The San Francisco call., 1896-03-08
The Pastor Is Silent, but Miss
Overman Makes a Flat
Contradiction.
FORECAST OF THE VERDICT
Six of the Council Known to Favor the
Accused Man-New Volunteers
Discovered.


carrying secret in the DR.. Brown scandal
since January that might have materially
affected the investigation by the Congre-
gational Church Council in San Francisco
had he told it that time. Constable Patton
knew the whereabouts of Mrs. Tunnel at
that time, bnt to save his brother annoy
ance kept the information to himself
His brother, NJ. II. Patton, was in Santa
Cruz in the latter part of January visiting
and told the story of meeting and aiding
Mrs. Tunnel at Tulare, which Constable
Patton tells as follows:
"My brother said that while he and his
wife were visiting his wife's mother, Mrs.
Fowler, at Tulare, woman came there
ana secured board and lodging. She
acknowledged that she was Mrs. Tunnel,
and was keeping away from San Fran
cisco to avoid being witness in the Brown
investigation. A reporter for San Fran
cisco paper at Visalia learned of her being
there, and Mrs. Tunnel left the residence
of the Fowlers and went to q neighbor's.
My brother met the reporter and arranged
for an interview with her, for which she
received compensation. Mrs. Tunnell
went to Porterville, and my memory is
that she had the interview with the re-
porter in an empty house, where ne one
would suspect there::was anything of the
kind going on.
cisco with message to DR.. Brown from
Mrs. Tunnel, IN which she asked for
money to pay her way to Los Angeles.
DR.. Brown suspected him of being detec-
tive, and at first declined to be inter-
vic P1f hAI hot ho 90
on friendly mission from Mrs. Tunnel
the doctor received him and paid him $40
to be given to Mrs. Tunnel. DR.. Brown
also paid my brothers. expenses incurred
in behalf of Mrs. Tunnell. She received
the money and left Tulare for Los An
geles. 1t has been rumored that my
brother said he knew DIR. Brown was
guilty, but he did not say that 10 me. He
is conductor on the Oregon Railway ana
Navigation Company's line running be-
tween Dayton and Pendleton, Wash. His
home is at Day ton. He had no interest in
the Brown affair, but merely out of SYM
pathy for Mrs. Tunnell acted for her at
her request"
Next Tuesday will mark the beginning
of the fourth week of the trial of DR..
Charles Oliver Brown on three distinct
charges-intimidation, unministerial con-
duct and immortality.
The council has devoted exactly twelve
days to disentangling the different ends of
this more than mysterious case, and seem
now to have reached a stage in their inves-
LEGATIONS where an opinion is possible,
without prejudice to the testimony which
may come in by way of rebuttal.
Some few OF DR.. Browns judges have
not hesitated to show by word and action
je nj n 80 ~
crimi mating letters was eminently satis-
factory to them. They believe in her inn
plicitly and this has been materially
strengthened by the accused pastors ear
nest and at times passionate recital of the
facts as he claims to know them.
DR.. Pond has on more than one occasion
given public demonstration OF an abid-
ing faith in DIR. Browns Innocence so far
as immortality is concerned. Dr. Hoyt en-
tertains similar views, and the Rev. Mr..
Sink i. said to lean in the same direction.
Delegates Mckee, Ruthraff and Barker
will require great deal stronger evidence
than that already introduced, to convince
them that the accusations of Mrs. David
son and Mrs. Stockton are true in detail
and in TACT.
Or. Williams and Rev. William RAIDER
may be cIassed as on the fence. They ad-
NIT no opinion as yet, but are content to
wait until the case for the prosecution and
defense is finally announced as closed.
The members of the council who have
been apparently most diiigent in inquiry,
far-reaching in their questions and more
caustic, though at all times just in the
treatment OF witnesses, are Delegates
Williams, Dodge, Rev. Mr.. Scudder, Mod
orator Mclean, DR.. Mooar and DR.. Ten
ney.
From a minister who is in close touch
with the council, though not member of
that body, comes the information that the
six last-named judges place little faith in
the case as so far made out by the defense.
This does not mean that they have reached
a final opinion, but that it will require
more than negative testimony to swing
them into q belief similar to that enter
tanned by DR.. Pond and others.
They argue that DR.. Brown is in posi-
ton to secure verdict which cannot be
| questioned even by his enemies. The one
and only way, however, to bring this con-
dition about is to secure the presence of
Mrs. Tunnel for the council. It is con-
tended that, admitting Miss Overman's
story to be true in detail, the fact is
! that Mrs. Tunnell's name has been men,
toned so often and prominently in the
case as to make denial from her essen
tial to DR.. Browns acquittal.
| The fact that the pastor has admitted
contributing certain sums of money to the
support of Mrs. Tunnell since that lady
LETT for parts unknown is counted much
| against him. DR.. Browns enemies can
| see no occasion for contributions on his
part to that ledy's support unless he has
an interest in having her remain away.
When the reverend gentleman resumes
the witness-stand next Tuesday he will,
in all probability, be put through much
| severer cross-examination than that en-
countered by his alleged partner in crime.
The council as a whole is not satisfied
with the way Mr.. Woodlands has con-
ducted the case.
While there was no outspoken protest
against this gentleman concerning the man.
ner OF cross-examining minor witnesses,
it was tacitly agreed that Miss Over man
| should be made to explain all matters not
covered in her general statement. To
cover this point beyond the possibility of
| doubt DIR. Tenney was selected as the
| mouthpiece for the council. and there is
| no denying the fact that, for the once at
least, he made most excellent inter-
| locutor.
The council, or rather that portion of
which Moderator Mclean is generally sup
posed to be the head, will insist that Or.