The record-union., 1896-08-09
Says the Woman Resorted to Black
mailing Schemes.
Denies the Statement That She Left
San Francisco to Protect Himself
and Family, But to Protect Her.
seif-Thinks the Public Have Had
Enough Of Her Nefarious Schemes,
and Should Have Rest.

brown, formerly OF san Francisco, anu
who was recently mixed up in church
scandal in which Matte Overman took
q leading part, is now in Chicago. Mr..
Brown, when seen by reporter regard
ing the charges just made by Mrs. Tun-
nell of San Francisco, entered most
vigorous denial He made a written
statement as follows:
Mrs. Tunnel is herself one of the
gang seeking to bleed me. This was
learned from Miss Overman before she
left our home on her sudden departure
for the southern part of California. IT
was Mrs Tunnel who went with Miss
Overman and waited outside, While the
former tried, according to her own teS
timony, to sell story to the Chronicle
Mrs. Tunnels story is full Of false
hoods Let the public recall that she
herself in repeated interviews with the
reporters of the Cali and Examiner
said that she knew absolutely nothing
against my character. She said also
that she did not leave San Francisco at
my suggestion to avoid teStifyinS
against me, but solely on her own ac-
count because she feared that her in
timacy with Miss Overman would in
volve her in newspaper notoriety. These
interviews she afterward confirmed,
as Miss Overman wrote my wife. Her
own past life-twice married and twice
divorced, her last husband a mere boy
OF 10, while she was nearly 30-reveais
that she had ample reason to avoid the
reporters.
ASIDE from her unhappy martial ex-
periences, there was another and more
serious matter. When Mrs. Davidson
was arrested Mrs Tunnel undoubtedly
feared that her own connection with the
attempt to blacl1mail me might lead to
her arrest. Those matters | was wholly
ignorant of when Mrs. Tunnel left the
city. There are good reasons to believe
that she shared Mrs. Davidson's plum
der.
In the southern part of California
she told some people that her name was
Mrs Baker, others that it was Mrs
Fowler others that it was Mrs. Flower
There will be few so simple as to believe
that such a person would go into hiding
for months to save me or my family, as
she claims. / barely met the woman,
and at that time knew almost nothing
OF her. She went to save herself.
She claims now to be actuated by
Z
sons story. / do not believe that q
woman who went away and persistently
hid herself when her testimony was
wanted before the council. who told so
many conflicting stories about her
name and identity, is really at this late
hour actuated by any high sense of
duty in going into the newspapers. Her
story of what she alleges l said to her
G Il foo ie.f hot
she has, like other plunderers. lied for
money. The story that l sent her
rloney other than the few dollars
frankly admitted to the council, and for
the entirely innocent reason there set
| forh, is absolutely false.
What, then, is the fact, and what
motive has prompted her at this late
I hour to lie through the newspapers? ?
The following brief statement will show
very clearly: Just before Miss Over
mans return to San Francisco she
wrote US that for a sufficient sum of
/ money Mrs. Tunnel would make an
ample affidavit in my favor, otherwise
she would publish a story against me.
/ She subsequently affirmed that news
/ paper reporters were after them, and
i that large offers were being made If
! they would only speak against me But
| Mrs. Tunnel would swear for me if the
money We're forthcoming. l refused
/ that proposition absolutely.
When Mrs Tunnel and Miss Over
man returned to San Francisco they
tried repeatedly to get into commune
/ cation with me, as my friend Deacon
i Morse knows, and he also knows that /
4 refused absolutely each time. Mrs.
Tunnel, failing to get money from me
/ for an affidavit which she offered in my
favor. waited until ] am more than
1000 miles away, and has sold her lies
/ To my enemies She has done what she
/ dared not do when / was there to de-
| fend myself. The thousands who know
me in this part of the land will, l am
sure say that this nefarious scheme has
gone far enough that the public should
+ have q rest from these ISLANDERS; that
those who have come into undue promi-
nence by this attack on my character
should be allowed to retire.
CHARLES 0. BROWN"