The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, February 28, 1896, Page 8

8 THE SAN FRANCISCO - CALL, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 1896. passion, the whole ending with a grand climax of, criminality. Miss Overman had writtqfix letters, she said, to Mrs. Davidson and Mrs. Tunnell, which were to be utilized in perfecting the | plot. [ . She first rewrote letters to Mrs. David- son containing all of the subject-matter | mentioned above. Then came the ques- | tion of introducing the samne into the let- | ters she had written Mrs. Tunnell. | ‘“There was only one way todo this,” c i Th t,sm Miss Overman, “and that was by ex- tracting the letters I had written that lady Says to the Counci A s Tknew where those lef: 1 | ters were, =0 this part of the scheme was She WaS a Thief and | easy to overcome. I secured them and— | the rest is known." Forger. | " Miss Overman then went into details | concerning the advice oyred by Mrs. | Davidson as to what should be placed in | these letters. When the work of forging Dr. Brown’s chains was completed these letters were carefully carried back to Mrs. | Tunpell’s room and replaced in the pack- | age from which they had been abstracted. | The witness went on to relate how she H 1 . suddenly became stricken with remorse at The Witness Delivers Her State- | suddenly became stricken with remoree at ] { 1 MISS OVERMAN'S PECULIAR STORY. REPENTS OF BLACKEMAIL 1 and of her determination not to go any ment With Apparent farther with it. She declared that shy Earnestness. tola Mrs. Davidson of this conscience- | pricking, whereupon that lady became | ner of_harsh things. TUNNELL LETTERS EXPLAINED | scheme was wrong and she hoped Go | would forgive her. Miss Hattie Cooper Appears as a Wit- | ness—The Hearing to Be Re- sumed To-Day. Mattie Overman isthe iler—in s Yavidson sc the council t or innocer marte self-confessed | least—in the t night she alled to determine the of Dr. Charles O. Brown alleged immoral most remarkable fiction or told in the in ich seemed at times | vet never nervous, she acknowl- t and almost in the same breath rself on record as being a thief and | ascended the stand every eve ned and every neck was craned to | The councilmen drew their ct | itil they formed a half-circle about | rtant witness. | she began her story. She asked | permission to tell it her own way without | interruption, except. such as | could be gained by occasional references to | Mrs. Thurston's damagin Miss Overman began with her with Mrs. Tunnell and Mrs. D 1y leadi assistance g restimony. st meet- | g where ed to cefame the- character of | tlie man she loved. She denied - emr use Dr. Brown did | *! Brown “I think that one statement in the min- | ! what “that | i greatly indignant and threatened all man- acting under the influence of the evil spirit, that she knew the blackmmlxns They would think no more about it. Throughout the recital of this wonderful | story Miss Overman betrayed not the slightest emotion. She seemed to be rather amused than otherwise. clined to face the audience, though whether this was through natural modesty | or a desire that her words should only be | heard by the council is not known. At times Dr. Brown proffered a kindly | word of advice, suggestion or encourage- ment, as the occasion seemed to demand. The reverend gentleman was visibly affect- ed during the recital of these, to the lis- teners at least, unexpected disclosures, his breast heaving and sighs audible to those around him escaping. tiss Overman had just reached the in- toresti ry—that is explain- ing Mrs. Tunnell’s case, wien the moderator announced the hour of adjournment. Shew:ll be placed on the stand to-day, and presumably will consume the entire afternoon session in explaining other loose ends of the alleged conspiracy. - THE PROCEEDINGS. g part of her s Testimony as to the Intimacy Be- tweer Mrs. Tunnell and Miss Overman. After the reading of the minutes Dr. arose end said: utes incorrect. You will kindly read said concerning the testimony of Thurston.” be Hatch read the passage in the minutes to the effect that Mrs. Thurston { that Miss Overman had confessed f deeply in love with Dr. Brown, and that Dr. Brown reciprocated her love. Judge Advocate Woodhams suggested that it would be unnecessary to incorpo- ; any of the substance of the testimony minutes. A motion to the effect that the substance UL ‘_\\\‘&\ / | ZZ V7 A X MISS COOPER. not do these things; that is, did not hug | me.” She said that she came to San Francisco on account of ill health, intending to return to Tacoma at the end of a few weeks. She took up her residence, how- | ever, at Dr. Brown's. At various times she assisted him in his studies and after a | while began to think more of him than | &he should have done, knowing him to be | a married man. She disclaimed having told Mrs. Thurston that she intended Tacoma as a niece of Dr. Brown'’s, that as a member of the family she could go at half fare. On her returp from Tacoma she went to live with Mrs. Davidson. Almost im- mediately thatlaav told her of the troubles in the First Congregational Church—the Herron-Strauss aud Simvson episode. “Mrs. Davidson talked a great deal about Dr. Brown and of my affection for him,” continued Miss Overman, *and tried to get me to say that he reciprocated 1t. This I would not do because it was untrae.’”’ Then Miss Overman told of how Mrs. Davidson broached a littie scheme which she bad on foot, whereby a loc of money could be mdde. Mrs. Davidson declared that she had a splendid foundation for a! good story, as she had often done such work for Eastern papers. “We must have talked about the matter for un hour,” said Miss Overman, “and it was finally agreed that- Mrs. Davidson should manage the entire affair. In brief however, I may say that we entered into 4 scheme to blackmail Dr. Brown. - Then it was that she actually laid the foundation | of the paper story and general blackmaile ing scheme. Mrs. Davidson was to write this and I was to take it to the Chronicle | and offer it for sale. 1 was afraid that it | would be published, but she assur:d me that they would go to the party interested | and get back the money paid to us and more besides. - “I was to charge $2000 for this story, but | when I reached the office my courage | failed, and I only asked that $1000 be | aid.” ihen Miss Overman described in detail | the famous Tunnell-Overman letters. She said that Mrs. Davidson insisted that they should have some hold on Dr. Brown, and | the only way to secure this was to write | strong letters showing criminal relations. Tliese letters must first begin with friend- ship, then love, followed by an absorbing | examin: | seems to me to be of the testimony should not be incorpo- rated in the minutes was made and carried unanimously. Rev. E. R. Dille, pastor of the Central Methodist Church, was called as the first witness. After the preliminary questions Dr. Brown asked: ““Did Mrs. Buxton ever tell you at any time, Dr. Dille, that Mrs. C. B. Thurston and her husband had attempted to wrong vou a year ago?” Judge Advocate Woodhams objected to this testimony as hearsay. Dr. Brown explained lEfit his object was to show that there existed on theé part of Mrs, Thurston a disposition to criticize and find fault with and attempt to injure | a regular minister of the Gospel. and that if he were permitted he would show that Mrs. Thurston and her husband were en- gaged & year ago “in an attempt to slander the gentlemuu who is now on this plat- form,” added the doctor impressively. _The judge advocate renewed his objec- tion that if there were to be an attempt to impeach the testimony of witnesses the attempt should be made legally. It was | simply hearsay matter and would tangle up the council with outside issues. A witness could not be impeached, he said, by a recital of particular acts.’ It could be done in only two ways, one by | showing that the reputation of the witness for truth, honesty and 1ntegrity was bad, and another by bringing in evidence directly in contradiction of the evidence presented by the witness, “I understand,” aaded the judge advo- | cate, “that she swore last night she had no enmity toward ministers of the Gospel, and if it could be shown that she had said otherwise then it would seem to me that it would be proper,”” “We have been frequently reminded,” pursued Dr. Brown, ‘“that we are not pro- ceeding upon strictly legal lines in the ation of witnesses, and 1 don't whether we should now be confined zal lines as to that which would ach the testimony of witnesses. It x}nim as conclusive to show that she had been antagouistic to ministers of the Gospel, I am ready to show that she, with her huj pared toaffirm that Dr. Dille ayear agodid attempt 1o cheat a widow, whose very name Dr. Dille doesn’t know.” Dr. Brown explained further that the making of the charge against Dr. Dille know t le impe At length, however, | Mrs. Davidson declared that she had been | She de- | connection with the | sband, was pre- i Speet of the ators. . | had been vrevented by a mutual friend of the parties. It seemed to be a very im- | portant thing to have in evidence. | _Moderator McLean ssked whether Dr. Brown could also say | practically knew that there was no founda- tion for the charges. on the stand,” was Dr. Browr “Was it a malignant attack? moderator. “Was it possible that to the | best of their knowledge they believed it to | be true at the time? Might they not have | been mistaken instead of malignant? It | is a very supposable thing that persons i | good faith may make charges ag. | another, charges not true, but which they belicved to be true. I am prepared to allow Dr. Brown more time in which to produce evidence tbat it was a malignant attack.” The judge advocate remarked that the | trial should not be muddled by going into all these outside matters. Other witnesses | might be attacked in