The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-05-10
THE BROWN SCANDAL
NM Davidson Lectures 70 .
Handful Of People.
TELLING THE FAMILIAR STORY.
UOw He Cun1saDed - Her, ~ How
eAe PrayeA Sbr Him-Rejoicing
Ovue Hlo DOWNFALL.
TELLING THE FAMILIAR STORY.

6an Yranc1sco. Nay sl-NrA Mary A.
Davidson made her debut as . lecturer
on the First Congregational church scan
dal at Odd Fellows hall tonight The af-
fair vas down on the programme a. .
Key to the Brown-Dzvidaon Church
Scandal" and. In order that the appesites
Of the audience nigh; be whetted in ad-
vance. there were such footno,es as start
hng ,ruthA" and that which was not CIV
en- In the civil courts" From the stand
point OF the box office. Mrs DSvidson's
effort was not startling success. Theirs
were Just nfty-eiGht people in the house.
counting the ushers. reporters and two
or three policemen. who sat in the back
rows-
Il vas Q few minutes past O'Clock
when NrS. Davidson appeared on the plat
form with . roll Of manuscript. which.
after an awkward pause. until an usher
was thoughtful enough to introduce her
she began reading. Her lecture was pr1n-
cipally . recital Of the part Mrs DAVID
son had played In the famous church
scandal from her standpoint Here and
there the direct recital was dropped To
make room for many quotations from the
scriptureA
Ladies' and gentlemen" began Mrs.
Davidson, "or rather friends. because
prefer to call you friends. - know our
hearts beat In union, ! am pleased to
sec you all here tonight. ! am here with
Q motive the purity of which believe You
may judge accurately as my recital OF the
iniQuity Of this man. such iniQutty as devils
would blush to own, proceeds. I am here
to speak the truth of the Brown-Overman
co-ministry. You are the first to hear the
truth from my lips. ! am going 10 show
C. o. Brown to you in his true light, to
lift the veil Of Hypocrisy from this man.
and paint him in his true colorS."
Having thus launched herself. ArA Da-
wilson TOOK up the events connected with
the scandal from the beginning. There
WAS nothing in the story that is not ia
miliar TO all newspaper readers. She fol-
lowed the thread Of the scandal until the
time OF her arrest on charge OF extor'
ton and her subsequent acQuittal. The
pastors visits to her we're next commented
on. A year previous to the expose DIR.
Brown. asse, ted Mrs. Davidson. bad Con-
fessed to Ger his love for Miss Ovcrman-
He told me-" she said. ''of his love for
this poor. unlettered dressmaker. who
loved not wisely but too well He described
II as a supernatural passion which had
overcome them both. He told ME that be
hal sent her away solely on account Of his
wife's jealousy. ! prayed God 10 have
mercy on this wretched pair. and God in
his justice has seen Mt TO seal the fate OF
c. c. Brown. c. Q. Browns fab Is the
doom of an angry God and my vindica-
ton. / believed all along that would be
vindicated. God gave me q serenity that
was notable in the public prints. God
made me sing In prison"
Then Mrs. Davidson proceeded to re-
view DR.. Browns denunciation Of her be-
fore the church council Il never bor-
rowed money from C. o. Brown" she con-
tinued. This 10 his adroit way Of con-
cealing his guilt. 1t was hush money he
was paying-hush money to hide the in
EQUITY Of one of these Sunday Christians
who airs his mockery Of religion once 2
week In that framework called a church.
And through 1t all 1 preserved my silence.
] awaited Gods command TO speak. felt
sorrow for this poor, fallen man. DR..
Brown even called me mother. and pitied
and prayed for him" The lecture closed
with Q benediction.