The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-04-23
DR. BROWN SUSPENDED
SMIRCHED PREACHER
PUNISHED BY HIS CONFERENCE.
Before Occupying n Baptist Pulpit
Again He Must Prove His limo
cence-Sensational Incident.

SAN FRANCISCO, April 22.--Rev c.. o..
Brown, pastor OF the First Congregational
Church. has lost his standing as a minister
and will be ostracized by his fellow-clergy-
men until he can prove his innocence of
the charges OF ungentlemanly and unminis-
terial conduct preferred against him.. Aft
err an exciting all-day and night session the
Bay Conference, composed Of Congregation
al ministers and iaymen, voted, 40 to 81 to
suspend DR.. Brown unit he had proved his
innocence.
The proceedings were intensely exciting
and many bitter words were spoken. When
the vote was announced, Valentine Brown,
SON Of DR.. Brown. attempted to assault Rev.
DIR. Mclean, the aged moderator of the
council which first tried the disgraced minis
ter. DR.. Brown and his friends bitterly
fought the Introduction of the resolutions
suspending him. but without success. The
sentiment OF the conference seemed to be
in marked contrast to that of the council
which a few weeks ago practically ac-
quilted him Of the charges preferred by Mrs.
Davidson. Several members OF the confer
ence had also participated in the proceed
ings of the council and they expressed them
selves as dissatisfied with the councils ver-
dict. and in favor of the resolution to sus-
pend.
DR.. Mclean took an active part against
Brown in the proceedings OF the conference.
He delivered a severe arraignment of the
accused pastor, in which he said: Il went
into the council, of which i had the honor
to be moderator, with the thought that DR..
Brown would be acquitted of the charges
against him. AS the trial crept on a sick
ening feeling crept into my heart and as
the evidence continued Ii grew and grew
until il seemed coiled about my heart like
some black and damning serpent. The coun-
Gil was not called to judge of the innocence
inquire into the charges and 10 report to
the church. We found that the grosser
denrges oo wer were ne' t5 Ss9s disproyed by BY the evi-
dence. There were many doubts generated
there; not by our actions, but by the evil
dence of Dr.. Brown and by the disappear
ance of the witness who could have thrown
considerable light on the subject. The find
ings OF the council left three grave doubts.
The disappearance of Mrs. Tunnel certain
ly looked as IL it had been connived at in
the house of DR.. Brown. We gave. him the
benefit of every doubt and extended the
mantle of charity as far as possible. The
findings of the council have been before the
public for a month. They leave a grave
doubt of suspicion on DR.. Brown and that
is what was intended. The members of the
council said that doubt overhung their minds
regarding the payment OF money TO Mrs.
Davidson. When an entirely discredited
woman went to him and demanded thou
sands of dollars from him he could not give
IL. but when she returned as the harbinger
of the news that the other woman would
remain silent for 500. the money was quick
ly paid, to obtain evidence, so DR.. Brown
said. Again, he sent money 10 Mrs. Tunnel
when he could i'll afford Ii. Did not this
look as If there was something that he was
afraid would come TO the light of day? The
council gave him the benefit of the doubt,
mixed with charity. The ministers extended
too much mercy. Their findings were gar
nished with too many pearls and the pearls
were thrown where 1t had been said pearls
should never be thrown. The thanks we re-
ceived for our work has been characteristic
in this respect"
DR.. Brown made an eloquent appeal to the
the council which he contended. was an
acquittal, and closed with the following
words: Il ask my brethren again that some
adduced before l am condemned. ! would
rather have you bind my hands behind my
back and have six men in an adjoining
room ready TO shoot than have you pass this
Judgment against me. In the name of God
/ say to you. dear brothers, don't shoot"
The audience was then dismissed and the
resolution was adopted by a vote of 40 TO 80.
The moderator announced the suspension of
DR.. Brown and the conference closed. In
a short time DR.. and Mrs. Brown were sur
rounded by a number of friends I'm the
church who made loud promises of support
in the future. Nearly all the delegates had
retired, when suddenly there was an exciting
scene in the church. While the Rev. j. K.
Mclean, the moderator of the council, was
talking TO a friend, Valentine Brown, DIR.
Browns son, rushed up TO DIR. Mclean and
said: How dare you vote against my
father? I'll put a hole through YOU" DIR.
Mclean waved his hand gently and replied:
Take this little boy away Young Brown
was not to be siienced. He clenched his
fist, and, drawing back his arm, was about
to strike DR.. Mclean in the face, when a
man grappled with young Brown and held
his arm Dr. Brown at this time came up
and took his son away.
2 DR.. Brown has made the following state
ment: Il nave no plans for the future. /
have spent the best part of my life in the
ministry. i am now getting pretty wei,
along In years. and, of course, / am too old
to think of beginning a life in any other
calling. l have been fighting for my home
and the honor of my profession. The Bay
Conference says practically that / have not
cleared myself OF the charges against me.
In reply i say / have done the best I can.
/ do not know how any man can repudiate
such serious charges as these preferred
against me more thoroughly than | have
done. / have asked my accusers to state
time and place Of the various sins attributed
TO me. They failed utterly TO do this. They
have declared me guilty without furnishing
any definite evidence of my guilt. To Ali Of
these imDutations / have replied as hest 7
knew how. II the Bay Conference expects
more from me than this they are asking
more than Is human. | have done ain in
may power in this direction. | know no
other step l might take that would rein
state me into the fellowship of my breth-
rem"