The herald., 1896-12-12


was in session, to Chicago. The associa-
ton, which met to refute the action Of
the Bay conference, admitted him to fell
lowship This was accomplished by
many of those who opposed the action
refraining from voting. Rev. Brown
came cIandestinely into Dubuque and
refused to be interviewed. He left here
for Chicago, and his friends say they do
not know of his present whereabouts.
A DRAMATIC MEETING
CHICAGO, Dec. 1.-THE Lord saves
he has saved me-of all sinners the low
est" Uttered with fervor, the words
rang from the lips of young woman at
a Salvation army meeting in Willard
hall last Tuesday noon. At the sound of
her voice one of the heads turned invol-
unfairly toward her. A man with
pallid face started as though to rise. The
eyes Of the two met for a moment and
there was flash of recognition. Then
the man recovered control Of himself. He
resumed his seat and through the re-
mainder of the service sat with bowed
head and shame-faced mien. Few in the
audience saw the little scene.
The two were the principals in the
notorious Overman Brown church trial
at San Francisco-Rev. Charles O. Brown
and Miss Matte Overman. At the close
of the trial Miss Overman joined the
Crittenton workers, and henceforth she
will be known as Sister Martha. 1t was
while on her way to Washington, D. c.,
where she goes to assist Mrs. Emily
Waller Barrett in rescue work, that Sis
ter Martha happened into Willard hall.
When the meeting was over she went
out and straight to the Anchorage mis-
sion, there to address an audience of
young women
Rev. Brown when the meeting was
over went his own way. and that brief
glance during the services was their
only meeting. What the clergyman was
doing in Chicago no one seems to know.
Shortly after the trial he left San Fran
cisco and drifted to the east, to be lost
sight Of until his dramatic meeting with
the woman whose name was linked with
his own.
Dr. Brown. formerly of San Francisco,
but now residing in this city. gave the
following statement to the Associated
Press tonight:
Having business in the Women's
Temple building I saw the bulletin of
the noon meeting and went in. I took
a seat near the center of the room To-
ward the close of the meeting I recog
rized Miss Overman's voice behind me.
She had risen to give her testimony
She was not on the platform, as has
been represented. I was not surprised
at hearing Miss Overman's voice. The
San Francisco papers had informed US
of her starting for the east, and know
ing her love for newspaper notoriety.
we expected that somewhere she would
find opportunity to parade herself.
When I heard her voice I turned and
looked at her. She was surprised, and
manifestly embarrassed, for she brought
her remarks to a close, dropped into her
seat and soon after motioned to the la
dies who had came in with her, and to-
getler they left the room. I did not
leave the room, but stayed till the
meeting was over. I did not, in any way
manifest any uneasiness. The attempt
to show that I was greatly disturbed is
evidently for a purpose. Who gave
that to the papers? Evidently no news
paper reporter was there last Tuesday,
or it would have appeared in that even
ing's paper. No newspaper reporter
was observed there. The papers have
printed what Miss Overman has seen
fit to give them, without the trouble
Of inquirng of me whether it was true.
Miss Overman wrote me from Southern
California. saying that Mrs Tunnel
would make full affidavit in my favor,
affirming, as she had previously done,
that she knew nothing against me, il
would pay we'll for it. But she added
that she and Mrs. Tunnel were sur
rounded by my foes, who were ready to
pay large sum for statement against
me, and that they should make up such
statement unless I would pay their
price. This is the truth about her having
sent for money. Her alleged 'confes.
sion.' full of awful falsehoods, is the
result. Let 1t be borne in mind that
this young woman came to our home,
appealing for sympathy. processing them
as she does now, to those upon whose
confidence she is imposing that she had
just entered upon a new religious ex-
perience. She stayed several months
a pensioner upon our liberality. and
afterward confessed with tears to us
that she came to our home with the
deliberate purpose of doing what she
could to ruin us. Having been in our
home, she was ready to tell a story
which she produced in deliberate plot
with Mrs. Davidson and Mrs. Tunnel
to make the foundation of blackmail.
Let it be remembered also that this
woman has told four different stories.
That she testified under oath that her
previous blackmailing story against me
was false. Why should any credence
be given to the word Of such woman?
She has injured every person she has
had anything to do with. Mrs. David
son, her bosom companion, was put upon
the street by the sheriff, and is now
wanderer. Those who are now trusting
her will probably be rewarded by per-
fdy and falsehood, as we have been.
While in our home waiting to give her
testimony, she did not hesitate to tell
the most awful stories about members
of her own family. She will villify her
present friends when she has occasion"
DR.. Brown, in conclusion, referred to
the death of Mrs. Sarah Cooper and her