The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-12-13

Chicago, Dec. 12.-"During all the time
that DR.. Brown was pastor Of the
church in San Francisco, he was op-
posed BY Mrs. Sarah B. Cooper" said
Rev. John T. Blanchard, 4S7 Leavitt
street. todav Rev. Mr.. Blanchard is
pastor of the Covenant Congregational
church on the west side. and a cousin
of Rev. c. o. Brown, DID, whose SEN
sational trials on charges brought by
women of his congregation attracted
universal attention about a year ago.
He rises to defend DR.. Brown, and de-
plores the reopening of the discussion
Of the case with which his brother pas
tor was involved In addition TO this,
Mr.. Blanchard gives a reason for the
enmity OF Mrs. Cooper, who, te>ether
with her daughter. committed suicide
in San Francisco yesterday.
las all but wilful enemies of DR..
Brown know" continued Rev. Mr.
Blanchard, the accusations brought
against him in San Francisco were
plain blackmail, and he was proved
not guilty. both by the civil courts and
the ecclesiastical court which sat on
the case IAN entire month. AS TO Mrs.
Sarah 3. Cooper, who was prominent
member of his church and became his
opponent and accuser in the trial. I
can give you an explanation of the
whole matter.
Mrs. Cooper was a cousin OF Colonel
Robert Ingersoll. and though opposed
to him in religious matters, always
maintained a warm friendship with
him. Before DR.. Brown went to San
Francisco. he was pastor of the First
Congregational church in Dubuque, Ia.
While there he attacked Colonel lnger-
soil and made one of the best arEu-
ments against the agnostic lecturer
that has ever been presented.
Friends of Ingersoll in Dubuque
sent him q copy of what had been
said. and he made answer to the SER
mon, but would not come to Dubuque
TO debate with DR.. Brown. The la
ter. however, preached another sermon
in rebuttal. and the whole thing caused
10 little talk in Iowa at the time.
which was in 1892. Mrs. Cooper did not
desire DR.. Brown for the pastor of her
church on that account. She had no
reason, of course, TO oppose him at the
start. and ostensibly was his friend.
In reality. however, she was his en-
envy This she showed at the trial,
though she never gave any testimony
and had no real evidence to give, but
simply made a statement which was
believed to be of a damaging character.
As 10 Matte CVerman having re-
formed, / do not believe it She re-
formed once before. and was taken
into the home of DR.. Brown by him
and his wife. The result was that she
tried to blacken his reputation and
ruin him. she being . member of a
party which entered into the consDir-
acy against him.
Rev. c. o. Brown lives at $50 West
Polk street. When seen today he de-
clined to say anything about Mrs.
Cooper or her daughter.
1T would be very much out of place
after their death. to dig up an old
story" said he Il cherish no ill-feel-
ing against them. Mrs. Cooper was a
remarkable woman, and did great good
in her work; but she made the mistake
of her life when she attacked me. It
caused her the loss of nearly all her
friends. received letters Just recently
saying that people who were her best
friends before that time. had forbid
den her coming 10 their house. and she
was generally Stunned"