New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1888-03-28

an opinion OF him as to set Mr.. Bowen
finally against him and bring him face
| to face with Immediate ruin, extorted
from his wife, then suffering under a
severe illness, a document incriminat-
ing me, and prepared an elaborate at
| upon me.
In my then morbid condition OF
mind l thought that this charge, al
though entirely untrue, might result
IN great disaster, il not absoIuse ruin
The great interests which were en-
tirely dependent on me, the church
which had built up, the book which
| was writing. my own immediate fam
| lily, my brothers name, now engaged
IN the ministry, my sisters, the name
which had hoped might live after me
and be in some slight degree a source
of strength and encouragement to
those who should succeed me, and.
| above all, the cause for which [ had
devoted my life, seemed imperiled. It
seemed to me that my life work was
to end abruptly and in disaster. My
earnest desire to avoid a public &C
cusation and the evils which must
necessarily flow from it, and which
now have resulted from it, has been
one Of the leading motives that must
explain my action during these four
years with reference to this matter.
THE WoODHULL CLIQUE.
During the whole Of 1871 Mr.. Beech,
er was kept In a state OF suspense and
doubt. The officers of Plymouth
church sought to investigate Tilton's
religion views, but the pastor assured
them he had hopes of his repentance
and restoration to the church.
| Meanwhile one wing of the female
suffrage parity" continues Mr.. Beech
er, chad got hold OF his story in a dis.
torted and exaggerated form, such as
had never been intimated to me
by Mr.. Tilton or his friends. | did
not then suspect what / now know
that those atrociously false rumors
originated with Mr.. Tilton himself
When Mr.. Tilton returned from his
lecturlng tour in 1872 Mr.. Beecher
made an inefectual effort to have him
cut loose from Woodruff and her as
sociates, in order that he might re-
sumo his proper place in society.
THE TRIPARTlTE AGREEMENT.
In speaking OF the famous tripar-
tite agreement, Mr.. Beecher calls at
tention to the fact that at this time
the Golden Age, a paper started by
Tilton and his friends, was on the
verge of bankruptcy, and the pecun-
larry obligations were very pressing.
"About this time, y says Mr.. Beecher,
'Mr. Moulton, who was sick, sent for
me and showed me a galley proof of
an article prepared by Mr.. Tilton for
the Golden Age, in which he embodied
a copy OF a. letter written by him to
Mr.. Bowen, dated Jan. 1, 1871, in
which he charged Mr.. Bowen with
making scandalous accusation against
my character. This was the first
time that had ever seen these charg-
es, and had never heard of them ex-
cept by mere rumor, Mr.. Bowen never
having at any time said q word to
me on the subject. | was amazed at
the proposed publication. 1 did
not then understand the real
object OF giving circulation to such
ISLANDERS. My first impression was
that Mr.. Tilton designed, under cover
OF an attack upon me in the name of
another, to open the way for the pub
LEGATION OF his own personal griev-
ances. protested against the publ
cation IN the strongest terms. but was
informed that it was not intended as
an act hostile to myself, but to Mr.
Bowen. / did not any the less insist
upon my protest against this publl-
cation. On its being shown to Mr..
Bowen be was thoroughly alarmed,
and speedily consented to appoint
ment OF arbitratOrs to bring about an
an?icable settlement. The result O.
this proceeding was that Mr.. Bowen
paid Mr.. Tilton over $1,000, and that
a written agreement was entered into
by Bowen. Tilton and myself OF am
nesty, concord and future peace.
NOT PENNY FOR BLACKMAII4.
"The full truth Of this history re-
qulres that one more fact should be
told, especially as Mr.. Tilton has
| invited it. Money has been obtained
from me in the course of these affairs
IN considerable sums, but | did net at
first look upon the suggestions that I
should contribute to Mr.. Tilton's
pecunlary wants as savorlng OF black
mail. Afterward l contributed at
one time $4,000. *** After the
money had been paid over in $1,000
bills, to raise which I mortgaged the
house / live in, I felt very much dis
satisfied with myself about it. Final
~ a square demand and a threat was
made to one OF my confidential friends
that ii $4,000 more were not paid
Tilton's charges would be laid before
the public. This | saw at once was
black mail in it's boldest form, and
never paid a cent of it, but challenged
and requested the fullest exposure