Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1876-03-02
Henry C. Bowen and the Plymouth
Church Examining Committee.

says very e8ClJlug ana uuIOOhGu-lOI oFeHIS
had occurred at a meeting Of the Ply
mouth Church Examining Committee,
held at Assistant Pastor Halliday's house
in Brooklyn, on the evening Of that day,
at which Henry c. Bowen appeared by in
vitation, accompanied by his sons Edward
and Henry E., and DR.. Ward, publisher
of the independent.
HENRY E. BOWEN S VERSION.
The following is a summary Of Mr.
Henry E. Bowen's account of the affair
On entering the room Mr. Bowen was
astonished to find company of forty OF
fifty persons assembled, embracing the
members of the committee, the Chairman
of the Council in session, and others,
among the number being Henry Ward
Beecher, his sons Henry and William,
Oliver Johnson and Benjamin F. Tracy
Mr.. Bowen being called upon for his
statement, presented and it. Previous
to doing SO, he expressed his surprise at
such large audience, and asked the rea-
son Of their presence. He was told that
the committee never objected to his bring
ing his friends there; the idea was that
Mr.. Bowen had a right to bring in any
friend he cared to; the only objection was
TO reporters that the company came with
the committees invitation, not Mr..
Beechcr'S.
Mr.. Bowen replied that he had no OBJ
lection, but the responsibility Of publicity
must rest with them; he said he came
there to present his statement to the Elk
aiming Committee and nobody else
that he should decline to give it to the
press, and if published it should be by
the Examining Committee and not by
him.
After finishing his statement and say
ing, in reply to Il question, that that was
all the facts he had to give that evening,
he started to leave, when one of the COM
mittee protested against his doing SO, and
Mr. Shearman said he (Bowen) would not
be permitted to leave the room.
Mr.. Bowen stepped toward the door of
the front parlor, when Mr. S. V. White
jumped up and locked the door, took the
key and put it III his pocket, and as he
saw Mr.. Bowen looking toward the door
of the other room, Mr.. White called out,
C Lock that other door," and several men
jumped toward it. Every one jumped tc
his feet but Mr.. Bowen was too quic k
and got to the back parlOr door Just be
fore several Of the crowd got to it. His
son, Henry E., followed, rushed to the
door, and called for the press, thinkin g
that they were there. Here Mr.. Henry c..
Bowen interposed energeticalIy, thinking
there was going to be q row.
Mr.. Henry e. Bowen continued: "My
father was in the hall, my brother and
DIR. Ward were in the parlor, and ] got
on the st0op outside and called for the
press, and the Associated Press reporter
and another rushed up, and Mr. Bowen
told them Of the occurrence. Then one
of MI. Bowen's sons upbraided Mr.
White Mr.. Bowen also expressed him
self very strongly in regard to the treat
ment he received.''
MR. WHITES VERSION.
Mr.. s. Y. White was visited, and his
version is substantially this:
Mr. Bowen read a statement of fifty
two pages, in which he failed to give
names or dates. It referred to scandals OF
ten or eleven years ago. After reading a
few pages he handed the paper tc DR..
Ward. Then Nr. Bowen stepped toward
the door, and Mr. White, desiring to pro
long the interview as much as possible,
and being seated near the door, turned the
key, withdrew il from the lock and put il
in his pocket, Mr.. Bowen stepped back
several feet and, surveying the situation
saw means of exit by back door and
he darted in that direction, upsetting
chairs and other articles of household
furniture IN his flight, and escaped from
the house. Mr. Edward Bowen then
pointed to me, and said: | will fix
you; you will pay for thisr Henry E
Bowen then ran to the door, with DISNEY
eled hair flying wildly about, and shout
ed, Gentlemen Of the press In re-
Spouse to his cries the reporters of the AS.
sociated Press and the New York Time,
came up, and IN response to their inqui
ries Mr.. Henry Z. Bowen besought his
brother MOTTO make a fool of himself say.
ing that | had made an ass OF myself, and
that he Mr.. E. BOwen) couldn't better
the matter by shouting for members of the
press