San Francisco Call, Volume 79, Number 113, 22 March 1896 — SHOWY ALTAR TO RECEIVE HIM [ARTICLE]

SHOWY ALTAR TO RECEIVE HIM

Brown's Female Admirers Give Evidence of Their Faith. NAGLE MAKES DENIAL. Says He Read the Verdict to Mr. Fraser and Dictated the Telegram. OPPONENTS OF BROWN WORKOver One Hundred Names Secured in One Day— The Pastor Hears From Miss Overman. Dr. Charles Oliver Brown, contrary to his vehement declaration not to again occupy the pulpit until his name had been cleared of every vestige of suspicion, will preach at the First Congregational Church to-day. The subject for the morning discourse is "I know that my Redeemer liveth." . • Pastor Brown's reappearance in the pulpit is an event in Pacific Coast Congregationalism, and regardless of what may come after will always be.so considered. The man who has been found guilty of nnministerial conduct, ; and : whose word has been brought under the shadow of suspicion, if nothing more, will talk to his followers and. the curious-minded of the meek and lowly Nazarene. Pastor Brown's utterances will be made from a rostrum, heavily laden with emblems of purity— white violets, hyacinths and roses, whose sweet perfumes permeate every nook of the vast auditorium, and whose odors will probably mellow any harsh words which might fall from the lips of the speaker. Dr. Brown's feminine friends, particularly those who sat within the charmed circle during the sessions of the council, have made a , magnificent' display. To many of them the occasion would fail of its purpose did not the pastor speak his first words from a bower of whiteness. These lady admirers, some twenty or thirty in number, spent all yesterday in preparing this offering, and when Dr. Brown enters the pulpit to-day if a great streak of white goodness does not temporarily rush through his frame his friends cannot but feel disappointed.. Mrs. Rogers acted as general superintendent of decorations, ably assisted, however." by her daughter, Miss Ruby, Miss Blake, Mr. and Mrs. Jacques, Miss Jacques, Mrs. Taggart, Mrs. Mac Davis, Mr. Williams and Deacon Morse. Of course, there was much more material for decorations than could be easily handled, but .by persistent work the faithful few managed to transform the bare altar and chancel into a garden of living, growing calla lilies, hyacinths, white violets and smilax, conspicuously relieved by tall wavy palms and wreaths built of evergreen. The only thing needful to complete Dr. Brown's new appearance was a dove the emblem of innocence. The dove— a pure white article, delicately stuffed— on hand, but it was finally determined that the pastor could get along without this additional evidence of faith. So the white feathered inanimate, traditional token of innocence was" carried home by the owner, Miss Rogers. The opponents of Dr. Brown are not losing any time in the matter of ousting him from the ' pastorate of the First Congregational Church. Yesterday they circulated the following petition To the deacons and standing committee of the church and trustees of the society of the First Congregational Church of San Francisco: We, the undersigned members of the First Congregational Church of San Francisco, respectfully represent that, in our judgment, Rev. C. O. Brown, D. D., has ceased to be efficient or acceptable as pastor of the church, and that the best interests of the church and of the cause of Christ require his retirement from that position. We, therefore, earnestly call upon you to request his immediate resignation. This petition was industriously circulated, and by 7, o'clock last night 104 names had been secured. It is the purpose of those having the matter in chaige to make an individual canvass of every member of the church, including b Dr.: Brown's friends, so that they may know just what force the pastor has to back the claim that he is supported by the majority. ' The most active workers injthe "crusade for righteousness," as it is termed by them, are Mrs. Cooper, Miss Hattie Cooper, Mrs. Dutton, Mr. and Mrs. McDonald, Deacon Barnard and Deacon Hatch. Ex- JudgeAdvocate Woodhams is also said to have a petition, but he is working on the outside, where it is not likely to come to.thejknowledge of Dr. Brown or his friends. / / Attorney Nagle has prepared a statement concerning the imposition practiced on the United Press representative by Dr. Brown. It reads: At the suggestion of J. V. Kimball he, Attorney Nagle and Dr. Brown went to the representative of the United Press ; immediately after reading the findings of the council. His office is In The Call editorial-rooms. 