The record-union., 1897-10-29
DR.. BROWN WINS A
COMPLETE VICTORY.
The Council at Chicago Reaches a
Conclusion.
In Relation to the Charges of the California
Conference.
The Findings Said to be an EN-
phatic Exoneration of the Min
lister on the Charge of Miscon-
duct and Condemning the Ac-
ton of the Bay Conference.

CHICAGO, Oct. 29.-The Times Her
ald'' this (Friday) morning prints the
following:
The Congregational Council called TO
Judge between DR.. C. O. Brown and the
Bay Conference of California and to
decide whether the conference was
justified in suspending from member
ship DR.. Brown on the strength of the
findings of the San Francisco Council
that tried him for immortality in April,
1896, reached unanimous conclusion
at a late hour last night. The terms Of
the finding have not yet been made
known, but the purport of them is a
complete victory for DR.. Brown.
The finding begins with a complete
and emphatic exoneration of DR.. Brown
on the charge of misconduct which was
tried and declared not proved by the
previous council. 1t then proceeds to
pass on the action of the Bay Confer
ence, and condemns it. A test motion
was made to approve of its action, and
on an informal vote it was voted down
by a majority of two
The council then adopted a compro-
mise resolution, giving the conference
a sort of technical approval But the
! council then advised the Bay Confer
ence to desist from any further perse-
cution of DR.. Brown, referring to It's
pr ests addressed to the Dubuque and
Cla ago associations against admitting
Dr. Brown to membership in these bod
lies.
The work of the council was not COM
r ted last night, however, and it will
q semble again this morning In the
II eanwhile a committee consisting of
Or. bennington, DIR. Burnham and DR..
Waterman is charged with the task
of perfecting the form of the finding.
COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS.
CHICAGO, Oct. 2S.-In a voice
shaken by emotion, in words of deepest
| eloquence, with an appeal to the hearts
of his ministerial brethren, with a plea
for his wife which made the tears come
to her eyes, DR.. Charles o. Brown ended
prayer to his brethren in conference
to give him back what they could of
his ministerial standing.
The congregation at the New England
Congregational Church thereupon took
a recess and later being in secret ses-
sion to deliberate upon the famous case
of the former San Francisco pastor. The
members began a heated discussion as
] RI n n T1Y- cb hn
stated in the ministry or whether his
suspension by the Bay Conference
should be allowed to stand.
DR.. Brown talked several hours. 1t
was his last stand. He had been driven
out of one church after another, and
out of the ministry. He had been fight
ing for year and half for what he
said was as dear as his life-his repu-
tation. At last he had appealed to the
highest tribunal of the church.
His accusers had told their story
They had left him at least under the
ban OF suspicion. He arose to make
the effort of a life time. For two hours
he used sarcasm, denunciation-every
known form of argument. He arraign-
ed his accusers bitterly. He questioned
their motives. He attacked their log
ic He strove to excite sympathy for
his position. and at time prayers and
invective. His voice was earnest his
gestures emphatic
All the delegates were present with
the exception of Dr. Philip Krohn Of
Lakeview Church, when the final meet
ing of the council was called to order
DR.. Brown, with his wife and sons,
carrying huge telescope grips, came in
early. The grips puzzled the ministers,
who could not understand why the
Browns should wish to take a sudden
journey. until DR.. Brown explained that
the telescope grips We're full of evil
dence.
DR.. Hatch led in prayer, after which
the Moderator called upon Dr. c. r.
Brown.
The latter said that aside from ex-
planning a few questions which had
been asked him DUNG the nights ses-
sion he would not delay the conference.
Then the central figure of all the
proceedings, DR.. c. 0. Brown. laid his
grips full of evidence on the table. As
he did so, the members of the Bay Con-
ference solemnly arose from the seats
in front of him and retreated to the
benches at the farther end of the room.
DR.. Brown commenced his address by
ridiculing those of the other side and
calling their argument an array of So
phist1ies and innuendo He scored his
namesake. c. r. Brown, as coming
across the continent three thousand
miles to spring into a controversy a
year past with the zeal of a Neophyte
and the persistency of a veteran. Not
withstanding his assurances of sympa- :
thy" said DR.. Brown. "It was notorious
that he was my bitterest enemy"
There were many more such stinging
sentences as these. At times the re-
cipients of these attentions could not
sit quietly under them They rose to
retort. and there were several spirited
controversies.
The speaker denied having had any
voice in the selection of the original
san Francisco Council. and hinted that
if he had known anything of that coun-
ellis makeup. DR. Mclean would have
been barred as a bitter. biased enemy.
The reasons alleged by the Bay Con-
ference for DR.. Browns suspension were
then taken up.
THE payment of money to any one
was never a specified charge said Dr.
Brown. THE charge that l was prac-