The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-08-19
The Congregationalist Minister
Painted in the Blacklist
Colors.
MRS. TUNNEL ALSO TELLS HER
STORY.
The Document Was Mailed From Los
Angeles and Is Said TO
Be Fully Authen.
ticated.

Miss Matte Overman of the celebrated
Brown case fame has at last confessed to
the intimacy with the ex-Congregat1onal
minister that finally caused his downfall
and retirement from the church.
The confession is in her own nandwrit-
ng, covering many sheets of legal cap and
for the present is III the safekeeping OF
Rev. W. w. Scudder of Alameda, chair
man of the Congregationalist committee
on credentials. The document bears the
date of August s, and was written In Los
Angeles where she is now sojourning
under the protecting wing of one OF the
Christian missions.
Miss Overman did not present her con-
fession in person. but intrusted it to the
mails and on the 10th inst. Rev. j. K. Nc
Lean of Oakland, who presided over the
counsel that tried DR.. Brown, was aston
ished to have 1t placed in his hands.
Not being quite sure of its authenticity i,
Rev. Dr. Mclean called few of the most
available mem bers of the council together,
and the document was given searching
scrutiny. As the convection dawned on
the ministers that the confession was gen.
uine, all saw that meeting of the coun.
Gil that had heard Miss Overman's efforts
to shield DR.. Brown was the proper thing,
and those who live out of town were noti-
fed to be presest at a meeting to be held
on Monday last.
The members of the council kept In
mind the fact that Mrs. Tunnel, the miss
ing and most important witness of the in
quiry, was in San Francisco, and she was
also called upon to be present at the gath
ering.
On Monday, at place the members of
the council do not at present feel at lib
eyty to designate, the following members
of the inquisition met in solemn con-
clave:
Rev. w. G. Pond, Rev. Mr.. Rauthrauff,
Dempster Mckee, s. F. Bufford and Rev.
W. D. Williams of San Francisco, Rev. J.
K. Mclean, Rev. DR.. Mooar, Rev. DIR.
Freeland ana Z. C. Williams of Oakland,
Rev. G. B. Hatch and J. L. Barker of
Berkeley. Rev. W. w. Scudder of Alameda,
Rev. R. II. Sink of Stockton and Rev. H.
NJ. Tenny of San Jose. Mrs. Tunnel was
also on hand.
As the confession had been given with
out the slightest solicitation on the part of
the Congregational ministers it was
deemed best to first settle beyond doubt
that Miss Overman had written the inn
portant document, and to this end all the
specimens of Miss Overman's handwriting
III the possession of the council were
brought in evidence.
But short time sufficed to show that
no other hand than that of the fair Mat
tie had been concerned in the mechanical
work of compiling the confession, and
then the council turned to the important
work of confirming her statements. As
this is the fourth version of her connec-
ton with DR.. Brown that Miss Overman
has given, the council was naturally eau
tious and every detail was gone over with
the utmost care.
In their deliberations the mi listers were
materially aided by Mrs. Tnnn ell, whose
knowledge of some of the facts was cry
valuable.
Mrs Tunnel also stated to the council
that Matte had confessed fully to her of
her infatuation for DR.. Brown and of the
consequences. Mrs. Tunnel was appar-
emily as anxious as Miss Overman to clear
up the mystery of the celebrated case and
answered all questions frankly and fully.
In her written confession Miss Overman
makes out DIR. Brown to be the blacklist OF
villains, and herself to be his willing tool,
ready to perjure herself for the sake of
having him held up to the world as q
much-abused man.
In her letter she said that her testimony
given at the church trial was untrue from
beginning to end, and that every state