The Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1895-1897, 1896-04-23
Lost HIS STANDING ASA MINISTER
Rev. DR.. Brown, of San Francisco,
suspended by the Conference
Until He Gan Prove His Innocence Of ths
Charges of Ungentlemanly and Unn{in-
steriai Conduct Preferred Assanst
Him-He Made a Bitter Flight ana an
eloquent Appeal-His Sons Att@mpt
TO Assault the Moderator.

Brown, pastor Of the First CongregsN
sionsl Church. has lost his standing as q
minister and will be ostracized BY his
fellow clergymen until he can prove his
Innocence on the charges of ungentle.
manly and unministerial conduct pre-.
fersed sgainst him. After an exciting
oil day and night session the Bay CON.
ference, composed of Congregational
ministers and laymen, voted 40 to 80 to
suspend DR.. Brown until he had proved
his Innocence.
The proceedings were intensely ex.
citing and many bitter words were
spoken. When the vote WAS announced,
valentine Brown, son of DR.. Brown,
attempted to ASSAULT Rev. DR.. Mclean,
theaged moderator of the council, which
hrst tried the disgraced minister. DR..
Brown and his friends bitterly fought
the introduction of the resolutions aus
pending HIM. but without SUCCESS.
The sentiment OF the conference
seemed to be in marked contrast to that
OF the council which, few days ago,
practically acquitted him of the charges
preferred by Mrs. Davidson. Several
members OF the conferences had also
participated in the proceedings of the
council, and they express themselves
as dissatisfied with the councils YER
dict and in favor Of the resolution TO
suspend.
Dr. Brown made IN eloquent appeal
to the conference to be guided BY the
verdict OF the council, which he con-
tended was an acquittal, and closed with
the following words:
II ask my brethren again to seek
something more in the nature of tesst-
mony before am condemned. would
rather have you bind my hands bahind
my back and have six men in an adjoin.
Ing room ready to shoot than to have
you pass this judgment against me. In
the name of God, say to you, dear
brothers, don't shoot"
The audience WAS then dismissed and
the resolution adopted by vote Of 40 to
80. The moderator announced the sus.
pension of DR.. Brown and the confer
ence closed.
In o short time DR.. and Mrs. Brown
were surrounded by number of friends
In the church who made loud promises
OF sCpport in the future. Nearly all the
delegates had retired when suddenly
there was an exciting scene in the
church. While the Rev. ]. X. Mclean,
the moderator OF the late council, was
talking to friend, Valentine Brown,
Dr. Browns son, rushed up to Dr. Nc
Lean and said:
How dare you vote against my
father? III put hole through you"
DR.. Mclean waved his hand gently
and replied: Take this little bow
away"
Young Brown was not to be silenced.
He clenched his fist and drawing back
his arm was about to strike Mclean in
VI
young Brown and held his arm fast. DR.,
Brown ct this time came up and took his
son away.
Dr. Brown made the following state.
ment: IL have no plans for the future.
l have spent the best part of my life in
the ministry. l am now getting along
pretty we'll In years and Of course am
too old TO think Of starting life in any
other way. have been fighting for my
home. The Bay conference SAYS prac-
ticslly that nave not cleared myself
OF the charges. In reply l say 1 have
done the best can.
III do not know how any man could
repudiate such serious charges as those
preferred against me more thoroughly
than have done. have asked my &C.
cusers to state the time and places of
the various sins attributed to me. They
failed utterly to do this. They have
declared me guilty without furnishing
any definite evidence of my guilt.
"Of all these imputations have re-
piled as best I knew how. II the Bay
conference expects more from me than
this they are asking more than is hu-
man. l have done all in my power in
this direction. know no other step I
might take that would reinstate m Q into
the fellowship of my brethren"