The herald., 1896-02-28
Regarding Her Relations With
Rev. DR.. Brown.
A MOST REMARKABLE STORY
Told Logically and Clearly and With
q Smile
She Tried to BIackmail the Preacher, But
Denied the Slightest Impropriety
on His Part

Associated Press Special Wire
SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 27.-Rev. DR..
Ollie, pastor of the Central Methodist
church, was the first witness today for Rev.
DIR. C. o. Brown, on trial before the Con-
gregational council for unministerial con-
duct. The accused minister tried to show
by DR.. Ollie that the character of Mrs.
Thurston, who testified against him last
night, was bad and that she was nworthy
of credence. Mrs. Gordon was called to
the stand to try to explain the mysterious
disappearance of Mrs. Tunnel, but nothing
important was developed. Harriet Cooper,
the daughter of Sarah B. Cooper, assistant
pastor, who had charged DR.. Brown with
conspiracy in spiriting Mrs. Tunnel
away SO as not to testify against him,
not ready with them. The judge advocate
then announced that his testimony for the
prosecution was all in, and he called upon
any volunteer witnesses to testify. The
moderator objected that due diligence had
not been exercised in developing the case
against DIR. Brown, and said that many
points named at the beginning of the trial
had not since been referred to. Witnesses
should be sought on these points or else
the churches would declare that the coun.
Gil had not fully and impartlally investi-
gated the charges against DR.. Brown.
The most sensational testimony of the
trial was given at the evening session by
Miss Matte Overman, the first witness
called in any important capacity for the
defense. Miss Overman's manner was
striking. She spoke so quietly that even
the members Of the council were forced to
draw forward until their chairs formed a
small semlcircle upon the platform. The
woman spoke deliberately. weaving re-
markable story, logically and clearly She
confessed that she was q blackmailer, and
tried to be q thief, and she gave the in
formation with a smile.
She confessed that she plotted the de-
struction of the man whose hospitality she
now enjoys. She declared that to save
herself from work and the possible hard
ship of poverty she conspired with Mrs.
Mary Al Davidson to ruin the character of
the Rev. DIR. Brown and to blacken her
own. She asserted that she approached
the representatives of morning news
paper with a hope of tempting them to
blackmail the accused pastor.
She drew her recital to a dramatic eli.
max by asserting, with the smile which
never left her face, that she wrote the let
ters which picture her own moral and
physical ruin and placed the cause of her
deep dis .ress at the door of the Rev. Mr..
Brown. Asserting all this, she denied that
there has ever been the slightest impropri.
ETY. in her relations with the man against
whom she plotted so shrewdly. Miss
Overman said she came from Tacoma
the second time at the request of
Mrs. Davidson, who asked her : to
take charge of Mrs. Davidsons exhibit at
the Midwinter fair. Instead of going to
DR.. Browns home she went to Mrs. David.
son, who told her that Mrs. Brown had
been speaking slightingly of her. For that
reason she turned her back on Mrs. Brown
at the church on the following Sunday and
was very cool toward DR.. Brown. Mrs.
Davidson told the witness that she had q
great scheme by which both could profit,
and that Miss Overman herself was the
foundation on which the scheme could be
based. Mrs. Davidson talked of Miss Over
mans relations with DR.. Brown and of
the trip to Tacoma, how everything could
be construed in wrongful manner against
Er. Brown, and that If Miss Overman
would consent to 60 into the scheme both
could make something out of 1t. She
pointed out how Miss Overman could get
the means of improving her education,
which was telling point, and at last Mics
Overman consented to enter into the plot.
Mrs. Davidson then unfolded part Of the
scheme. Miss Overman was to 60 to tine
city editor of one of the morning papers
and offer to sell him a very sem
sational story about a prominent cit
izen, which she was to vouch for was
true. She then told Mrs. Davidson
what she had done and Mrs. Davis told
her that the letters that had passed be-
tween Mrs. Davidson, DR.. Brown, Miss
Overman and Mrs. Tunnel could be SO
altered as to make it look very black
against DR.. Brown and advised Miss Over
man to change them. Miss Overman said
she stole the letters she had written to
Mrs. Tunnel from that woman's room and
had spent three days changing them.
After the alterations had been made Mrs.
Davidson told Miss Overman that to make
the proof positive Miss Over
man must swear that criminal rela-
tions had existed between DR..
Brown and herself Miss Overman.l At
this Miss Overman rebelled, and refused to
60 into the plot further. Mrs. Davidson
told her that she had proof in writing, and
in this way tried to frighten Miss Overman
into continuing in the case, but she was OBJ
durate. She tried to induce Mrs. Davidson
to give up the scheme, as it was very
wicked. Mrs. Davidson relented, and Miss
Overman thought she was really repent
ant, and after that everything went
smoothly; that Miss Overman went to a
school of stenography and studied to enter
Mrs. Davidson's employ in that capacity.
When the hour of adjournment came to-
night she had not finished her story. She
will resume it tomorrow.