holding him TO the TRUTH that hatletter
OF his was written the 9th of January 1870 and with
in two or three weeks after the transaction occurred
and in that letter represents this little bit of girl
shockngy dpropOrti0nate In size to the magnitude OF
this scandal, and that II there had been anything
observed IL must have been intrusion; disgrace
full to anybody that was witness to any such fact
Well Mr. TtOn had told the story as 1t was, or reason
ably so there would have been occasion for our gong
into IL as matter of fact It's only Importance TO us was
as an element substantial in its character, In Mr. Bow
ems Judgment and his action and showing that Bowen
had solid grounds for his opinions and In his opinion at
least for the he took with Mr. TltOn and If So
that he did him the 81 600, and that as TO its
being an honest debt, payable demandabe on its own
was nothing in that idea, that it got by that outside
pressure which may not be blackma but which utterly
disreputable, utterly contemplate, and which the
Judgment OF this community in its length and Its breadth
merely of these great cities but of this whole
great country OF ouspronOunces at once as the Vest
mode of extOrng money from the fears Of reputable
people against public defamation and the less there is of
fact truth in the supposed charges the sensa
tive the unsued repue against this public detracOn
And was not desirable that Mr. Triton and Mr. MoutOn
should have proved against them that they extracted
and coerced the payment Of money from Bowen under
the threat unless you pay publish these Scandals
and therefore they desired to make appear that Bowen
had no defense, and knew he had defense, and had
always admitted he had defense. Well, they made
very little progress in that for Tton and Moulton both
stated TO you that Bowen said he didn't anything.
Now we are obliged go into this matter Of the Win
stod affair dsagreeabe to ALL and how does it turn out
Why. that this lady was of the age of some II or1s.
MT Tracy-Twenty-twO.
Mr. Evarts-Twenty-two years, weighed $50 pounds or
40 people took for 27 o. large Mrs Til
ton 1t was stated and the idea Of the little sick school
girl that could not support the scandal and that it
break down therefore OF its weight wholly disaI
pears. Well now, gentlemen, did mt he know about
that And yet the letter lie wrote to Hastings and the
story he told was very different matter from this and
then the disclosure OF the nnocentf they be innocent
relations that he held this young woman in the pr
vacy Of the is such may make impression
NJ md
ness with which he disclosed It, and takes virtue to him
self for his want OF sensitlveness on its mpro
prety, may make impression upon You; but
I think this plaintiff and this cause would give