The San Francisco call., 1896-03-06

RESOLVED, Ihat IL Is the Op1uloh Va
this council that DR.. Brown has never
made appointments to meet ladies In the
church for improper purposes, and that
he never walked the streets with any
lady, and that he was never seen to in
dulpe in famiIiarities with any lady.
Such, in brief is the startling-not to
say the unexpected resolution introduced
by Delegate E. C. Williams last night and
passed unanimously by the council.
1t was all done so quickly that few OF
the members of that deliberate body and
scarcely any of the audience fully appre-
ciated its full meaning and scope.
Mr. Nagle insisted on introducing testi-
mony showing that DR.. Brown was never
seen in conversation with any other lady
than his wife. This was kept up for quite
a while, and when the attorney was about
to introduce additional similar testimony
Mr.. Williams sprang to his feet and ut
tered the words above quoted. Mr.. Nagle
insisted that if such was the feeling of the
council it be expressed in some def
mite way, Moderator Mclean agreeing
with him. Then followed the adoption OF
the resolution by the council, and the i'm
mediate retirement of that body into secret
session.
DR.. Brown was in the assembly room
when the council was called to order by
Moderator Mclean at 2 o'clock. The pas
tor opened the exercises by brief and
scathing attack on the press. He said
they had been utterly unfair to him, that
l. ! h. h 20
him, and had placed the worst construc-
ton on everything that had appeared
against him. He cited some instances
where he had not been treated fairly, one
being that he had never made use of the
expression, I'm gone, anyway"
In spite of the announcement made that
DR.. Brown was i'll and threatened with
paralysis. he never appeared to better ad-
vantage or in better voice than when he
took the witness-chair. True, he was sew
eral times prompted by his legal friend,
Nj. Nagle, but in every other respect his
memory seemed faultless, and he delved
into details of minor facts relating to the
case with an acuteness which seemed to
deny any assumption that he was nearing
a mental collapse.
the rear of the witness-chair. He ap-
peared tired and sleepy, but he woke up
once to ask Mr.. Nagle if he meant the
church study when that gentleman asked
the pastor concerning some supposed visit
of Mrs. Stockton. Once or twice during
the afternoon he played the good Samari-
tan by handing over to DR.. Brown, when
that gentleman seemed about to give way
to fit of coughing, few bronchial
troches. Valley Brown was not present,
nor was Miss Overman, the latter not hav-
ing fully recovered from the terrible cross.
examination administered by Mr.. Tenney
at Wednesdays session of the council.
DR.. Brown in his statement to the coun-
Gil admitted good many things which
some expected him to deny. He assured
his ecclesiastical judges that he had never
kissed Mrs. Stockton nor, in fact, shown
any other than friendly interest in her,
though he confessed that the winsome
widow had on one occasion made him the
victim of her osculatory ambition. He
admitted, also, that he had gone to Castro
Heights in company with Mrs. Stockton
though his meeting with this lady was the
result of ali accident, not of his own
making.
The pastor began his statement by going
back to the day OF his birth. By slow
stages he travelled over his childhood s
days, relating as he went that his father
was blacksmith, and that he himself had
learned the trade at the age of 13 years. At
the.age OF IA he enlisted in the war. but
was down on the payroll as servant for
80 Co.. he lot No 80 i
the regular service as bugler, continuing
IN the field until May, 1865.
''In 1885," said the doctor, ~ married
the good lady on my right. want to say
right here that never at any time during
my college career was there the slightest
thing against my character. I was forced
to leave college because there was rule
to the effect that all students marrying
should withdraw"
Then in rapid succession the doctor told
of his admission into the ministry. and OF
his seve raj pastorates down to the period
of his connection with the First Congre-
gational Church. Incidentally he re-
marked that he had met Miss Oyerman
six months after reaching Tacoma, but
that he never saw her except in the pres.
ence of his wife. He took keen interest
in her because his wife knew her history.
He met Mrs. Stockton through a cordial
recommendation and introduction by Mrs
Cooper. One morning after service this
young woman came up the aisle and
shook hands with Mrs. Cooper, saving to
him later on that she intended to Join the
church.
Concerning the baptizing incident, the
doctor said that at the close of the evening
service he went to the study for his hat
and coat Just as be was turning to gc
out he saw Mrs. Stockton standing in the
door. Sne said that she had never been
baptized, whereupon he had called Deacon
Vasconcellos and performed the ceremony
in his presence.
DR.. Brown then told of the visit to Mrs
Stockton before that iady's admission tc
the church, and of the kissing episode
which followed. When he entered the
room he found the lady lying across the
bed. fully dressed, but with a light cover.
ing thrown over her form. After talking
with her while he rose to go, when the
widow threw her arms about his neck and
kissed him. This was his first experience
and caused him great alarm.
Whom. however, Mrs. Stockton ca me to