1 '■ We went there to give a correct statement of the findings, so that no mistake would be made. Mr. Nagle forthwith upon? arrival 'read £ the official statement of the council to Mr. Fraser, Including the censure and the words following, namely: "While we gladly recognize the kindly and manly words of appreciation and . reparation offered by him." : This was com- ■ mented upon by Dr. Brown, Mr. Nagle and Mr. Kimball. During the reading of the findings Mr. Fraser had that document before him, and :he read ;it with Mr. Nagle. Mr. Fraser asked for the; document, but upon being informed that it was Dr. Brown's only copy asked to be permitted to make a synopsis of it, which was granted. Mr. I Fraser then asked Dr. Brown .; what he would like , in the dispatch, and put his j typewriter ;in position^ As he was , doing this Mr. Drury appeared ; and * offered f his congratulations and engaged Dr. Brown In conversation. Mr. Nagle meanwhile went forward with I the ' suggestion ■ to Mr. . Fraser. of '. what would be proper for > the message.' : Mr. Drury then asked Dr. Brown ; to go with him for an interview" with Mr. MacMullcn, which Dr. Brown declined. Thereupon Mr. Drujry said: "I will go and have Mr. MacMullen come up - ? aere^^f^^^aPBESSBBBBPPQBBQHBSaQBiW A young employe of the office then appeared and ottered bis congratulations .' and -i engaged Dr. Brown in conversation. During all of this time Mr. Nagle went forward with Mr. /. Fraser . in the work of the message, and reading a' part of it from the "finding." After the young employe '" left / Dr. Brown . then J turned Jto i hear what had been written. Mr. Fraser took the sheets from the typewriter and had read only two sentences which Dr. Brown* heard, when Mr. Drury reappeared accompanied by Mr. Mul- 1

let. i Mr. Drury called Dr. Brown's attention and the' three J immediately engaged \in conversation on the result of . the council, Mr. MacMullen offering his congratulations. Mr. Fraser then looked up as if he were astonished that Dr. Brown > gave no 1 more attention ;, to the j important matter of the message, and i waited j a few seconds for < bis further attention which, not receiving, he added a sentence " and then j read : , the whole to Mr. '; Nagle. ? Mr. V Kimball | then reminded Dr. Brown that it was (time to j go to the Associated Press office and asked him I if he didn't want to read what had been prepared. Dr. ':■ Brown ; said "Oh, ; no ; j anything | that Mr. Nagle has said is ball right." Thereupon we withdrew and met Mr. Morse at the Associated Press office. He having . a copy of the "findings" we were able to • leave a copy with them. / • We all agreed that upon the various charges j of which the public knew anything the report j was an acquittal. We did not think that the , council could express as it does its "hope that In consequence his future years may be i more i fruitful than any -in the : past," unless they j meant to exonerate him from the ; serious charges which they were callec on to Investigate. ... , ;^V r ,'" At the Associated Press, rooms the conversa* i tion was with the night manager, Mr. Paul I Cowles, who the next day as soon as he saw | the false statements with reference ;to the ; alleged attempt to deceive him, telephoned Dr. Brown, saying that he (Mr. Cowles) was not j in the least responsible for the misrepresentations, and asking that any person making such statements be referred to him. Mr. Cowles has ! since written Dr. Brown the following letter as i to what occurred jin i his office. / Dr. Brown's j recollection is that \in answer to Mr. Cowles' i question he said "acquittal," rather than "vin-. | dication," but Mr. Cowles has of course given it as he remembers the conversation: San Francisco, March 21, 1896. Rev. C. 0. Brown— Dear. Sir: „ I notice in sev- J eral newspapers the statement that you attempted to deceive the Associated Press with j regard to the findings of the Congregational . council. I wish to state that not only did you not at- ; tempt to deceive the Associated Press, but that your attorney, Mr. Nagle, went over the report j with me and pointed out the vital parts of the ; verdict After the reading aloud of the docu- '. ment you said: "I consider that a complete vindication on the main charges." Mr. Nagle also made the same statement. My attention was called - particularly to the verdict of censure, and you then . explained that in your judgment the council had no right to take up that matter, as the alleged intimidation had occurred after the council had been called. At my request you wrote out a statement commenting on that part of the report referring to the payment of money to Mrs. Davidson.'