The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1876-02-17
N MIMI, THURSDAY; FEBRUARY l7,l876

RUAK1 l(,.sl676. y, !"
Plymeuth Church Treublcs. s:.
T. New York Telegram, Feb loth.l y. u
Mr.. II. G. Bowen, accompanied by DR..
". Il. Ward, Of the lnde1 e7,de7at, and his
two sons. appeared before the examining
committee of Plymouth Church tonight
in answer to the summons to appear and
testify as to the facts known. to him in
reference to the charges against Henry
Ward Beecher. Mr.. Bowen read state
ment in which he alluded to the unfairness
and irregularity of the procedure, but
SAID that as he wished to assist the corn.
mittee to make the examination thorough
and conclusive, he would max . the follow.
ing propositlons. -. r:
Il propose that three men within the
Congregational body be selected. distin.
guished foEst hair wisdom. and impartial.
ity, such for example as President w ool-
sey, President Asa d. Smith, President
Falrchild, Judge L. j. Foster, the: Hon.
Alpheus Hardy, and the Hon. Julius H.
Seeley-m men in whose decision the whole
world will have the utmost confidence,
and shall be pledged to keep all such cyi.
dence secret, before whom only Mr..
Beecher and myself shall appear with
our witnesses, and before whom will
consent, without any reserve, whatever,
and Is soon as they caa meet, to give in
full the evidenc, which has led me to say
that have no doubt Mr.. Beecher is guilty
OF adultery. hypocrisy and perjury.
L ask nothing more than that
they shall fully consider the question
which You seem to have before you,
whether deserve ecclesiastical censure
for my previous silence in reference to
MIR. Beecher, and whether am justified
b. the facts in my possession in making
what you call my infamous allegations
and ins'nuations about HIM, made in re-
sponse to your own demand for a reply
to Mr.. Whites grievances. am willing
to abide the censure or approval of such
a body Of men, if Mr.. Beecher and Ply.
mouth church will also submit to their
decision, rc'affirm everything I have
stated about Henry Ward Beecher in nv
previous communication to you, and
am ready to substantiate 1t before such
tribunal.
HENRY G. BOWEN.
The committee decided not to accept
Bowen's proposition. because it was not a
case between Beecbcr and Bowen, but a
case between Plymouth Church and
Bowen, and should not be Withdrawn
from the church and taken before strall-
gers. Bowen said it appeared that he
was now on trial before them, but pro.
tested against the injustice Of summoning
him for trial and expecting him to an.
swcr on so short notice, and asked for 10
days in which to consult papers, docu.
ments, dates and mcmorandums referring
to the case. At the end Of that time he
would appear before them and answer
any questions that mig ght be proposed to
him. He then requested that copies OF
charges and specifications be furnished
him. lie was ready at any moment to
answer any questions which referred to
the essential facts, only he was not ready
then for formal trial.
After the consultation the following
resolution was adopted BY the commit.
tee:
First. The committee decline to accede
to MIR. Bowen's request for further ad.
journment.
Second. That they now urge him to
state any facts in his possession in sup.
port of the allegations that he has made
affecting the character Of the pastor.
Third. That If he now decline to state
such facts, we shall tomorrow evening
report to the church the action which has
been taken, and ask for instruction.
Mr.. Bowen then said as the committee
refused to give him the necessary time to
prepare reply he must withdraw. He
then read the following paper:
''Had you adopted my answer to Mr..
White, and then invited me as a fellow
member in the interest of the purity Of
the church to state the facts to which
referred, that you might know whether
or not the pastor was good man, l
should Rave been obliged to answer with.
out further ceremony; but you cannot
now put yourselves on that ground. You
tell me that my case is on trial, and
now have the right to insist on an orderly
trial. was not ready to speak the years
that I kept silent, but 1 am how ready,
when properly put on trial before any
proper tribunal, or before you, but I
must decline at this notice, and in this ir.
regular way, to answer your questions to-
nil ght."
He appealed to them while leaving the
room to give him time to prepare reply.
Mr.. Bowen then withdrew. The commit.
tee remained in session for some time.
After they had adjourned it was stated
that the committee would tomorrow
evening present a verbatim report of the
proceedings in the case Of Mr.. Beecher te
the church at its adjourned meeting.
The James Parton Family.
The lady whom Mr.. James Parton has
married was Miss Ellen Eldredge, younge,
daughter of Mr.. Parton's former wife
''Fanny Fern" when she first began t.
use the non. de PLANE, was poor widow
(Mrs. Eldredge), residing in a second
rate boarding-house in Cambridge, Mass.
with two or three children, aud no mean:
Of support save = pen whose resource;
she had not yet learned. Her ''Ferr
Leaves" were written in hall bedroom
in = second story back, which was thu
best accommodation she and her children
could command: Her brother, Mr.. N
P. Willis, was at that time in New York
but scarcely so prosperous as he after