, 1876-03-02
BOWEN.
He Offbrs to Tell Committee Of Thrce
Under Oath Of Absolute
Secrecy.
Tho Plymouth Examining Cons
mittco Demand Publicity,
but in Vain.
They, Therefore, Prefor Charges Against
Him Of ra1sehood, Dishonesty,
and slander.


Sptcta! Disputeh 10 TAs chloaao Trtb'sa<.
DnooxLYN, N. r. March f.--Thoro werc hot
words At Plymouth Church this aveniug bcswcon
Doson and tho Examining Committee, tho TO-
suit Of which lof. him stl!l with hia secret un-
told, but onco moro proclaimed In tue form Of
charge agaiost Bocchor. But no vas put in .
position whtcl, 10 eannot maintain long. The
Church had the advantage at tho atart, fnaa-
MUCH az It had decided In advance ttAt Bowen
shontd ansgor orally certain question: which
tho E1amfntng Committee lad como prepared 10
mako, az thoy had alroady reduced tl,om to
writing, but Dowen soon deprived them Of this
advantage.
THE First QUESTION
hskoi him MAS vhe1o he had first heard reports
to discrodit locehor. 1Io made no direct reply,
but roBo and read off urittou statement Of Ills
position In tho matteri urging that llo vas
being disciplined for not talking, md that tho
church rofuaed to receive Ills atatement rnado
week Bgo. He declined to gfvo any other faosB
until thoy Ind anawarad wtnt ho had already
stated. Several interruptions indicated tho
hostile mood Of Plymouth, aud oven the Clork
aud Committee betrayed shor foolinga by yafiouh
tll-oonsilnred and
1stpoLrr1u Aors.
Bowen finally ansNcrod that he had tifht heard
reports against Deocher In 1857 and 1853. When
asked uhat thcao wero he submitted tho p.opo-
sitlon 10 gi7e TO committee OF three, whom ho
named, all prominent churohmen, tho factB
aud names demanded conditional on their keep
Ing them absolutely socrot. This, ho agreed to
do in tho proaenco Of Becchor, II Dcechcr do
nandod them, aud he turned leroely Oh Deccher
and asxod:
''po ron DEMAND TnEM7"
Thore was general demurrer to this proposl.
ton, oil tho Committee refusing to DO bound by
the pronlse Of secrecy. Ono man akeerted that
tho Church wou1d diehonor ltbelf To voto secret
fnvoatigation Of such public charges. Deccn&r,
too, insisted that 10 would submit to no necrot
investigation. IIe had nothing to gain by 1t.
Finally Ross Raymond and 6hoar1nan insiatpd
Oh accepting DoYens proposition with tho
amendment that the woman involved By Dowen'a
ohaERea should DO permitted 10 arpear BY
counsel or friends to protuat. Thia Was votpd BY
ths Church, but
BOWEN ENpnA9IoA1LI nHFuBEp
to assent 10 It, Bnocher, In The ouIy speech OF
tho evening, made The point against Bowen thai
he preteutied soltcitudo for the woman and yot
refused 10 consent to ner coming forward 10 d.
fond herself. Thia WAS the great wcakposs OF
Dowen'a position, and tho Examining. Commit
teo emphasized II BY formally aummoning hin.
to appeas, md thea reporting that he leolined to
do 70,
CHARGES AdArN8r BOWEN
had meantlmo betn read, charging him with
falsahood. dishonesty, and slluder, and to these
new chsrge wnb then added, still further point
ing out tho Heakneas OF Ills position. Nothing
Of a dec1dsd1y Sensational character occurred.
Tha foeling Nha otrouR and tntenao rather than
exciting. Que mombor moved to expel Bowen.
whom bis 500 Clnrencn sprang to bis foet and in
atsted on au anasndment whic!, aaa evidently H.
tended to apply to DoocheE, but THO frst rssolu-
tioh was declared out Of order. and tho at11ehd-
mont Of courro fcll unheatd.
rFo tbs Assoctated EressJ
THE ADJOURNED BUSINESS MEETING.
