The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-01-04
A FLOOD OF LIGHT ON THE CHURCH SCANDAL

testify to the unimpeachable character OF
these earnest people.
1t is from strict sense of duty that Mrs.
Thurston told her story. Every effort TO
induce her to speak had been in vain. She
only consented to give her sensational
story to THE CALL because she considered
the time had come when it would Ill be-
come her, as q protesting Christian, to
hold her peace. She has known the history
of the case since the fall OF 1894, when she
was residing with her husband at 715
Cough street, San Francisco.
when | saw that the attorneys
were making every effort to convict
Mrs. Davidson regardless of the facts, for
the purpose of shielding one OF the most
hardened of sinners, who has ruined the
life OF an innocent girl, | became aroused
and decided 1t was time to speak and let
the world know what kind of man was
being dealt with, said Mrs. Thurston.
In giving out the story which follows
she explained that she did it out of sense
of duty and unrestrainedly with minute
details that there might be no chance for
the guilty to slip out of the net which they
have wound about themselves, and with
out any aim except to let justice be done
to ALL" She said:
Il met Miss Matte 0verman with Mrs.
Tunnel the first time along in August,
1894. 1t was during the meetings of Rev.
j. II. Allen, at the st. PauPs mission, on
Mission street. 1t was not there l met
her, but at the Grant-avenue Mission.
Mrs. Tunnel introduced Matte TO me as
her friend from Tacoma. AS is our Gus
tom at the missions / asked Miss Overman
Are you Christian? She replied. 1 am
trying to be- As they left, Mrs. Tunnel
turned aside and said to me, quietly, Pray
for my friend; she thinks she is a Chris
tan. | took it that Mrs. Tunnel did not
believe the girl was converted.
81 next met her at the Friends mission
on McAllister street. After this she called
at my house with Mrs. Tunnel and we
formed quite a friendship and became
quite intimate. 1t was some little time
after this, how long l don t know, before |
heard anything about Dr. Brown. 1t was
during the month. A party OF several of us
were en- route TO the St. Paul's Mission. 1t
came around that Matte and | walked
together, while Mr.. Thurston walked with
some OF the others.
"She asked me if l had ever met DR. c..
o. Brown. / replied | had not. She said
she had met him III Tacoma and thought
he was fine man. He was so pleasant
and agreeable to have about.
Il looked at Matte closely and asked
rs there nothing but friendship between
you and DR.. Brown, Matte? You cannot
be too careful. [ said it without one
thought of anything but a caution to the
girl. She replied, How sharp you are to
detect things l thought her reply was
quite strange, but something stopped the
conversation, and nothing more out of the
usual occurred or was said that evening.
at is impossible to say how many times
Matte visited at my home after this. She
would run in nearly every day. Mrs. Trn-
nell was an old friend, and the two were
soon as members of the family. Matte
How, I,,, v,;+ A. Ill
Second street. Had | died this story
would have gone to the grave with me, for
l never intended to reveal it to any one"
Mr.. ThurSton, who had entered, said the
story was all news 20 him. and he would
listen TO it with as much interest as the
reporter. Mrs. Thurston went on:
Matte was converted one night at the
st. Paul Mission, and seemed TO be deeply
interested in the truths of the Bible. she
would often come to the house and we
would study over them together. She
said she believed the Lord was preparing
her for entering the evangelistic work.
She was honest and sincere then, whatever
she is now. One evening about this time
she told me she had to go to DR.. Brown s
to make something right with his family.
did not know what 1t was, and do not
now. This was the first ! knew she was ac-
Quainted with DR.. Browns family.
"a few days later she came in and said
she had been to DR.. Browns and per
formed her duty and made it right with
them 1T took all the courage and grace
| had to-day TO do something, but l did it
and the Lord repaid me for it, was what
She said.
''She said Mr.. and Mrs. Brown had in
vited her to make their home her home. 1t
was during this conversation that learned
OF DR.. Browns profession of love to her.
She said one night DR.. and Mrs. Brown
ana she were walking home together and
the doctor reached back and took her
hand and squeezed it. She said he had Wis
tied her q Mrs. Turn ell 8 room. She said
DR.. Brown would come TO her with open
arms, and throwing them about her
squeeze and kiss her. She said although
she was IOve-slck girl he was worse than
she.
when Mrs. Tunnel came in I asked
her II she thought it right, under the cir
cumstances, to allow Matte to 90 and live
at Browns. | said if / was not gong to
move l would give her home with me.
She replied, Matte is poor girl and it is
not strange they offered her a home. If
she accepts it DIR. Brown is able to give a
luxurious home with ell the ease and COM
forts. Matte left Mrs. Tunnels and
went 10 DR.. Browns almost imm ediately
She attended the meetings after this, but
not as regularly. 1t was said among out
siders Matte went to Browns to sew for
them.
when l next saw Matte to talk with
her she told me DR.. Brown gave her all
the little attentions a woman likes so well.
She said he would come to her room and
build fire for her and do other things for
her, which Mrs. Brown did not approve
OF. AT that time | had never met DR..
Brown. Matte invited me to attend SER
vice at his church. She said 1t was neces-
sary for her to attend all his sermons, as
he could not preach as well when she was
not before him. She said she was absent
one Sunday and DR.. Brown made such
a failure that people questioned him to
know what was the matter with him.
ut was about this time that Mrs Ashbv,
Mattie's sister, who had been visiting her
parents IN Tacoma, came down TO San
BRO nciscn and "a D. ctn L L. l.