The herald., 1896-02-29
Making a Full Confession Of Her
WickednesS
A LIVELY NIGHT SESSION
Applause Is Distributed With the Utmost
lmpartiality
lnii. ::s1e Offended Council Fires the Public
Out-rlrs. Stockton Is Hauled
Over the Goals


the Rev. DR.. C. o. Brown, and the First
Congregational church was crowded with
people anxious to hear her tell the tale.
Continuing her story where she left off last
night, Miss Overman told how, after she
had declined to go on with the blackmail-
ing scheme. Mrs. Davidson had endeavored
to keep her from seeing DR.. Brown. On
one occasion she opened the door leading
into Mrs. Davidson's room and Mrs. David
son, greatly agitated, shut the door In her
face. Not, however, in time to conceal DR..
Brown, who sat there. Mrs. Davidson, she
said, increased her religious fervor and
urged her to read her Bible more. She
prayed long and fervently for the welfare
of DR.. Brown and appeared anxious to-
glorify him before the world. This was
after Mrs. Davidson had obtained the $500
from Brown. Mrs. Davidson was success
full in keeping her away from Brown until
one day she met him accident
ally, and he asked her if
she had ever heard Of Mrs.
Baddin. Miss Overman said no and
Brown then told her that Mrs. Davidson
had obtained $500 from him in her Miss
Overman's) name. Miss Overman then
DR.. Bro WINS office, where the plot was ex-
posed and she denounced Mrs. Davidson.
Then she left Mrs. Davidson's house and
went to hotel with Mrs. Tunnel. The
neyt Sunday she went to church and saw
Mrs. Davidson teaching her Sunday school
class. This so enraged her that she went
to DIR. Brown and demanded that the wo-
man be exposed. If he did not do it she
would do it herself, even if she went down
with Mrs. Davidson. A council was held
with Mrs Brown and the deacons, and the
arrest of Mrs. Davidson followed. The
story was published in the newspapers,
and Miss Overman and Mrs. Tunnel took
refuge in DR.. Browns house. 1t was de-
cided at conference that Mrs. Tunnel
might as well go away: Then the letters
she had substituted for the ones she
had written Mrs. Tunnel were published
and she saw that she was in bad fix.
There was no way of explaining them to
DR.. Brown except to tell him the plot,
which she did.
Tonight's session of the council was
probably the liveliest of the session, not so
much on account of testimony introduced,
as the way it was given. The session was
frequently interrupted by outbursts of
laughter at DR.. Browns expense, but DR..
Browns humiliation, if he was 80 affected
by the remarks of witnesses, was more
than outw eighed by the great applause that
he received after an eloquent speech in
which he raked Mrs. Stockton over the
Goals for not appearing for further cross
examination by the accused. He endeav-
ored to point out discrepancies in her testi-
mony and to explain the reason for her nom
appearance for further examination which,
he said, was on account of her unwilling
ness to eAswer certain questions of q
pointed nature that he would have put to
her. His remarks were frequently inter-
rupted by applause, which finally became
hat ne fIA nnE Ia
motion that the room be cleared and that
the business of the rest of the evening be
carried on in private, which was carried,
the reporters being the only outsiders ad-
mitted to the session. 1t is very probable
that tue investigation will be carried on
without the admission of the public at its
future sessions, which will be continued
next Tuesday afternoon, adjournment to
that time being decided upon.
Captain W. F. Cook was the first witness
called this evening. He testified that at
meeting of the General Howard Bible
class, of which he is member. held some
time early last year, DR.. Brown, accom-
panied by his wife and another woman,
whom the witness afterward ascertained
was Miss Overman, entered the room, and
that DR.. Brown introduced Miss Overman
to group of three or four as his niece from
Tacoma. This testimony is in direct vari-
ance with Miss Overman's testimony of
last night, in which she said that she had
never passed as DR.. Browns niece or had
been SO recognized by Brown or
any other person. Captain Cooks
answers were in some cases very
pointed, especially when DR.. Brown asked
him where he had obtained the title of
captain. Witness said that if gentleman
had asked him that he would answer it,
but he refused to answer his cross-exam-
iner. He also said, in answer to another
question, that from what he knew of DIR.
baf hot ha Vlp
capable of lying. When asked il he could
answer by ''yes' or 'no" if he was positive
that DR.. Brown had introduced Miss Over
man as his niece. Captain Cook objected
that he could not positively swear SO, as he
was under oath, but that he was reason
ably certain of it.
DIR. Barnard was then called, but his tes-
imony was not of an important nature.
DIR. Brown then took the floor and spoke
for fifteen or twenty minutes about Mrs.
Stockton's refusal again to appear before
the council. He asked why it was that in
her testimony she could be no more accur-
ate as to dates, instead of saying that such
events occurred inside of eight months;
why could not she give bettor description
of the knife with which she swore that DR..
Brown. had threatened to kill himself;
where had she obtained the means to live
and dress SO we'll for the last two years.
when she swore that before that time she
was without means and working under
salary in the surveyor-general's office, and
for the past two years living with
out any visible means of support;
IL it was not true that she travelled
from this city in the company of a Port
Angeles man to that place, and If she was
not supported by four citizens OF that town
if she had not given party in that town,
her only guests being males; if she had
not been the cause of rendering several
homes in that place miserable; if she was
rot the cause of divorce suit in that town
and had caused misery worse than death
was she not training her own beautiful child
Tor a career on the stage, and if che had not
told persons that she was 60 training her
child that she might have means of living
in later life; il she had not once beaten
this same child SO severely that the little
one had to lie in bed for three days; how it
was that she could not explain where the
Italian vegetable gardens we're that she
the council if, as Mrs. Stockton had
aMrmed, he had been absent 30 many
snes from bis homo at the dinner hour.