the same way, and it | would require months of inquiry into these and other irrelevant matters before | The judge | S response. | they could be straightened out. advocate continued : ““I know that I seem to be attacking Dr. Brown when I make those objections. I made them_before, and when Dr. Brown | comes on with his witne: 1 shall cer- | tainly make the same objectior The moderator said that the case seemed so clear to him that he would rule in ac- cordance with the objections of the judge advocate without putting the question to the council, and there being no protest the matter wasaccordingly decided in that - Brown raised considerable laughter and_applause by remarking cheerfully, 1 don’t propose to depend upon witnesses whose characters can be impeached.” Judge Advocate Woodhams asked Rev. Dr. Dille whether he had ever heard Mrs. and integrity discussed in a general way and he replied that he had not. Mrs. Elizabeth Gordon testifi that | Mrs. Tannell assisted her in the Co-opera- | tive restaurant on Mission street for a | week. On the 23th of the month Mrs | Tunnell left the place and told the witn that she had to go away on very particular | business. She went away very suadenly and Miss Mattie Overman went with her. During the week in which Mrs. Tunnell worked there Miss Overman came to the | restaurant and took her meals there, but | the witness could not say how many meals | she had taken there. She and Miss Over- man held frequent conversations in pri- vate. All that they toid the witness was that they had had a suite of rooms in the Cosmopolitan Hotel. It was Mrs. Tunnell who brought Miss Overman there and 'in- | troduced her to the witness. When Mrs. | Tunnell left she said she was going away on very particular business. | “You don’t know, of your own knowl- | | edge, that they stopped at the Cosmopol- | iltnn Hotel for even one day?’ asked Dr. Brown. | “No, sir,” replied the witness. “Did Miss Overman take meals at the restaurant more than four days?”’ ‘‘Yes, sir.”’ ““More than five days?”’ “i don’t know."” “You are absolutely sure that she took her\mealfl there on the 23d of December?’ ‘‘Yes, 8ir.” ‘]'{',unch, breakfast and dinner on the | 2347 “‘To the best of my knowledge, yes. Mrs. Gordon, in answer to further ques- tions of Dr. Brown, said Miss Overman was in the restaurant every day with Mrs. | Tunnell from December 23 to December 28, Mrs. George Barton was called for, but did not respond. At this stage of the proceedings Judge Advocate Woodhams announced that that was all the evidence he had to offer at that time. He was ready to proceed with the defense, with the understanding that | positive and direct testimony of good char- acter for the defense should be presented. | He had personally left a notice with Mrs. Barton to appear, and he had used all the diligence which the time at his command had allowed him. Witnesses seemed to be reluctant to come forward, and on that | account he suggested that some person in authority should be instructed to summon ! them and at the same time inform them as to their rights, After further discussion as tothe ar- mainder of the case Rev. Mr. Pond asked whether all the testimony extant had been secured on the point of Dr. Brown’s al- leged remarks of commendation regarding Mrs. Davidson after her famous interview with him to the effect that she was a spir- itually inclined woman, and also similar expressions concerning Mrs. Stockion. Mr. Woodhams replied that he had no testimony on that point. Mrs. French's fgnzw“ spoken of as likely to know about at. Mr. Pond remarked that the charges were serious and he had hoped that they would be refuted in some way. 3 Moderator McLean assured the council that further diligence would be used on the part of the proper authorities to obtain all the evidence available. It was a trial to which most people did not come volun- tarily. Mrs., Cooper was recalled, and was asked by Dr. Brown as to her stater:ent that she had not employed Mrs. Stockton in kinder- gnrcen work on her return from the north ecause no new schools had been opened. He called her attention to a pamphlet issued for that year showingthat ten new kindergarten schools had been established. Mrs. Cooper, in explanation of the ap- parent inconsistency, explained that sev- eral of these schools were in the same buildings with schools already established and were attended to by the same teachers. Others were taught by teachers selected by ladies who had organized the new schools and who were supporting them. Richards, who was too petite for regular public school work and who had a widowed mother to support. Miss Hattie Cooper was the next wit- ness. Bhe had gone to 1041 Mission street, | and when the door was opened she saw a that those persons | “I am ready to show that by the witness | asked the | Thurston’s reputation for truth, honesty | | was called to the stand. She occupied the | | attention of the council for the entire