The San Francisco call., 1896-03-04
Declares Now That She Has
Only Extreme Pity for Her
Former Hero.
DR.. BROWN IS SERIOUSLY ILL.
Attending Physician Says the Rev.
erened Gentleman Is Threatened
With Paralysis.

Ii the i've hundred or more spectators
gathered in the Iecture-room of the First
Congregational Church yesterday expected
to hear Miss Overman contradict herself,
hesitate before answering pertinent ques-
tions, or If pressed too closely seek refuge
in Mysteries they were doomed to disap-
pointment.
Altogether, the witness was on the stand
something like five hours, and though she
was LED through a perfect labyrinth of
questions she stood The cross-tire of her
examiners without the least outward evil
dence OF mental disturbance.
Whenever the young lady was in the
least doubt over any question propounded
she did not touch the quicksands of un-
certainty, but tripped lightly to the safe
ground of II do not remem per." If by
chance the question was little too per-
sonal she would parry IL with another, and
IN that would generally rest her answer.
1t was twenty minutes after o'clock
when the council filed into the lecture
room and assumed their accustomed
places on the platform. Deacon Morse
asked the privilege of stating that DR..
Brown was too i'll to appear. He would
not ask that the council postpone
its deliberations, but would be willing that
Attorney Nage should look after his in
terests. On motion this was readily agreed
TO.
Miss Overman then assumed the witness
chair, and in response TO a question as to
what became of the original letters re-
piled that they had been thrown into the
ash-barrel in the back yard. The letters
which Miss Overman claims that she
forged at the instigation of Mrs. Davidson
were shen read. Judge Advocate Wood
hams stated TO the council! that he would
indicate such passages as had been in
iected into the letters at the request of
Miss 0verGaan's erstwhile friend.
During the reading the witness listened
to the damaging charges she had made
against DR.. Brown with apparent calmness
and absolute Indifference as to what the
people or the couacil might think of her
strange, not to sag peculiar, utterances.
Miss Overman said that the letters had
been changed not in words but in spirit.
These alterations, however, were of a
purely immaterial character and made no
difference as to their direct effect in her
alleged relations with DR.. Brown.
During the reading of one letter it de-
veloped that Miss Oyerman was much CIV
en- TO bicycling during her last days in Ia
coma, but she neglected to say if she had
taken 10 bloomers as well.
During the reading of the third letter to
Mrs. Tunnel this paragraph occurred: Il
can plainly see that B. does not wish to see
or hear from me-" Miss Overman was
asked If this had appeared in the original
and without the least hesitancy replied
that it had.
At this stage of the proceedings the wit
ness produced letter, or rather portion
OF one, said to have been written by Mrs.
Tnnnell disclaiming any knowledge what
ever of the famous Overman-Tunnell let
ters. On cross-examlnatlon, the young
lady gave as a reason for not reading the
full letter that she wished to save her
friend the burden of reporters.
1t WAS brought out during the afternoon
that Miss Overman assisted DR.. Brown in
his study, a nd also in his studies. She
helped him prepare sermons and lectures,
but was not very clear as to what COM
mentaries she had consulted during this
eventful period. She admitted that this
work in the study caused her former pla-
tonic friendship for the pastor to ripen
into deep-seated affection, with the result
that her reverend friend has been nearly
ruined thereby.
She said that DR.. Brown never recipro-
Gated her affection in the slightest SO far
as she knew, though she naively admitted
she had vainly hoped he would. She did
not attempt to reconcile this hope with
Mrs. Browns position as the wife of the
object OF her unsolicited affection.
Miss Oyerman admitted, under pressure,
that she had told Mrs. Thurston of her
high regard for Pastor Brown, but de-
clared with great emphasis that her con-
fession extended no further than this.
Mrs. Thurstou might have urged her TO be
careful, but of what she could not recall,
because she had never told that lady that
DR.. Brown reciprocated her love. The
witness also disclaimed, with smile, that
she had ever confided to Mrs. Thurston
that she was the sunshine of the pastor
home.
AT this stage of the proceedings Miss
Oyerman said that altogether too much
stress was being laid upon her love for DR..
Brown. 1t was not wild, absorbing pas
sion which dethroned her reason, but
calm proposition which she had at all
times had under her control. She ad-
mitted that she had hoped that the doctor
would hug and kiss her, but had given no
thought as to what would follow such
demonstration.
MI 1eHIeN wanted TO KNOW II Dr.
Brown had ever taken her in his arms or
even squeezed her hand. The witness re-
piled with a smile that she was sure he
had never done the former. He might
have given her warm pressure of the
hand because he was that kind of man,
but II he had 1t was OF a purely platonic
character.
She could recall only one occasion when
he had ever touched her further than a
mere handshake. 81 was living down on
the sofa, 'said the witness, when he passed
by. The doctor tapped me on the head
lightly, saying, as he did so: Are you
tired, little girl?"
At the evening session Delegate Williams
put the witness through severe cross-ex-
animation. He asked her among other
Things if she had not felt for some time
that her feelings for DR.. Brown had been
such as no virtuous woman should enter
tain toward married man. Miss Over
m an replied with much apparent indigna-
ton that she had felt no such thing. She
however, that she did not wait
for the pastor to tempt her, but fell of her
own accord.
Mr. Williams led her through long
lane of misty. hazy questions, covering
that period beginning with the meeting
on Pine and Kearny streets Dece m ber 10,
and ending with her entry into the doc
tors study the same afternoon when the
alleged blackmail of Mrs. Davidson was