NEw iuKK, March 1.--Tho members nf pIym.
outh Church exclusively woro admitted to the
adjourned business meeting this evening to h9ht
Henry @. Bo#on'a a,iswetH TO qn4stnla BY tll4
Examining commitseo aa to his chargas against
BeechnF,
A latter In renly to the invitation pf tho Ando-
vuF Theological Seminary for 4 Mutual Conncli,
rejecting the offer, MRS read hy bcochcr and
adopted.
lntion requiring uo"on 10 answer ntalIy quea-
tous relative to ha inAinuatioua aghinst tho pas
tor. -. .....'
resolution by NEr. Daecher that Tho Exam
lining Cotnsnltt&o oon1uct tho questioning uRa
passed. ....
THE QucaTfox1xo.
Tho Caork Of the Church. nlr. Tilnoy. then
asked bowen, who, with his sons aud Dr.. Ward,
Of tho Independent, rat In front scat: When
dill any facts first come to Sour kuonledge
affecting tho moral otiatkcte OF tho pastor 7"
Bowen-The essential factB arc already IN thu
baudh OF tho Examining Committee. AL tho
church hne 10 do Ia to dou,and them from the
Committee, Az long na tho church rofuaes to
hear what II haa In LIS own hands, It IL mora
blAyado TO ask uIorc.
T,lney (Clork)-In rep1r, would say no haya
not received hingle fact from Bouon. lap
plAuse.l
Dowen here took on hia ovorcoas and said l,o
waa botoro tho E1amining Committee. Ho had
enough 10 convince them OF l.eooher'a guilt, but
ho could not llc, and wAH compelled to be 81.
!eat, (LaushteF.l Tho oonaequencos foil on
ca him for bringing his oonadsnoea TO leaky
veaHcl. tLanghtcr.]
4 membor here chilled attention to thu fsci
that
BOWEN uAa HE4pINn FROM rArEn
Wheseaa ha wAB summoned to anBwor orally.
Bowen tauR1lY)-I hare tho 1looE.
Tho ,noubor-l}owon knows mbat the insita-
tion msans, and ho ought to bo coupoliod to ans
aver orally.
Brothor naymond moved ~ .h,a ~.a tho last
| time Howen would be lnart thai he ho allowed
to road. t1aughtet.}
13oeoher interrupted. aud said Tho churoh VIII
houseiold. Thcy had no judicial powcr when
u sHAu NUS h0 t1HE q u1AUbf ~ NlObucF o4HtQt
| lie ought 10 bhya his own way. [Appiause.
OYER AGAIN.
| NnEon wns then allowed to proceed Ito tntd
from hia written statemens) that he
him Of Dsechsr's guilt. LIST the uonsoqupnoes
DO nhat tey might, and lot than fall on
| him mud Bsechey-on him for hia in1Hcfetion In
pouring hin confldbnco into ieaky vessel and
On UoocAar for nia guilt. The Church Examln.
Ing Committee compelled him &gatnst his will
to tail his xohsonH for his H1Ioucs lie to!d than
he Lad reasons for belieYinR Mr., DeecheE to bt
an impure nun, and that he could tall tho roa.
SONS before proper tribunal, but that he would
noycr give. hAmes. Taking advantage
of this, tho Church Committee denaud'
ed I'll tho nsmbs aud particulars lis ther
offorsd to 90 before soctes tribunal, which Wal
| refused. lie tIsn went bafotS tho .Oom1nittsu
g,Yiug facts, but withholding nsmes.
| TnouuN FoAeE WAs EHEp.
and seeipH how Mrs. Mouton suffered. thoJ
| might demand eternal1y, but ho would rsfuso.
motnbpr hore tueri6d whsthur Dpwon Ht!l
refused 10 giro siAuseA and faota.