American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1876-03-04
PLYMOUTH'S SCANDAL.
An Exciting Scene the Occa sion of
Rowen's Appearance Before the Exam
ininS Committee-BOSven's Statement
not made Public.

An Exciting Scene on the Occasion of
| Row-n's Appearance Before the Exam
| lining COmniittee-Bowen's Statement
| not made Public.
| To the Associated Press
! New YORK, Feb. 23.-A very excit-
| ing and unlooked-for denouement of the
meeting between Henry C. Bowen and
the Plymouth Church Examining Com
mittee took place tonight at Assistant
Pastor Halliday's house. The meeting
took place on the receipt of the follow
ing letter:
BROOKLYN, Feb. I7.-Mr. Henry C. Boren-
SIR: The Examining Committee have directed
me to say that they are acting under express in
structions from the Church embraced in the reso-
Iation a copy of which has already been trans
mtted to you. In the Judgment of the Commit
tee there is no ground for your assertion that you
are on trial. They are making preliminary in
vestigation into the insinuations or charges which
you have made against fellow member of the
Church, concerning which you have repeatedly
expressed yourself ready to give the essential
facts These facts they demand. The Commit.
tee therefore renew their request that you ap-
pear at the time and place specified in my letter
of the 18th inst for the purpose therein named
Respectfully, S. b. HALLIDAY.
About O'Clock Mr.. II. c. Bowen, his
sons Edward and Henry E. Bowen, and
DIR. Ward, publisher of the Independent,
entered Mr.. Halliday's house, and in
about an hour the door was flung open,
the lights flashed, and loud and angry
voices were heard, the cause of which
is herewith set down in the words of Mr..
Henry f. Bowen
Since the receipt of that letter MIR.
bowen has been busily engaged in pre-
pairing his statement for the Committee,
On entering the room in Mr.. Halliday's
house tonight, Mr.. Bowen found to his
establishment a company of forty or fif-
: ty persons assembled, embracing the
members of the Committee, the Chair
man of the Council in session, and
4 others. Amongst those present were
/ Henry Ward Beecher, who sat in cor
ner of the room behind the door, not in
2 view of Mr. Bowen, his-two sons, Henry
i and William, Oliver johnson, Beecner's
e son-in-law, the Rev. Mr.. Scovill, and
Benjamin f. Tracy. Mr.. Bowen be-
ing called upon for his state
y ment, presented and read it. Pre-
r vious to presenting his statement,
Mr.. Bowen expressed his surprise at
snch IA large audience, and asked for the
reason of their presence. He was told
that the Committee never objected to
his bringing his friends there. The idea
: was that Mr.. Bowen had right to
! bring in any friends he cared to. The
only objection was to reporters that
; the company CAME with the Commit
/. tees invitation, not Mr.. Beeeher's.
ssBut,'' said Mr. Bowen, Jr., F." Beecher
is Chairman of the Committee" To
this Mr.. Bowen replied he had no OBJ
lection, but the responsibility OF pub
!, licity must rest with them; that he came
there to present his statement to the
Examining Committee, and nobody
f. else; that he should decline to give il
to the press, and, if published, it should
be by the Examining Committee and
i not by him.
After Mr.. Bowen read his statement
5 continued the narrator, Mr.. Tilney in
S quired if he had any other facts to give,
Z, to which Mr.. Bowen replied, "That is
e all this evening""
v AS Mr.: Bowen was about leaving, Mr.
!. Blair, a member of the Committee, said
= al protest against Mi. Bowen leaving
:. Mr.. Shearman said: ssMr. Bowen
d you will not be permitted to leave the
It room.''
Mr.. Bowen stepped toward the dool
of the front parlor, when Mr.. S. V
White jumped up and locked the door
: took the key and put in his pocket, and
. as he saw Mr.. Bowen looking toward
the door of the other room, Mr.. White
e called out, clock that other door!" anC
= several men jumped toward it. Every
o one jumped to their feet, but Mr.. Bow
Is en- was too quick, and got to the parlol
door Just before several of the GROVE
got to it. His son, Henry f., followed
e rushed to the door, and called for the
n press, thinking that they were there.
L Here Mr. Henry C. Bowen interposet
theoretically, thinking there was going
y. to be row.
Mr.. Henry f. Bowen continued: "My
y father was in the hall my brother ant
l. Dr. Ward were in the parlor, and 1 got
- on the SlOOp OutSlue anu ctleu loT liz
o press, and the Associated Press report
n err and another rushed up, and Mr.
u Bowen told them of the occurrence.
Then one of Mr.. Bowen's sons upbraid
IS ed Mr.. White.
It Mr.. Bowen expressed himself very
il strongly in regard to the treatment HI
It received.
} WHITES STORY.
Mr.. S. V. White was visited, and hi
y version is substantially this: Mr.. Bower
e read statement of fifty-two pages, il
/ which he failed to give names or dates
IL 1t referred to scandals of ten or clever
II years ago. After reading few pages
n he handed the paper to DIR. Ward. Their
Bowen stepped toward the door, ant
/ Mr.. White, desiring to prolong the in
l. terview as much as possible, and being
seated near the door, turned the key
withdrew it from the lock, and put it il
his pocket. Bowen stepped back sew
eral feet, and, surveying the situation
), saw a means of exit by a back door
h He darted in that direction, upsettine
J, chairs and other articles of household
e furniture in his flight, and escaped from