The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1878-01-09
BEECHER.
His Life OF Christ-A Salt 10 be at Once
Instituted.
New York Sun, December 2S.I

i,
membered, went up like kite.
Yesterday it came back like boomerang
In brief, Beecber is called upon to pay
back $4,000 and. the royalty thus far re
ceiyed, and damages to the amount of $780,
600 will be demanded from him.
Such was the emphatic bombshell which
burst in Brooklyn yesterday afternoon.
1t appears that in 1868 Beecher entered
into contract with Messrs. ]. B. Ford e. Co.
to write life of Christ in two volumes He
was to have $40, 900 cash down, and a certain
royalty besides on every volume sold. 1t
was stipulated that he should begin at once,
and go on finishing the work IN Is months,
or as soon thereafter as practicable.
Beecher began to write. and the Fords
spent money lavishly in pictures, engravings,
presses, paper and composition.
Orders flooded the mail bags.
1t looked though fortunes were. to be
made on the instant.
Then Beecher Jagged.
Copy didn't come to hand.
Money was spent in fare. stationery,
postage stamps, and shoe leather TO induce
the reverend author to hurry up.
The first volume was finished, and sold
well.
But the copy still Jagged.
In other words, although nearly ten years
are passed and gone, the second volume is
only half written, the publishers are in bank
ruptcy, and litigation is on the tapis-
Mr.. Ritter, the assignee, offered to sell all
the firms effects among which was the
Life of Christ" A man, then unknown.
authorized the assignee TO pay 81, 500 for the
work at private sale. On consultation with
the register in bankruptcy, the assignee
ascertained that he had no power 10 sell it
privately. Then he was authorized to bid
up to that figure at sale by auction.
The parties naturally interested in secur-
ing the prize were the Fords Beecher, aud
the Christian Union Publishing company.
The Fords were not in position to purchase.
Beecher was out of town. and Tommy Shear
man, who represented the publishing COM
pany, failed TO take any interest in the mat
ter. They all seemed TO overlook the fact
that the contract was part and parcel of the
assets TO be sold. 1t is understood that one
bright legal luminary decided that Beecher
was not responsible because the Fords had
failed to publish, but that was knocked n
great deal higher than the kite by the mild
remark that even the Fords couldn't very
well publish what had not yet been written.
Another sage counselor insisted that the
statute of limitation would protect Beecher,
but the fact nevertheless remained that the
contract was a sealed instrument, and there
fore binding for twenty years.
Meanwhile time was gliding swiftly,
and the day of the sale drew near.
Not so any of the tribe of Beecher.
The desks and chairs and sofas were sold,
aud presently, "HOw much am offered for
The Life of Christi asked the auctioneer.
"What goes with it?'' said an elderly man
in specs, with large double chin, Pick
wiclIian stomach. and India rubber shoes.
"All the publishing paraphernalis, books,
plates, pictures and contract" replied the
auctioneer. And how much does the gen.
tleman bid2'
Zone thousand dollars" said Pickwick.
1~l1 H.
fie! One thousand dollars for Henry Ward
Bsecher's Life of Christ Oh, gentlemen,
this wont do. Come now, my friends.
Rally round the stand, boys; rally once
again. What do you offer. What do /
hear?'
One thousand dollars" was the calm
reply"
she goes. One thousand dollars, once,
twice, third and last cAll-$1, 900 for the
Life of Christ to Mr.. -?'
"AIr. Cash"
coal ahl Call in tomorrow, pay your bill
and settle at the desk, sir"
And that was the stepping stone that led
to the subsequent court OF justice.
Mr.. Cash called the next day and settled,
and instantly placed his papers in the hands
of Mr.. Beec6er's ancient opponent, ex Judge
William Fullerton, with instructions to pro-
coed at once and recover for him all that the
law provides
The gentleman's other name is Wright,
but further information Is not yet offered on
that subject. Judge Fullerton simply knew
him as Mr.. Wright. Mr.. Ritter addressed him
respectfully as Mr.. Cash, and Ford & CO., in
the compact person of their literary partner,
was sorry to say that he had no information
on the subject.
Judge Fullerton yesterday had the contract
placed in a copyists hands, and when seen
last evening said: The whole matter is in
nut shell, and is very simple. Mr.. Beecher
made contract ten years ago. and failed TO
keep it. In spite Of that he obtained SO, 600
from us, and subsequent royalties, all of
which, with interest, he must pay back,
besides compensating us for the damages we
sustained"
"Does Mr.. Wright stand precisely as the
original contractors stoooP"
Precisely. He had bought all their right
title and interest in the whole thing. The
fact is, Beecheris terribly to blame in the
matter. We have stacks of letters from Ford
& Co. to Beecher, begging, imploring, be-
"And he didn't"
"And he wouldn't"
SIS the contract valuable?'
"Its worth hundred thousand dollars"
"Will you use your influence to haYe him
finish the boOk?'
mo. We won't allow him now. He has
been ten years fooling along and breaking
his contract. He'd look.pretty to come up
now ana offer to keep his agreement"
"Then to whom is the contract worth
anythingT
ITO him and to his friends. Why they
knew all about this. They were told about
Mr.. Wrighe's offer of $500 at private sale.
They should have secured the contract at
any reasonable price. am surprised at their
short sightedness."
"But is Mr.. Beecher alone responsible for
the failure to bring out the second volume?'
Certainly. The Fords were ready to
pulish. More than that, they were frantic
because they could not get Beecher to 90
on aud do as he had agreed. He had the
money in his pocket, and has bad the use OF
it ever since. He made the contract with