The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1876-02-08
Ghegntelligetteer:
MIR. Beccher's Case.


Mr. Beccher's Case.
The card Of Henry c. Bowen would
,eem to be in the nature OF the last straw
that was necessary 10 break the cHmcPs
back. For months past the belief in Mr.
Bsccher's innocence has been perceptibly
weakening. Mrs. Moulton's letter, and
more especially her demand for an eccle-
,iasticui trial, together with the white
feather policy adopted by Plymouth
Church in regard to her, have all tended
N weaken faith in Beechcr's innocence.
FIJI, case has not had the right look to
the public. His own unusual activity,
no, to say bitterness, against Mrs. Moul-
ton, with view, as many people suspect
Of cutting her of without hearing, has
initiated against him. So much 20 that
We may say his course has been down
bill rs regards the moral support hith.
erto accorded to him by large and in
auential public sentiment.
And now comes Bowen, that silent
man. one Of the signcrs Of the famous
triparlitc agreement drawn up as far
back as 1870, in the name Of ave Three
Men" who has wilhstood every pressure
aui every species Of pumping up to tho
recent attack Of Mr.. s. V. White upon
him, who, it seems, sought to bring him
to trial for keeping silence, and drive
him out Of the Plymouth communion.
lie now comes forward, in his own de-
fence, and breaks the silence that he has
SO long and so we'll kept, and declares
solcmnly that Mr.. Beecher "is guilty OF
the awful crimes Of adultery, perjury and
hypocrisy"
Not ouly does he lay these sins to Mr..
BeechCrs charge, as respects the Tilton
case, but he goes back Of that case, aud
more than intimalcs that Mr.. Beecher, be-
fore he invaded Tilton's home, had, in
like manner, invaded other homes, and
in like manner brought anguish and woe
upon other hearts. Upon this point his
language is very explicit. We quote it
as follows:
have felt my heart stirred 10 its
depths for dear friends who years before
the present scandal was published sor.
rowfully begged my counsel as they as:
sured me that their pastor and mine had
craftily betrayed the sanctity OF homo, the
very charge long after presented to me
by Theodore Tilton in regard to his own
home. | never can or will be base
enough to allow single mama to be
bruited before the world, although am
now ready to testify to the essential facts
before any tribunal.
And again:
Now, being summoned here to speak,
and to speak the truth, the whole truth,
and nothing but the truth, sOlemnly
giyeit as my unwavering opinion, in view
oi all the facts and evidences presented 10
me, that the Rev. Henry Ward Beecher,
without even the shadow Of doubt in my
mind, is guilty Of the awful crimes Of
adultery, perjury, and hypocrisy. This.
say again, and before the bar Of this
Committee, is my deliberate opinion, and
may be permitted to affirm. that give it
calmly, without malice, and with no other
than a sincere desire to do my duty faith.
fully to God and to man, the Church, and
to the world.
By the world generally the card of
Nj. Bowen will be accepted as the last
ounce of testimony tina. was needed. to
turn the scale. 1t comes like an import
ant accession of cumulative evidence,
aud leaves hardly any excuse for
doubt in any unprejudiced mind.
1t seems hardly probable that Plym-
oulh Church can resist the popular curr-
ent now SO plainly setting against its pas
tor. l. must accept such congregation
al council as public opinion dcmnnds'
not such a one as Mr.. Beecher and
Brother Shcarman, and assistant Pastor
Halliday, may dictate. Nothing Of this
latter kind will do Mr.. Beecher the
slightest good. Neither will it do him
any good to spend time in the council
over technicalities as regards Mrs. Moul-
ton. The people will laugh such trillinE
to Scorn. They will demand the clearest
and most scathing examination of its
main facts, which are, us Bowen puts
them, the "awful crimes OF adultery,
perjury and hypocrisy"