The San Francisco call., 1896-02-15
Duties of Lawyer Woodlands in
the Council Clearly
Defined.
MRS. COOPER MAKES A REQUEST
The Case of Mrs. Mary A. Davidson
Will Come Up Before Judge
Bahrs To-Day.

| There seems to be considerable doubt as
to what figure Attorney M. S. Woodlands
Will cut in the council called to pass on
the charges affecting the moral status and
! good name of DR.. G. .. Brown. 1t will be
recalled that on Wednesday night last he
was delegated to represent the First
Church during these interesting proceed
ings, but as to the latitude of his powers
nothing was said.
A gentleman who is thoroughly familiar
with Congregational usage thus defines
the attorneys privileges: Mr.. Woodlands
will represent the church only to the ex-
tent of presenting to the council in proper
form the records leading up and including
the call for an investigation.
No power has been delegated to him to
make suggestions as to the policy to be
pursued by the council. The church as a
body is supposed not to have an opinion
except the one of law, which supposes a.
party innocent until proven guilty. Con-
sequently any instructions from the church
as TO what evidence is to be admitted is en-
tirely out of place. The council, and not
| MIR. Woodlands, as representative of the
church, must pass on the acceptance or re-
lection of eyidence-its relevancy to the
matter in hand.
T.
Woodlands, in which the request is made
that things be so arranged as to admit of
| her being heard by the council. This
letter, with such others of similar import
as might be received, will, when the BODY
| is formally organized, be turned over To
the moderator, whose duty it will be to Law
it before the council. She will be asked to
briefly outline her charges, after which
The council will pass on their merits.
Mrs. Cooper has not yet completed the
| general statement OF the case as she un-
derstands 1t, which is to precede the intro
! duct1on OF proof. Just what this evidence
| Will be is, OF course, matter of conjecture
| though there is current belief, and Mrs.
| Cooper does not deny it, that Mrs Tunnel
| will be her principal witness. 1t is now not
thought probable that Mrs. Stockton will
| appear IN any capacity whatever before
admitted that she did not intend to call
her. This determination is said to be due
In measure to the many episodes in
which Mrs. Stockton is alleged to have
! been prominent figure.
In this connection it is proper to say
| that the statements published some time
| ago, in which DR.. Brown is said to have
admitted paying Mrs. Stockton $500, was
mistake. The lady herself admitted this
| during the early stages of the case. DIR.
Brown has called attention to this hence
| the correction.
| Inat
| Miss Overman had on Wednesday night
left DR.. Browns house and gone across
the bay with view of taking up her
| temporary abode at the home of q friend
Miss Overman has at no time left DR..
Browns house since she first went there
IN December last, unless accompanied by
| the pastor wife. 1t is her purpose to re-
main there until after the council has
| heard her statement. After this it is her
purpose to return to her home in Tacoma
| Letters by the score are still being re-
ceived by both Mrs. Brown and Mrs
Cooper indorsing the course of each. DR..
| and Mrs. Brown have received over 500
letters and Mrs. Cooper nearly as many.
a few days ago there was an exciting
encounter in one of the main corridors of
the new City Hall between Attorneys
Gallagher and Louderback, in which both
gentlemen claim victory. Just how
many blows, If any, were struck seems to
be matter of dispute, but perfect volley
| OF words not carefully chosen are admit
ted to have been hurled by the angry at
| torneys at each other. The story goes
that the two gentlemen met by accident in
the corridor on the Larkin-street side of
the building, and after exchanging formal
greetings began a discussion of the Brown
Davidson case.
The argument waxed warmer and
warmer, until finally somebody said some
thing about "unprofessional conduct "and
then they clinched. How far this pro-
ceeded is not a part of the story, for
friends separated the thoroughly angered
attorneys before either had come to any
bodily harm. The interested parties de-
cline to discuss the affair.
| The case of Mrs. Davidson, charged with
extortion, will be set for trial by Judge
Bahrs to-day. Attorney Gallagher will
enter the usual demurrer, and he has
strong hopes of securing dismissal of the
| "a II vyii n &c RI Tod
by the prosecution that Elizabeth Jane
Baddin exists, and that Mrs. Davidson
acted as her agent. The information
| plainly states this. Mr.. Gallagher will
further say that Mrs. Davidson is being
tried as principal, when she is only charged
| as being an agent of some one else. This,
| he argues, is against the Criminal Code.
The last issue OF the Pacific a Congre-
| gational organ, contains the following:
The rather recent transferrence of minis
ter1al standing from the Bay Association TO the
Bay Conference may have confused some
| from article VII, section 2 of the constitution
| of the latter body: "When the standing of a
munster or of church of the conference is
called in question, it shall be the duty of this
committee Il. e., the committee credentials)
| to entertain specific charges from responsible
persons to inquire into the case and to report
! to the conference, which shall then proceed
according to the Scriptural method and ex-
| tent
| win the well-knoWn and long-tried method
| OF investigation by the local church through a
| council, and, in addition, the possible pro-
eedure through the conference, it need not be
| said that our polity cannot protect itself and
| its membership and its ministers If they do
| not receive protection it will not be the fault
| OF the poity, but of those who misrepresent it,
and we must protest again that neither Con-
gregationalism nor Christianity is on trial, but
| only those who are charged with unfaithful-
| ness to the principles of both.
Mrs Barton is indignant that any one
| should have said that she was the mys-
terious Mrs. Baddin. She disclaims all
| knowledge of this person except that she
| holds certificate in the Worlds Cooper
! ative Society. Mrs. Barton says. however,
that she knows great many things, but
will tell them only to the council or on the
! witness-stand.
L