The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-01-04
RED HAIRED MATTE
Some of the Reports Of Her Doings
Make Old Acquaintance Smile.
SHE'S EATEN BUTTE SMOKE
The Girl Has Also Seen the Beau
ties of Helena-One Woman Says
That She Did a Lot of Mani
curing Here and There.

1t has been discovered by the police
that Matte Overman, or at least a
woman of the same name and descrip-
ton, who is one of the principal fig
ures in the Rev. c. o. Brown black
mailing scandal in San Francisco, lived
in Butte about two years ago. She
also claims, according to the San
Francisco papers. that her former hus-
band. a gambler. had lived IN Butte
and was killed here, but in that she is
mistaken or makes a willful misstate-
| ment. The story of her life, not in
Guiding her Butte record, however
| comes from Tacoma to the San Fran
cisco Chronicle as follows:
The Chronicle correspondent Sc
| cured tonight the story of Matte
| Overman's life from her fathers lips.
| He did not hesitate to tell 1t when in
| formed that many inquiries were be-
| ing made as to his daughters past
life, stating that he was not afraid to
have the truth known, and that the
truth would show Matte to be an up
misfortune had been her marriage
against her parents wishes to a
drunkard and a gambler.
Matte was married, he said, about
eight years ago, when Is years old,
to Daniel Webster Silveira, a restau-
rant and hotel man, who had formerly
been steward on ocean steamships
running out of San Francisco. They
were married at Spokane, and Silveira
worked as general utility man in a no.
tel run by the Overmans at Walla
Walla 10 years ago. He took a fancy
to Matte, though her parents disliked
him. They were married probably Sc
cretly. and her parents afterward for
gave them.
"Silveira led Matte a very hard life.
He took her to live at Helena, but
soon began to abuse and mistreat her
Matte was compelled to earn her own
living. buy her furniture and pay the
rent. Much of her husbands time was
spent in carousals. Finally by dress
making, she saved up $50 to pay her
fare home. Silveira took this away
from her and lost it gambling. This
aroused Mattie's Indignation and she
promptly sold her furniture to secure
money with which to return to her
fathers home in Tacoma. She had
lived with Silveira two years. Later
she secured a divorce at Spokane. Two
years ago she received authentic infor-
formation that her former husband
had been killed over a gambling table
at Butte. He was stabbed or shot.
This left her divorced and a widow.
Her father calls her a widow" soo4
There Is little doubt that Matte
but so far only one man has been found
who knew her here, and he refuses to
talk. Il knew all about her." he said,
"but I'll not tell il unless there is some-
thing in it,"
1t is said she did manicuring and
dressmaking business while here Her
statement that her husband was killed
over a gambling table in Butte is with
out foundation. No man has been
killed in this city under such alleged
circumstances I'm the last 10 years, and
the name of Silveira is not known to
the Butte gamblers. He may have
been in the city, but the police have no
record or any row in which a person of
his description figured.
Mrs. Davidson, the aged Christian
and member of the Rev. Browns flock,
who is in the San Francisco Jail on the
charge of Matchmaking the reverend
gentleman out OF hush money is quot
ed by the Chronicle as saying that Dr.
Brown told her that a Mrs. Tunnel
prevented Miss Overman from commit
ting suicide when the latter was pass
ing through uncomfortable matrimoni-
al experiences in Butte. 1t is acknowl-
edged by Miss Overman's family that
Mrs. Tunnel and Miss Overman first
became acquainted in Butte Mrs Da-
wilson stated that Miss Overman told
her that she went to San Francisco to
look for work and was hopelessly
stranded when she went to DR.. Browns
home, having but $25 in her pocket
That was when DIR. Brown took pity
on her and his interest in her began.
The childlike simplicity. Christian
fortitude and vfrtuous innocence dis
played by Miss Overman In San Fran
cisco seems to make the people of
Seattle, Tacoma and Spokane smile
broadly. She was doing a dressmak-
ing and manicuring business In those
cities before coming to Butte. A dis
patch from Tacoma says: "Mattie's
sewing there was done largely among
coterie OF families who were close
friends of DR.. Brown. 1t is not doubt
ed that she was fond of the eloquent
clergyman, though the evidence obtain
able here is that she was only a warm
friend and admirer. 1t is said here that
there are four grass widows in tthe
Overman family. Some say three. Two
daughters who have been married are
now living here apart from their hus-
bands. one with her parents and the
other working out. The girls are all
reported to have bad tempers. Some
well-informed people don't hesitate TO
express their opinion that Matte. as
well as some of her sisters, may have
shown indiscretion in keeping COM
pany with many sorts of people"
A dispatch from Spokane says that
when Matte and her sister lived in
that city Matte became acquainted
with a contractor named Hall. who is
said to be in Tacoma now, and their
relations toward each other were well
known to their acquaintance. Matte
Overman did not mingle very much In
society while in Spokane and her
presence in the family of the pastor of
one of the leading San Francisco
churches and the further statement
that she went there to study stenog-
raphy and typewriting causes many
persons in this part of the country
to smile broadly.
Several inmates of houses OF IN fame
in San Francisco told the Chronicle
that they were well acquainted with
Matte and her sister in Spokane Both
sisters had red hair and tempers to
match" said one. Il guess Matte did