. There was no attempt to deceive the Associated Press in any way, and the report itself was given the same publicity as your criticism of it that the public might form its own opinion of the matter. • Yours truly, Paul Cowles, Night Manager. The above statement, including Mr. Cowles letter, recites as nearly as we can recall exactly what occurred at both press dispatch offices. J. V. Kimball, Chas. G. Nagle, Chas. 0. Brown. MR. FRASER SPEAKS. He Disputes the Statements. Made by Dr. Brown and His Companions. Mr. Fraser was shown the statement of Brown, Nagle and Kimball, and immediately prepared the following affidavit: Referring to the statement of Dr. Brown and i Messrs. Nagle and Kimball: The three gentlemen called upon me on the night of Tuesday, March 17. Dr. Brown was introduced by Mr. Kimball. His (the doctor's) opening remark was: "I want you to tell the American public that Dr. Brown has, by a unanimous verdict of • the council, been acquitted of every charge. The verdict is a complete vindication." These were the doctor's exact words . and my story was built upon them. The statement of i the three gentlemen says: j "Mr.: Nagle forthwith upon ; arrival read the official statement of the council to Mr. Fraser, ; including the censure and the words follow- j ing, namely: "While we gladly recognize the | kindly and manly words of appreciation and reparation offered by him." This is a. deliberate falsehood. Mr. Nagle never/read me tie complete findings of the council. The only portion of the same i which he did read was as follows: Questions a and 6— "Did Rev. C. O. Brown, D.D., commit adultery with either Mrs. M. A. Stockton or Miss Overman?" and "Has he been guilty of. any conduct seriously affecting his, ministerial character?" "Second — Touching I the first of these two questions, we are able to j make answer that the evidence before us does \ hot sustain the charge of adultery with either ! Mrs. Stockton or Miss Overman." Dr. Brown interrupted at this stage and asked me if I did not think that adultery was what the public were looking for? I agreed with him that this was the most serious charge involved, and I congratulated ; him upon the ; finding on this point. i:^&$&&B&& Mr. Nagle then ' continued the reading: "Third— That touching the question of unministeriai conduct we find in Dr. Brown certain constitutional Infirmities of temper, in the light of which his actions must be judged, and which to some extent modify opinions of his conduct." ■ / b .'■.!' Dr. Brown again interrupted and made some remark about his infirmity of temper, and then' asked Mr. Nagle to read the conclusion of the ' verdict beginning with the words "it is our j hope and prayer," etc. 1 wish to call attention to the fact that the en- i tire portion of the verdict from the end. of the I first . sentence in ' the paragraph - beginning : "Third" down to the paragraph beginning "It | is our hope and prayer", were adroitly omitted by Mr. Nagle, even to the first sentence of the paragraph reading. "While we have been compelled to . condemn the acts now specified in our brother's conduct." During the reading of the selected portions of the ;. verdict by. Mr. Nagle, Dr. ; Brown listened intently, and was fully cognizant of what was going , on. . I . then took ;my / type-, writer out, , and . asked ; the doctor— , Mr. Nagle— what he wished me , to say. He then repeated the remark which be made upon first entering the < room, and I wrote my story, re-/ peating It word J for word as, I did so. Dr. Brown looked over my shoulder during the whole performance. When , the ■ first : paragraph of the story bad been concluded, I asked the doctor what comment he had to offer upon the verdict, and if -he was J perfectly satisfied with the * same. He ' replied: "You may say that Dr. Brown is perfectly s satisfied with the finding of the council." Then I added: "And you think they could have gone no -\ farther .in. vindicating you I than / they did?" ' At , /this J moment : Dr. i Brown's attention was distracted for a second. i When he caught ,my i eye again Mr. Nagle * rej peated my question to him, and he concluded I the sentence by saying: "No; they could not | have gone any farther in vindicating me than I they did."/ b-bbbb-T'.'' '/./b b'-^-/.