The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-02-07
Will Take the Preliminary Steps
for Forming the Ecclesi-
aStical Court.
BOTH FACTIONS ARE CONTENT
Mrs. Cooper in Tears Over the Gratuit-
Gus Insult Offered Her
Daughter.

Both sides in the First Congregational
Church controversy were claiming vic
tory yesterday.
On the one hand the friends of DR.
Brown are exultant on the showing OF
strength made by the pastor Wednesday
night and the adoption of every resolution
and motion made by them and the defeat
of every movement made by the friends OF
the church, as the anti-Brownites prefer
to be termed.
But the friends of the church, while ad-
hitting that they were greatly outnum-
bered on every vote, declare that the out
come of the meeting, despite the repeated
defeats they suffered, was most substan-
tial victory for them. 1t achieved, they
claim, the two important things that were
sought for. They say that even the most
strenuous and bitter opponents of the
pastor could not have asked for more than
was accomplished. The calling of an i'm
mediate council and the abdication of the
pulpit by DR.. Brown completely puts at
rest all contention for the present, and all
interest is now centered in the position
of the proposed council and the facts en-
bodied in DR.. Browns statement OF his
defense, which he claimed would disclose
a plot concocted by Mrs. Davidson more
intricate and diabolical than anything in
fiction
While no formal charges have been pre-
ferred against DR.. Brown it is generally
understood that the intimate relations
that are said to have existed between him
and Miss Martha OveIman are to be the
subject of investigation.
Just who are to be witnesses and what
the character of the testimony is to be
that will appear against the pastor it is
not now possible to state. 1t is known,
however, that among those who will tes-
tify are Mrs. Mary A Davidson, Mrs.
Sarah 3. Cooper, Mrs. f. J. French and
others who have known Matte Oyerman
while she resided in Tacoma.
1t is said that several people from the
latter city have consented to make affida-
Wit to matters of a damaging character to
Miss OTerman.
The first meeting of the board of deacons
OF the First Church will be held tonight
TO arrange the preliminaries for the coun-
ctI which 1t is said will be in session
within ten days.
a report gained currency yesterday that
there was a scandal of similar nature to
that now brewing here connected with DIR.
Brown while he was at Rochester, Mich
An investigation of the matter however,
showed that DR.. Brown emerged from that
affair without any blame attaching to his
reputation.
Mrs. Cooper in an interview yesterday
stated that her greatest sorrow from the
present trouble came to her in the insult
offered to her daughter Wednesday night
by Mrs. Szanik, when the latter in most
spiteful manner referred to the misfortune
of Miss Cooper in bearing on her face the
traces of an attack of smallpox. Tears
came to the mothers eyes while speaking
of the incident.
Mrs. Cooper is more than ever convinced,
she says, that there can be only one out
come to the present affair, as the evidence
against Dr. Brown is daily growing
stronger. She is now in possession OF
three pieces of testimony that she believes
DR.. Brown will be unable to satisfactorily
explain.