even- | | ing, and was interrupted in the story oniy rangements for proceeding with the re- | Another appointment was that of Laura | | card with the writing, “Prepare to Meet Tny God.” *I was not afraid,”” | continued Miss | Coover, “and I aske ) T : ‘Is this the Chris- | tian Oo-operative restaurant? ‘No,’ the | lady replied, ‘it’s bustup.””” A manin the | | place told her thatthe restaurant had been | sold out. . The rest of her evidence was hearsay, be- | ing what she bad been told about Miss Overman and Mrs. Tunnell bemg so inti- | mate, and developed nothing that was | new. She said, among other things, :hm} Mr. Beechet of the Chronicle had discov- ered that Dr. Brown let Mrs. Tunnell out of a door under the front ps of nhis house | in time to taie the i1:30 o’clock boat for | Oakland. Mr. Sullivan of the Examiner | told her that Dr. Brown had admitted that Mrs. Tunnell was in Dr. Brown’s house on that Sunday evening, December 29. The witness believed that Mrs. Jones Mrs. Scott and Mrs. Baddin were one an the same person. She had been informed that Mrs. Jones had been located in a house on Broadway in Los An- i Deacon E. C. Williams testified as to | the manner in which Mrs. Eaton had | given her testimony. It had been ex- | tracted from her by the committee by question and answer. | Tuhe judge advocate then announced | that the case against Dr. Brown was | closed. There were more witnesses, he | | said, who may be called in rebuttal, but the main testimony was in. Dr. Brown then’ called his witnesses in rapid succession. Mrs. Eunice H. Folger, Miss E. Henderson, Mrs. Ruby Rogers, Deacon J. H. Barnett and Rev. John Kim- | ball all swere that they had never heard | any rumor to the effect that Dr. Brown | hal any undue regard for Mrs. Stockton | or had ever seen him in her company on | the street or elsewhere or alone with'any woman other than his wife. In response to & question by Rev. Mr. Pond Rev. Mr. Hoyt announced that Mr. McMillan, who had interrupted the meet- | ing on the night before, had appeared and made a statement to the committee. The moderator said that Mr. McMillan | was entitled to be heard in vindication®of | his own reputation, because his name had | been projected into the case. He asked | whether Mr. McMillan desired his state- | ment repeated before the council, and Mr. | McMillan from the body of the house an- | nounced that he did. He desired to con- tradict Dr, Brown’s statement that he had | been with Mrs. Stochton in the Grand | Hotel. At this juncture Lawyer Nagle declared that it he who had suggested McMil- lan’s name to Dr. Brown, and that be, Nagle, was responsible for the use of Mc- Millan’s name. ““I don’t care whether you are responsi- ble or Dr. Brown,” retorted Millen. I want to be put on the stand. ¥ Judge Advocate Woodhams was called to the stand, and corroborated the testi- mony of the witnesses immediately pre- ceding as to their never having seen Dr. Brown paying aitentlons to Mrs. Stockton. After prayer by Dr. Rader at the open- ing of the evening session, Miss Overman three or four times. She spoke so low that it was omly with the greatest difficulty that she could be heard, even by the shorthand reporter. She began by saying that her name was Martha E. Overman. She became ac- quainted with Mr. and Mrs, Charles O. Brown in Tacoma five years ago. At that time Dr. Brewn was engaged in the min- istry there. She had heard Dr. Brown vreach, and she had been introduced to bim and his wife, That was several months prior to their coming to San Fran- cisco. The witness first came to San Fran- cisco in 1894, Her acquaintance with Mrs. Tunnell be- gan in Tacoma and was renewed in this City, and they were on friendly termsal- ways. The witness took up her residence with the Browns as their guest by invita- tion of Mrs. Brown. She lelt there about December 10. Then she told about her acquaintance with Mrs. Thurston. At the time she be- came acquainted with that lady Miss Over- man was living with Mrs. Tunnell. Miss Overman then took up the salient points of Mrs. Thurston’s testimony and denied many of her statements, at the same time modifying others. She had | told Mrs. Thurston that Dr. and Mrs, | Brown had offered hera home. Shedenied | having said that she had had a good time | { at Dr. Brown’s. *‘Did you say anythin g about Dr. Brown being a very attractive gentleman ?”’ asked the judge advocate. *'Tcan’t recollect the exact words. It didn’t amount to very much,” was the reply . “Did yonu make this remark to Mrs. Thurston on her warning you to be care- ful, *Ob, how smart you must be to guess my secret? ' was asked. “I never use the word ‘smart,” re- sponded Miss Overman, “and as to my xecre'; Iwas not aware that I bad any se- cret.” The witness then proceeded to tell how, at her request, Dr. Brown had consented that she should assist him in his study and act as his amanuensis occasionally. ‘I was very fond of books,” she added, “and I asked him if I might assistfhim. I had nothing to_do but to read. I thought of and admired Dr. Brown as a minister, and I admired him too much. I looked upon him as a hero. I subpose something in my manner made Mrs. Thurston guess it, and when she made that remark I passed it off very lightly, but I don’t re- member what I said.’ The witness then told how Mrs. Thurs- ton had advised her that it would be im- Proper to go to Tacoma with Dr. Brown, as she had intended to zo, because Dr. Brown had arranged to have her go on a half-fare ticket. She assuréd Mrs. Thurs- ton that she knéw how to behave herself like a lady, and that she considered her- self safe in Dr. Brown’s company. She promised Mrs. Thurston that she would not go to Tacoma with Dr. Brown, but Mrs. Brown 1nsisted that she should 89, and she did so. The witness detailed at great length her | meeting with Mrs, Tunnell and Mrs, Davidson and how much she appreciated their protestations of friendship. Then she came down to Mrs. Thurston’s testi- mony again and related how that lady had asked her whether the doctor had ever huezged her or squeezed her hana. “I told her,” continued Miss Overman, “that he never did, but I wished he would.” This remark caused a smile to circulate through the room. | The witness went on to tell how Dr. | Brown wrote her a letter detailing the in- cidents of his trip on the return to San Francisco and how she wrote him shortly afterwards. In that letter she let him know that she admired him very much. He replied with another letter in which he said that be had always had a high regard & {lor hgr and lmddtaken hs deep interest in ! Prize Essay on Total Abstinence—Re- er, but informed her that if she fancied | 5 that there was on his part any deeper ieel- ply to Calumnies on the Subject. ALY FOR TEMPERANCE The League of the Cross Holds a Very Successful Meeting. | FATHER YORKE ON ABSTINENCE ing she was mistaken. This letter, Miss Overman added, hurt her feelings, and she threw it in the fire. }Vhili[in tk]x)is x‘xl)oud unetreceived a letter rom Mre. Davidson, inviting her to go to San Francisco and live withgher. She was | Saratoga Hall, on Geary street, was | an old woman, she said, and would treat | densely crowded last night at the rally of her as a daughter. | the Cathedral Branch of the League of the When Miss Overman arrived, she went | Cross. A large proportion of the audience | vote instead of the Harrison Presidential direct to Mrs. Davidson’s place, and was most affectionately received. Mrs. David- | son discussed the church gossip, the Simpson trouble and the Herron trouble, and told her also that Mrs, Dr. Brown had spoken slightingly of Matiie, to the effect that she had taken Mattie to her home as an object of charity. It was because Miss | Overman believed that statement that she | refused to call upon Mrs. Brown. Z Then the witness related how Mrs. Davidson had broached to her the proposi- tion to blackmait Dr. Brown. She called Miss Overman’s attention to the fact that she was poor and assured her that the solid trustees of the church would stand | benind Dr. Brown with money rather than havé another scandal following so closely upon the heels of the 8impson trouble, tho Herron affair and the Turkish tea party. | Miss Overman narrated how she had | told Mrs. Davidson that when Mrs. Stock- | | | ton had called with a lawyer on Dr. Brown one night and insisted that the doctor should give ner a letter of recommenda- tion to another church Dr. Brown flatly | refused. ““Mrs. Davidson appealed to the fact that | Iwasa poor girl and had to work for a | living, and assured me that if I left the | matter to her she would manage to get the money,” resumed Miss Overman. ente into this scheme to bla; Brown. There’s no use in any other name except the plai Mrs. Davidson told the witness how she had written for the Boston papers aund | how she could write a highly sensational | story with the proper embellishments. | The sum agreed upon by the witness and | Mrs. Davidson was $5000—$2000 in cash | | and $500 quarterly, the note to be signed | by Dr. Brown and two or three of his most | trustworthy trustees and placed in a bank | with 4 percent interest. Mrs. Davidson informed her that Miss | Simpson, with whom Dr. Brown had had | some trouble, bad a brother who was City editor of the Chronicle, “and, of course,” | she added, “the Simpsons haven’t any love | for Dr. Brown.” She then proposed to Miss Overman that | they should offer the sensational story to | the Chronicle:and get a good price for it. Because of Mrs. Davidson’s age and gray | hairs, which might lead to her identific tion, she did not want to go to the Chroni- cle herself and Miss Overman consented to | do so. She called upon City Editor Simpson, to whom she was a stranger, and informed him tiiat she had a sensational story im- plicating vrominent citizen and she | | wanted to know whether he wished to buy'it. The editor inquired as to the pur- | port of the