, 1875-08-04
BOWEN W.. IsEECli11,.
Letter from Ex.NIHtrtcf-Att0rney
Winxintr.

Letter from observation-disclosures
SEw YONG, Nm. II William ercet, Lnly II.
tS75.-- 70 MP Ei'ii0r II tir 4Srr fU,s 1rs'MM:
Ihe Rev. l>r, j}aru','a sicws Of tho situation
in re Bccc,Icr Scandal, and carccial1y "ha: ho
SAW Of Mr. DowenH pos,tipn III relation thereto
in his latter to tito Tribuue Of July -, nnI-
EcHis u statement OF Como factB which have
not, no far ~ l liayn observed, been rn-
fcrrca to III = connected way. A. llhs-
t5at.so Of ,lr. l,oscn's rea, position. I'I.
Bacon. tn wl,ou1 | rafer with great respect,
Kl,caks Of "othor c}larves," and says, In etlrct,
:" that member ol Plymouth Church Et'l i'll
siss, even BY uoi nnl wuk or by expressive
sI!enre.' TINT his allegations rclIoaracd aul With
drawn in tho laipartlto Astoen,c1s Aeo nsserthe-
loas ,ruo. then it il Tor lln1 II, provo what no
cannot dcry that lie Inns sai, or else stan'l he-
fore lliA church and tho wofid rs prnrumptiroly
the originator OF tho great scaut1at OF which
Tllton WAS tho promnisAker."
1t haa beep said that QUO Of the scandals re-
fcTEed to i'll the alleged letter Ut Slr. 1sowen to
ME. TfIton. aud which became tho subject Of the
tripartite arrangement. was tho eAIe which was
nada tho basis ot libel suit In the United
against Aluulton, md aisposctf Of to tho ontira
honor Of tho plalntlf, before Judge Woodruff.
It will DO remembered TINT. when that casa was
BROUGHT 10 hearing. III December last, 1t was
abandoned b7 the defendant AZ utterly nuionabla
aud under penalty Of hoayy costa. It ii reasons
able to suppose that. # the dnfcndant or his
conductors haa my ground for believing A,as
anytliing dorogatorY to Alr, Uacchct c1n!d bo
proved by Mr.. l5nwcn upon tho issue. in tl!as
easo. tho experiment would have boon tried. Mr..
Bowen WIS within tie Jurisdiction Of tho Court.
mud could easily luye bocu callull NJ a witners.
In conncrtAn With thF, It IL proper to state
that. whc,, It became my official duty us Districts
Attorney III BROOKLYN to examine this !bct npun
q criminal complaint preferred by tho injured
party. 1 tuok some pains to learn the att;-
tulo of str. bowen iu tha matter. Among other
things, Il WAS adcortsined from tho complaining
wltHeaa that, when no fisEt heard hor name
mentioned in connection With scandnloua re-
portH Ani of Mr. Bowen AZ tho author OF thorn,
sbe Immediately vert to Mr, Bowen and de-
n,antiesl to kHow whether he Was rcspnnsblo for
tho wrong done her by such reports. Mr.. nowon
replied that he was not, md that he bad noyer
doue or sail anything whatever to Justify such
story. 30 ,nucil for Mr. Doweu'H position III
roEeleuco to this particular scandal. reIerra to.
perhaps, by Dr. Bacon unlcE tile bead Of 'otlcr
charges"
Another Of tho scandals once In vigorous cir
cu1aton, affecting AIR. Btocler. wns 70 tho effect
tint tho late Mrs Dowon ulAdo confession on
| hor dcath-bod, duplicating Ao1sclf WITH Mr.
| Decchor This scandal had aD attentive Mrs
,nX for long time, aud finally appeared in TIM
| Trooklyn argus IN september laHt. lth pulica-
| ton lod to tue indictment OF the proprietor Of
tho Arglfs for !ihos upon tito complaint Of s1r.
1sowcn and his aons. 1t bocaulo tny official duty
| tn prosecute tho indictment which wss tried ii,
| November last in brooklyn. It BOON bocana owl
dent tilat tho proprietor tile ArJus could o: aud,
| ought NOT be held c1imnaiy rosponslblo for tho
Gbe1, for tho reason that its publication uas not
authorized or intended by him and that wien
he learned It vas iu typo. Lo im,nclatcly ordered
its suppression. This fact relieved tho pro-
priet0r OF criminal Or malicious intent or
desieu. under wsll-sesslsd rules Of law. In
| tho course ct tho trial, Mr. Dowon and hta two
ecution have askenorrn1,hio cupy OF tilcir teB
| tinony, and find that they ulo aud al! lenlol In
tho most emphatic snanuoE, tbs alleged doath-b bed
coutoaslon OF tho lato Mrs. bowen, and denied
tho relations Of alr. peechor with the lady ru-
ferred to which Justified Or could suggest such
Monatroua story. Mr. Bowen, WHOM asked II
he he'd ever said Or inBinuatot, at any time, any.
thing derogatosr to s1r. noecher in refcrorco te
h,H lite w,fo replied thut l,o had not. Tho ma.
ticlona faIsity OF the libel wAs clearly ostat,.
lishod sui conceded. but tho lofondunt was moi
held. for the ralsou above stated. 10 intcl Tor
s1r. l3owen's position n rof9seaco to tho scandal
| relating to lis late vito and AIr. Deocher.
What tho "ostor charges are. II any, 70
ferrea 10 by Dr. Dacon, tho public ia not inform.
cd, II there ever wore any :" otl.or chargoH u oI
iusinuations nlade by Mr. Bowen, the question
arisos llow fur lhoy arc liBpo+sed Of IY Mr, How
ciIlatiou with N1r, Ueeehur III tho "tripartito
document Mr.. Dowot, roforrisg to "talss mt
lunueuuQea affecting lIvnry Ward beooAcr
says:
bwu attributed to Iuo ~ having leell lIlado asals
Henry Ward l5eseher, aud .,ta4ru fully &nI .clthsu
rsssrrt That kn"w nstl1nE which stnla prevent nj
from extending 10 'a tls most eorala! f.iendshiI'
sanssenee. aa Christian is!laWshir. Ad sxrse.a
ttot - a'i nt ssp i. in @ ,' a ~ @ ,.
MI fasn In tst1sr writ,~" I,v ,a H. .rnrn III TiIsm
IN tho III If Jsuuury is7 H. coy Of wntch u harrtt
a,ue1.u,, and sincerely rgrrt iasing !aa uny in
pntaslns, charges, lnnutnaoss uniasotaJlu to the
christiau character Ut Mr. 1'eccher.
These arc plain words, aud hardly justify
upon any theory ot common honesty. Dr. I}a
coma intimatiou that they may not mean tlis
avowal ot aho trutl, ot tho charges. When Ar
Bowen .!eclarer, "yntsly aud tolHtosA reserre.
that ho knows nothing sllat shuld ptovont h!n
frUm extending to Mr. Deecher Ills !" inoat cor
dial friendship, confidence, and ChrIBlun tcl
lowhfip," wo have clear right to say khas III
hoto uvowb his belief lu tho integrity OF Air
Deechsr. To say that when lle used there wortia
be knew or believed AT. lleeclsr to be guilty
man. il but aaylng by tnd,rccti0u that Bow,
WIS thou and tsIcro Al dishonest q man az thi.
~l.o!o scandal Las yet brought to rubile view
20 fur aa the two scandals to which l have ro
fcrroa are concorned aud with Which ME. Dover
haH bnel, Identified ~ atatod. /. would soen tin
Inn 1'osition il that Of absolute denial Ut both
thou, and further that Ae mover believed either
~ Il 81,