The San Francisco call., 1896-03-05
MATTE STILL SWEARING
She Made Plausible Answers to
Several Very Pointed
Questions.


Outside of the council and the reporters
there were not more than two dozen per-
sons in the council chamb at the Brown
investigation at o'clock yesterday after
noon, the impression having gone abroad
that only those persons directly interested
in the case as witnesses, etc., would be ad-
mitted.
Mr.. Tenney, who smiles the sweetest
when he asks the most Catholic questions,
began his cross-examination by inquiring
whether Matte had taken Mrs. Tunnel
with her on her blackmailing trip to the
Chronicle editorial rooms, and he received
the reply, given with all that hauteur which
is so becoming to Miss Overman's style,
that she had not.
Mr.. Tenney, with another sweet smile,
asked what was the financial condition OF
Mrs. Tunnell, and whether that lady had
any income.
'Is it necessary to discuss Mrs. Tun-
nell's finances?" inquired Miss Overman
sen to the North Pole. But the Tenney
smile is unfreezable. and he replied that
such was his opinion, whereupo Miss
Oyerman answered that Mrs. Tunnel had
had an income which had been cut off by
her brother, since which time she had not
had so much. She had been receiving
some house rent from her home in Gait.
"Did you give Mrs. Tunnel any
money? ?" was the next question.
II gave her $40 on the evening she LETT.
I happened to have the money in my
possession from my sister,"
"Did.your sister give it to you to give
Mrs. Tunnell|'
NO; received it without reference to
Mrs. Tunnel"
'Have you sent her any money since?'
Yes; l have sent her little"
"Was that also furnished by your sis
ter?'
1T was not"
There was a little emphatic twang on
the mot like the crack of whip. Miss
Overman shifted uneasily in her chair, but
kept the marble-hearted gaze of her cold
blue ewes upon the Tenney smile that
would neither fade nor be frozen.
'Who furnished it?"
There was moments hesitation on
Miss Mattie's part Then came the reply
clearly and distinctly:
"Dr. Brown"
"How much2"
Five dollars at one time"
You sent it all. Do you remember how
much you sent?"
Five dollars at one time; $40 at another
time
W Us tudL ScDL W uST AOS auStlGSl
"Some OF it was; $10.''
why did DR.. Brown send her this
money!"
Because she was poor woman"
why should he send it at this time
Had be assisted her before?"
NO; but don't see why he should not
assist her"
Eyes; but tie supposition that he sent
her away would lead TO the suppostion
that he had to support her while away"
pursued Mr.. Tenney.
Mr.. Hoyt stepped in at this luncture.
''You have been hesitant in your manner
OF answering those questions about money.
Are you really hesitant?"
II would prefer that DR.. Brown would
answer those questions.
Have you told US all about the giving
of money by DR., Brown to Mrs. Tunnel
since she went awayP'
Yes"
There is nothing further?"
"No."
Mrs. Tunnel had no thought until
that Sunday night of going away? Did
she not leave in pursuance of a plan be-
tween your"
There was no planning at all between
rs"
Moderator Mclean asked whether Mrs.
Tunnel was not employed at the restau-
rant, and whether she did not receive
some compensation for her services. The
witness replied that she believed she did.
And she quit her EN- ployment to 20
away p inquired the moderator.
81 suppose she did"
In response to q question by Mr.. Ten
ney as to whether she knew that person
named Jones employed in the co-opera-
tive restaurant had disappeared at the
same time as did Mrs Tunnel, the wit
ness said that Mrs. Cooper had said so,
an6 that was all she knew about it. She
thought that there were one or two letters
more than those that were published in
the newspapers, but she did not RENE NJ Der
whether or not there was anything in
them, of an incriminating character.
Mr.. Tenney then called her attention to
a statement in what had been conceded to
be the original part of the first letter in
June, 1895, as follows:
You didn't state in your last whether you
had been 10 see b. again or not.
that the initial B had been inserted by
mistake for the letter D, which was meant
for Mrs. Davidson.
'If you correct those letters every time
we find anything in them that bears on
this case we are at sea-" remarked Mr..
Tenney, with a smile.
The witness replied that she had re-
queSteO mfS. DaVlQSOn several times 10
60 and see DR. Brown.
Mr.. Dodge made the suggestion that in
all the letters where an initial was used
for Mrs. Davidson it was always "Mrs.
D." and never 3D." and wnere DIR.
Brown was referred to it was "B.'
''HoT could you expect" asked Mr..
Tenney, that Mrs. Tunnel would not
discover that the letters had been
changed?"
Miss Overman replied that she did not
expect that Mrs. Tunnel would read the
letters again.
Didn't you think it possible that if
those letters were published they would
be brought to her attention." asked Mr..
Tenney.
mo. sir" was the reply. "It was not
the intention to have them published in
the press"
what was it then? Was not that a
part OF the scheme between you and Mrs.
Davidson TO have some one buy the let
ters?'
NO, it was intended to show them"
Mr.. Pond asked whether the object
of Mr.. Tenney' questions was to impeach
the statement of the witness, to which Mr..
Tenney replied: II think all of US have a
question in our minds as to whether this
story that Miss Overman tells is to be be-
lleved and | am trying TO find out whether
there is anything in her statement
which throws discredit on her story"