story and Miss Overman toid him that she would call again. As she left the office she observed that a man had been put on her track, who fol- lowed her to her house. In order tothrow | him off the scent she left the house again, turned around the Market-street side of | the Baldwin Hotel, stopped in front of a | show-window until the spy came around | Lie corner and saw that shie had perceived | his purpose. She then went on & ecar and | rode up Market street, having thrown the | young man off the trail. | She next narrated how in pursuance of | the plot she had gone to Mrs. Tunnell’s room during Mrs. Tunnell's absence and | abstracted a bundle of letters which she | had wrifl'en to Mrs. Tunnell. These she | took Mrs. Davidson, and at Mrs. Da- vidson's suggestion she rewrote the letters, putting matters in them to show that Dr. Brown was a guilty man. After this was | done she surreptitiously returned the let- | ters to Mrs. Tunnell's room. Miss Overman proceeded with her story | from this point to the effect that after the | plot had been matured she realized whata wicked thing it was and the danger of the matter becoming public, and repented of what she had done. She thereupon in- formed Mrs. Davidson of her intention of withdrawing from the plot and forbade her to take any steps in that direction. Mrs. Davidson, finding that Miss Over- | man was unshakable in her resolution, | pretended to repent also and did not men- | tion the subject any more. Miss Overman néxt detailed how she | had tried to get the Tunnell letters back | again for the purpose of destroying them, and how she had failed to find them. These were the letters which were after- | ward published in the daily papers and | which contained many incriminating re- ferences to Dr. Brown. At this stage of the proceeding the coun- cil adjourned until 20’clock this afternoon. THE STATE COMMITTEE. It Will Meet To-Morrow to Arrange for the State Con- vention. To-day a large number of the members of tne Republican State Central Commit- tee will arrive in the City, and at the meeting of the commitiee in Pioneer Hali to-morrow afternoon the campaign will be practically opened by the fixing of the time and place for holding the State con- vention and the ordering of primury elec- | tions for the selection of delegates to it. The executive committee will probably meet again to-day, and the call for the State convention and the plan for the holdirg of primaries, which have been prepared for submission to the State Com- mittee, may be again considered and amended. A majority of the executive committee has favored using the Estee vote as the basis for the apportionment of delegates to the State convention, but this will be one of the matters to be decided by the convention. = On the basis of the Estee vote the total number of delegates would be over two | hundred less than at the convention of | two years ago, according to the appor- tionment of one delegate to every 200 Estee votes, which the executive commit- tee has decided to recommend. The rep- resentation from San Francisco would also be considerably less on the basis of the Estee vote than if would be on the basis of the Harrison vote. The call adopted by the executive committee provides for K{rimuien to be held April 30, and fixes ay 12 as the time for the State conven- tion. It cannot be prophesied what city will win the convention. Sacramento has so far put forward the most vigorous efforts to get it, and a_committee from the Sacra- mento Board of Trade will be on hand to- morrow to help urge the claims of that city for the convention. San Jose, Stock- | ton and Santa Cruz also have aspirations for the convention, and will undoubtedly find friends talking for them to-raorrow. During the' past few days many Repub- licans in S8an Francisco have spoken of the possibility of the convention being brought here. The last Republican State Convention to be held in this City was that of 1888. As the convention of this year will simply nominate Presidential electors and Congressmen, the interest is not as keen as when State officers are to be nom- inated, but a large attendance is expected at the meeting to-morrow. 3 {and appointed A. H. Lough | “Star-spangled Banner,” Miss Gonzalez; essay, | gave him the priz | applause had subsided Father Yorke ad- | van T¢I feel li | of principle. | tion. | hall to-night for nickels; | love of God than in any other city of the | | saloons.’ | owned by men of the German race, 695 by consisted of boys who are members of the Catholic Temperance Society. g James Gildea presided, and in a brief | opening address stated the purposes and | ambitions of the league. He announced that a prize-essay contest would be held | among members of the Cathedral Branch, borough, Spil? Brother Erminold and Thomas G. lane as judges of the essays: The programme was as follows: Song, “Hearest Thon” (Mattei), Miss Mary | Spillene; essay, Captain Deasy; recitation, Corporal Benjamin McKinley; duet. | clarionet, “Hear Me, Norma,” August and | iles Geiss; essay, Edward Byrnes; singing of | America,” audience; essay, William Hughes; | ichored,” R. J. Sandy; cornet solo, L. C. Coggin. | The subject of all the essays was, ““Why | I am a total abstainer.” The judges an- | nounced that they had found the essays | equal for literary merit and argument, but | that the attractive. oratory of McKinley | Rev. P. C. Yorke delivered a_ timely ad- dress. When his name was announced it was greeted with extraordinary clamor, that grew in volume with age. After the ed to the front of the stage, and_then again applause burst from the audience. | te asking, in the words. of a | famous politician,” he said, * ‘Wheream 1 | at? Ilearned this morning I had taken to the woods. If we arein the woods now, all I can say is, the woods are fuil of us. “Iam glad to see such a splendid avdi- dience at s rally of the 1 ue of the Cross of St. Mary’s Cathedral. The league was begun by that great and good man, Bishop Montgomery, in a basement. 1 only wish he was here to-night to see how the little band that metin the basement | has grown, till now this hall is too small for the crowd which has come here know about the league. “The essays you have heard here to- | night and this meeting tell you better than | 1 can what are the objects of this organi- zation. It teaches you we are not leading these boys into paths wnereof they know | not the reason, but to stand up like young Americans who are mnot afraid of any man, or to say what they think. We need manly men. he State has need of men The time has come whe truth, honor, justice and lovalty sho be the only passports to social, political and business distinction. “I say we are doing more for this com- | munity than any other body is doing. We | y hear certain people boast about their pa otism, that they are defenders of the hey may say they are defenders and d the flag around them to hide their sores—patriot defenders—for cash. We are not passing a basket around the | we are not prat- ing for a better parish. Ths is not for money, nor personal ambition; but on a nigbt like this these young men gather in a good cause which is near and dear to | their hearts.” Father Yorke explained that the rally and medal contest were held to sustain in- terest and enthusiasm in the work of the organization. The City had to be divided into four districts, because tke league had grown so fast thatno hall in San Fran- cisco was large enough toaccommodate all | the members, Continuing, he said: ‘‘Every ¥reacher who comes along here says San Francisco is the wickedest town on earth. One gentleman T had to do with said the hotter place was eleven inches under the sidewalk. How he knew I don’t kno his much I do know; there is far more intemperance here and it is far harder to raise little ones in the fear and | Union. The demon of drink stalks the streets and there is no one to say him nay.* In 8an Francisco there are saloons, while in New York there are 7000. Some people declare it is due to the Irish, and to the Pope’s Irish at that. They say, ‘You can’t be good citizens because vou find the names of Irish people above nearly all the “I learned a lesson lately from lookin over the statements of other people, f sent to the license officer in the City Hall, and here is what I found: 1437 saloons Irish, 531 by Americans and English, 250 by Spanish, Italians, etc., 111 by Swedes, 169 by French, 28 by Slavs, 64 by Scotch and 30 by Chinese. “This same insult has been hurled in our faces in almost every city in the Union, and in every city it is a calumny. * Yet we hear it every day. Let me say "there is no class of people in this country who are doing so much in the cause of abstinence as the Irish Catholics. It was an Irishman who in the beginning of this century struck the first blow for temperance—Father Mathew. All through America are great Catholic temperance organizations, and the youngest 1s not the least—the League of the Cross. Weare trying to do our part, and more than our part, to combat the evil of intemperance.” Fathers O'Kyan and Byrnes delivered | short addresses to the boys on temperance and the successful meeting dissolved. SIM RAINEY MAY BOLT, Trouble in the Junta Develops Preparations for an Early Battle. The Rainey - Daggett Forces Hustling Everywhere to Gain More Strength, Are A victory for Rainey in the new Junta general committee, a bolt of the Rainey- Daggett-Lanigan forces in the event of defeat, and a compromise which may be fixed up within a week to hold the trem- bling organization together, are three things talked about among the Junta people now. Nobody is sure in which of the three directions things will xo within a few days, but the generai feeling is that Rainey will win what he wants to win. Tke coalition of the Rainey, Daggett and Lanigan forces against Chairman Sullivan and Gavin McNab, who run things at headquarters with the support of the