- --// then suggested the reference to Mrs. Davidi son's case," Dr. Brown explaining that the council had misconstrued his motive in paying her the $500. Having /received * Dr. Brown's \ and Mr. Nagle's approval of /the /same /I : took the manuscript from my typewriter and read the story as far down as the word "clearer." When I reached this word I "found* that two letters had been transposed, and stopped for a second to /correct the ; same. / During \ this t pause ] Mr. Drury and ? Mr.' MacMullen appeared, and j Mr. Brown turned away from me to speak to them. After waiting for a moment or two I concluded the . reading :of > the story to) Mr. Nagle and handed him the copy. When Mr. Brown had finished talking <to '; Mr. MacMullen Mr. Nagle read the; entire dispatch to him, the doctor nodding his approval from time to time during the reading and remarking at its conclusion that it was perfectly correct., "■ After thanking me the three gentlemen /left the /room./; I most emphatically /insist i that, while the phraseology of / the story /is ' that of Mr. Nagle and myself, * the entire ; inspiration : came from Dr. Brown, and from his statements to -Mr.' MacMullen, myself and others. I also repeat that Mr. Nagle read only tnose portions of ', the verdict which I] have \ mentioned,' and which might have been construed as favorable to/ Dr."; Brown./. And, furthermore, Dr. Brown was aware of everything that transpired during the visit, and 0 / that '; he distinctly heard the i story sent out by.the United Press read 8 to him' twice aloud; by Mr; Nagle and myself. / ./Under the " circumstances .I * could ■'. do no

further than accept Dr. Brown's statement regarding s the finding : of : the % council, which I did in good faith, and sent ; T the same out ? to such of our papers as had not already gone to press. f Marked ; copies of i the ~l\ Grand '„•>; Rapids' (Mich.) Herald, the Cleveland (Ohio) Recorder, I Decatur (111.) } Herald-Dispatch, Ogden (Utah) I Standard, Omaha World-Record,' Council Bluffs | Nonpareil, Dcs Moines Leader and a number of j other journals containing the dispatch dictated | by Dr. Brown ■» have been mailed ; me, and are j at the disposal of those interested. [ When my attention was called to the dis- | crepancy between the dispatch i and the true finding of the council \ I '■• added \ the verbatim copy of the vet diet to the story dictated to/ me by Dr. Brown, making no comment whatever." ; " ; ;j George B. Fraser. v/ Subscribed and sworn to before me, this 21st i day of March, 1896. , ; " '„ b G. C.-.Geoezingeb. Justice of ; the Peace of the City and County of ,'£'•? San Francisco, State of California; . ; :■;■. ?./;/ Frank L. Perkins, employed in The Call j editorial rooms as; stenographer, makes a | statement; corroborating % Mr. Fraser in every detail. He says: <• . I am not personally acquainted with ; Dr. Brown, but I.' know / him ■ very ; well by sight, j having attended one of % his ' sermons at the i First Congregational Church shortly before the ' council began : its labors, and having taken a | stenographic report of the proceedings of the I council at an evening session in February, Dr. I Brown being present. H '/ .T. "• Immediately after the arrival of Dr. Brown I at the editorial rooms I had . occasion •. to s pass j through the telegraph-room and was surprised I to see Dr. Brown standing at Mr. Fraser's desk j In company with two other gentlemen. v His I rather excited appearance and the emphatic j manner of his speech attracted my attention, and I halted, thinking that he had taken the telegraphic editor to task for something j that l had been sent East concerning his' connection j with some jof the women '; who ; figure in the investigation of the , council. But a sentence from his lips dispelled this illusion. In a voice | that trembled with emotion he atated: "It is a complete vindication; 1 have been acquitted jon every charge."?" ; '■'•■•■*•": /. - J:S l ";.'.". .■''■''•■' : I stepped ■ forward and glanced .: over - the I shoulder of Dr. Brown at a roll of . manuscript ; that the gentleman, who j stood . next to Dr. Brown was handling. I . have since learned that this" gentleman was Mr. Nagle. '/As he rapidly interchanged the sheets ihe and Dr. Brown kept up. a running fire ■of words with Fraser, who nodded assent as they: spoke. I paid no . particular attention to the words of Mr. Nagle because I did not know him, and regarded the doctor as the principal figure. . As the doctor and Mr. Nagle read they would make remarks upon the extracts quoted. "As you will see." said the doctor at the end of a quotation, "this . completely vindicates me of all guilt in the matter." ' r '. When he read what the council had to say about his infirmities of temper, he added: "I know that 1 1 am the possessor cf a very nasty temper and I am very sorry for it," or words similar to these. ... Just at this juncture Mr. Drury came in and had a short talk with the reverend gentleman. I heard none of this, for it was in the nature of a private conversation, and I moved out of hearing. .." • > /•;':.