The San Francisco call., 1896-03-18
LAST DAYS SESSION.
The Work Of Reaching a Verdict
Causes a Bitter Dis
CuSsiOn,

SdSSIOus
The last days session of the Brown
council was fruitful of a verdict and re-
plete to overfowing with exciting incl
dents, in which the ten judges We'd with
their associate lay brethren in bitter de.
nunciation and at times prayerful pleadE
ings.
At 10 o'clock the committee on findings
convened in executive session. For nearly
three hours they labored with the difficult
problems before them, and when the lunch
hour came they announced with some
show of playfulness that a verdict had
been reached and would be submitted to
the council at o'clock.
When that hour arrived and still
another rolled by it was evident that the
findings of the committee did not by any
manner of means please some of the indi-
vidual members of the council.
In fact, DR.. Freeland, backed by two or
three of the older mem bers, sprang a little
surprise in the shape Of a minority report,
which they declared would be presented
unless the council embodied their oft
repeated sentiments in the general find
ings.
For nearly two hours the point was ar
gued, the fight settling down finally be-
tween representatives Of the old and new
Congregational school, the former being
represented by such men as DR.. Mclean
and DR.. Freeland, the latter finding earn
est champions in DR.. Williams, DR.. Ten.
ney and DR.. Hoyt.
The main point at issue was the severity
of the verdict, and in the final shake-up
the old school won. That is, they secured
q mixed verdict on the main charges.
During the general debate the self-styled
.'boss Whitewater of the Pacific Coast"
DR.. Pond, made an earnest appeal to the
council to temper their decision with
mercy. He pleaded specially for the ac-
cused mans family, endeayoring to show
that an unfavorable verdict would operate
more harshly against them than against DR..
Brown.
The speaker was listened to respectfully,
but his remarks made no lasting impression
on the minds of his fellow judges.
At 4 o'clock DR.. Brown was sent for, but
the result proved that he was several hours
too early.
Patiently and an1iously he waited for
some word of solace, and when it finally
came and he had been given an oppor-
which meant so much to him, he shut
himself in the study, where, attended by
Attorney Nagle and Deacon Morse, the
full findingswere read.
In the meantime DIR. Hoyt withdrew
from the council, saying that he was COM
PEELED to be i'll Sacramento last night.
Later it was rumored that DR.. Hoyt was
not satisfied with the hostility shown by
certain members of the council to the find.
lngs. the committee, and not caring to
be in what promised to be divided con-
clusion determined to quietly absent him
self. The rumor could not be verified last
night.
Shortly after o'clock DIR. Tenney and
Mr.. Barker made hurried exit from the
council cham Der in search of typewriter.
The verdict had been rendered and DR..
Brown was to know his fate in less than
half an hour. From another member of
the council who left for his home just after
DR.. Tenney withdrew to secure copies of
the decision the full verdict was learned.
A CALL representative told DR.. Brown
OF the result, that gentleman paling per-
ceptibly under the unqualified expression.
But when informed that the verdict had a
rider" to it, his face frightened, and he
muttered an almost inaudible "Thank
God''
A dispatch from Los Angeles last night
says that Matte Overman and Mrs. Tun-
nell left San Diego Monday morning,
Miss Overman saying they were on their
way back TO San Francisco. Mrs. Brown
said last night that she knew nothing
about the matter.
The findings of the council will be
formally presented to the church tonight.