anti- Rainey primary committee, is close to a majority if it is not already one, and effective workers from these camps are hustling about the districts finding out just now things stand and winning sup- port wherever possible. Chairman Sullivan woa’t talk back to George Maxwell, secretary of the Fire Com- mission, who zave the bosses at the Junta headquarters a broadsid well sticks to his declaration of warand his intention to let the twenty-five delegates elected Monday night in the Forty-fourth to Le e yesterday. Max- | démand to be seated- regardiess of the new eleeccion in_that district-which Chairman Sullivan will have. held within a few days. | This is. the main Emposinun upon which a pitehed battle is likely-to-ensue. “ AT wish to say is that I am glad_ the crisls has come,” said’ Chairman Sullivan yesterday. -‘Maxwell’s action and the action of the primary committee in order- ing a new election will, I think, convince everybody " that. we are: sincere In our op- positionr 1o Rainey, . Our refusal to let Rainey ‘increase his representation in the general commitiee from any district is simply a matter of expediency, and we will stick to it. But.I don’t believe in personal controversies in the newspapers.’ A new ticket for the Forty-fourth is being fixed up at headquarters and it will be:the only one that will be recognized at thé new election. It is hinted that this ticket will shut the Maxwell faction out entirely, and then the battle to see whether | or not Sullivan can dictate the delegates from the Korty-fourth will be on. The Junta primary committee will likely meet to-night to take some further action about the various district rows. — - MURDER AND SUICIDE. | Inquests on the Bodies of May Conboy and John Dolan. Inquests on the bodies of Jobn Dolan and May Conboy, who were found dead in arear room of 108)4 Morton street, were held by Coroner Hawkins yesterday morn- ing. It will be remembered that the bodies were found lying on a bed in one of the houses on Morton street. George Dolan, a brother of the dead man, testified that John met May Conboy | at Shell Mound Park four years ago and became infatuated with her. The deceased had several bundred dollars in bank, and George asked him whether he had any of it Ieft; and deceased said he had not, as he had squandered it all on May Conboy. Witness was told by his brother .a few weeks prior to the shooting that he would ratier see May dead than leading “the life she had:chosen, and ‘that he borrowed fromi the witness the revolver with which the killing was done. : G: Marion was next sworn and testified that he had met May Conboy a few hours prior to her death, and she told witness that John Dolan was getting jealous, and that she was afraid of him. " The jury returned a verdict of suicide In { Dolan’s case, and that May Conboy came to her death by a bullet-wound, inflicted by John Dolan, now deceased. e The School Vacations. At the last meeting of the Merchants’ Asso- ciation President Dohrmann. was authorized to appoint two special committées. One was to com of five wembers who will act as yice-presidents at the muss-meeting of the Highway - Improvement Committee, L. A. W., which will be held in Odd Fellows’ Hall evening of March 3. Mr. Dohrmann y selected K. Melrose, A.S. Baldwin, ohlberg, L. R. Ellert and Vanderlynn other committee, consisting of three of the association, has been ap- urge upon the proper authorities to time of the sehool vacation so that the public schools of this City will close from about July 1 to the miadle of August. Those d were R. L. Toplitz, Percy Beamish and Andrew M. Davis + < AL aty The Captain Healy Case. The evidenca in the Captain Healy case is now all in, and Judge Advocete Reynolds pre. sented the side of the prosecution yesterday. The findings of the court-martial will now be submitted to the authorities at Washington for approval. The charges against Daniels and others will not be taken up at once. NEW TO-DAY. Uone Smoke CLOTHING PROFITS VANISH. AT COST. COME TO-DAY. There’s a good deal of truth in this “Fire Sale” of ours. The prices have really “gone ‘up in smoke,” despite the ab- sence of the “Fire.” We, Brown Bros. & Co. (121-123 Sansome street), have taken every “broken lot” and every “odd size” out of our wholesale stock and put them at “Wholesale makers’ cost,” and offer them to you at retail at that price. Every one of these lots is offered at the bare cost of manufacture— our manufacture. Remember to look for the “Blue Signs” and you can’t go astray. Wright's Indian Vegetable Pillé Are acknowledged by thousands of have used them for over forty years to lc):rr‘:nl vhe SICK HEADACHE, GIDDINESS, CONSTIPA- TION, Torpid Liver, Weak Stomach, Pimples, and. | without the least” exposure, chaj diet, or nge change in application 0 busines contains nothing that is of the fin“eum?:‘ft':: g0 before the new general committee and injury constitution. Ask your dru, o Bottin: ¥ gglst for it Price $1 &