• As soon as Mr. Drury left the room Dr. Brown stood a ! moment irresolute. | I addressed him and said: "Well, you feel as if a burden were off your mind now/do you not. doctor?"/ His answer was: "Yes, 1 do. No man ever won a fight with the odds so against him as I have."- I then offered my congratulations and we had a ; short talk over , the way the newspapers had treated him. He thought they had hounded him, and I agreed that several of them had been pretty harsh with him, but | thought The Call had been fair in its attitude | toward him. Before" he I had time 'to answer Mr. Fraser asked him if he did not want to make an individual statement ■ and jhe said : "Tell the American, public that;! have been completely acquitted on every charge and that I am perfectly.; satisfied with ; the verdict." These are very nearly his own words. = While I was present Mr. Nagle did not read the complete findings of the council, nor did Dr. ' Brown. • They . read only - certain t paragraphs which they seemed to have in mind be- ! fore they read them.It ; makes no j personal difference to me j whether the doctor is guilty or not. As a matI ter of fact, however; I have always believed he was the victim of a conspiracy, and this was | why I congratulated him when I thought that he had been vindicated.; When I read in the papers the next day that the council had virtually condemned him I was | as | surprised as Mr. Fraser when . he found out that ■he had sent statements to the Eastern papers that had no foundation in truth. . Dr. Brown, when asked last night if he had anything ;, further { to ; say, concerning the false telegram, replied he had not. | The reverend gentleman took occasion to j deny, * with / some bitterness, the ' author- | ship {of the Mayer • letter. Referring ;' to j j Miss Overman's flight he said : / r-' "When I returned home that afternoon I found a note from Miss Overman, saying ! she thought it best to go away. I did not j advise her to go," but 'as b she is; her own ' mistress there is no reason why her leaving should excite comment. . "Miss Overman wrote me a short note on the train. Later I heard from her at Tia Juana. Mexico." ■ b "Is that the last time you have heard from her?" was asked. ;• . b : - "Well, I : would 1 not care to ' say," answered j the . doctor cautiously. "I ; don't care to discuss that point." . : I . Dr. v Brown .attempted ?- to throw .the j blame of the false \ dispatcfi on Nagle and i j that gentleman's eagerness ; to 1 shoulder it : all has placed ; both in s unenviable j light. In ; the ', face of i the ; affidavits ;of Fraser and Perkins, I which •. can be supported by three other: parties equally .as responsible, ■ Brown's " denial ; of responsibility will ' hardly .be believed or accepted as the truth, v The following , is the ', programme for today as arranged by Dr. Brow : -ORDER. OF SERVICE. ■ : Morning, 11 o'clock— Organ prelude; lntroit, "O . Come, Let -Us Sing ••» Unto - ; the •■ Lord". (Thomas); - invocation ; responsive # reading; doxology, ••Praise God From Whom ; All \ Blessings Flow" ; i Scripture lesson; > anthem, "Te Deum Laudamus" (Buck in B minor); pastoral prayer; i announcements; offertory, "Christian, the ; Morn ' Breaks i Sweetly- O'er ; Thee" (Shelley); hymn,' congregational. a i .-:*.> „ •.■:-.•■.* Sermon by the pastor, theme . "I '■ Know That My, Redeemer 2 Liveth"; prayer; i hymn, congregational;, benediction organ postiude. r. '• ; . Union church and Sunday-school praise service, 12:45 p. M.— Organ prelude; invocation; anthem, ■ "O Sing : Unto ■:•■' the . • Lord "a New Song"," ~> (Corbin), ■ choir; ■■-: -<■ scripture lesson; violin solo, . "Andante" (Beethoven), -.; Miss -i Charlotte Gruenhapen; fi I review of the Sunday-school: lesson by the pastor, Rev. C. O. Brown, D. D. ; cornet solo, "Meditation" (Laville), Miss Pearl Noble; prayer; organ postiude. ; i ;' :■ . ; .. , . Evening, ; 7:30 : o'clock— . prelude; •> introit, '.'I Was Glad When They Said Unto Me" (Root); hymn, Congregational; Scripture lesson; ; anthem, "Sin^c : Alleluia forth 5 ' (Dudley Buck); .:-; prayer; r. announcements; offertory, "God Is a Spirit" (Bennett); hymn, congrega- . tional; sermon by the pastor, theme "The Spirit of Friendship"; prayer; hymn, congregational; benediction; organ postiude.