The San Francisco call., 1896-01-22
is Dr. BROWNS
MIND SHAKEN2
Fear That the Minister Is
on the Verge of a
Serious Illness.
NO VISITORS ADMITTED.
DR.. Williams Denies That Miss
Overman Has Asked for
a Hearing.
MRS. TUNNEL STILL HIDING.
1t Is Now Alleged That the Pastor
introduced Miss 0verman as
His Niece.

DR.. Brown is in critical condition, and
significance to the certificate of his medical
attendant, presented to the investigating
committee on Friday night. In this DR..
George H. Palmer stated:
81 find him threatened with serious i'll
ness, and, in my judgment. any excite
ment or unusual mental exertion may be
attended with serious results
1t is not physical illness that is threaten
ing the unfortunate pastor. 1t is some
thing much more serious than bodily i'll
that his friends and family fear.
His intimates as well as his physician
have heretofore been 10th to 60 into par
ticulars regarding his ailment, but in view
OF the doubt as to the seriousness Of
the ministers condition, one of the friends
OF the family yesterday considered that he
was but doing kindness TO the pastor to
make public the character of his affliction.
"Dr. Brown" he said, sis threatened
with brain fever if not with something
worse, and has not been really responsible
for anything he has said or done for some
time past. The present trouble has
weighed heavily on his mind ever since he
decided on the exposure and arrest of Mrs.
Davidson.
"He has brooded and brooded over the
matter and has refused counsel or aid
from every one, so far as the ecclesiastical
side of the complication is concerned. In
fact, he has chosen to be his own attor-
ney, and has simply made mess of it,
thereby making the mental strain under
which he has now been for nearly a month
more intense as each step was made.
Take his utterance of last Wednesday
night during the prayer-meeting. Would
any normal and reasonable man show such
indiscretion, to put it mildly, as to antag-
Onize without good cause the entire press
of the City?
ION the following day his wife found
him standing up in the center of his study
and gazing blankly about. She approached
him and asked him what troubled him.
His answer was, Where am I?' Mrs.
Brown informed him that he was in his
study and asked if there was anything he
wanted. Yes, he answered, there is
something 1 want, but l can't think what
it is 1t was finally ascertained that he
wanted his dresSing-gown.
Friday he was saying the customary
prayer before breakfast, when he stopped
in the middle of sentence and was unable
TO complete it. In conversation he finds
it impossible to retain the continuity of
an idea and breaks off frequently to ask
with puzzled look, What was saying e?
Where was I?'
when l saw him on Sunday he was
lying on a couch, while hot-water applica-
tions were being used on his forehead
He should in reality have been IN bed
then, but he is hard to control. This scan
dal is continually preying on his mind and
makes him too restless to be kept in bed.
"His physician has prescribed absolute
mental rest, and DR.. Brown has been or
dered not to read anything in the news
papers pertaining to his case. He has, OF
course, perfectly lucid intervals, and for
the past two or three days has shown
signs of improvement, though not to any
marked extent"
DR.. Palmer, when asked yesterday as to
the condition of Rev. DR.. Brown, simply
replied that he was somewhat improved
"Will you state the exact nature of the
trouble that Dr. Brown is suffering from ?''
was asked.
Il cannot tell you anything further than
that he is somewhat better" answered the
doctor.
'Is his malady of physical nature, or
is 1t one that simply affects his mind ?''
was then asked.
Il am very sorry to say that / am not at
liberty to discuss his condition in detail or
state his ailment,' was all the physician
would say.
That DR.. Browns condition is en-
tirely understood and appreciated by a
few members of the investigating commit
tee and by his family is not disputed.
Deacon Dexter, DR.. Williams and Mrs.
Brown are thoroughly aware of the seri-
BUSINESS of the situation, and it is probably
this knowledge which makes them more
than ordinarily reserved. The pastor's
wife absolutely refuses to answer any
questions pertaining to her husband S
health.
Deacon Dexter said yesterday that while
DR.. Brown was very sick man, he would
in all probability be able TO attend the
next meeting prepared to give his version
OF the grave charges resting against him.
II have not seen DR.. Brown to-day" said
DR.. Williams, because l have been too
busy to call. understand, however, that
he is a very sick man-more in mind than
L
say, though his condition is unquestion-
ably serious. 1t is absolutely necessary
that he have rest and perfect quietness for
the next few days; otherwise would not
care to be responsible for the result.
"Of course any visit / might make to DR..
Brown would be purely of a social nature.
Deacon Dexter has charge of all business
pertaining to the investigation, so far as
DIR. Brown is concerned hence it will be
readily seen that any attempt on my part
to prove such a matter would be entirely
out of place"
In view of DR.. Browns serious mental
condition, as reported by his friends and
corroborated by the attending physician,
1t Is not thought possible that he will be
able to attend the regular prayer-meeting
tonight. As senior deacon d. Gilbert
Dexter will in all probability conduct the
services.
Deacons Barnard and Dexter and DIR.
Williams emphatically deny the state
ment published in the Examiner of yes
terday that Miss oYermap had at apy