The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, January 25, 1898, Page 16

16 THE SAN FRANCISCO CALL, TUESDAY. DR. BROWN CONFESSES HIS GUILT The Bay Conference For- gives but Dismisses Him. May Become a Street Preacher.| His Statement in Full. Rev. C. O. Brown has made a con- fession. As it is printed in full this morning, an analysis may be made by readers for themselves. It may be ob- served, however, that the confession W avoids detail, is shrouded in terms | somewhat vague, and that its effect upon the Bay Conference was to pro- voke sympathy, feelingly expressed, but coupled with a decree of expulsion Rev. C. O. Brown Reading His Confession to the Bay Conference of the Congregational | the pastor. | to clear me | world. Ge—g Miss Mattie Overman, the Woman Whose Name Has Been| Coupled With That of Rev. C. O. Brown. ‘ A < gy, | we g (#4444 4444444444444+ 4444444440040 44+ Y T dict of the Bay Conference was mot | made until last Wednesday evening,” | he said in answer to an inquiry. “My intention to depart from Chicago, where I had the full confidence of my congre- gation, was known to only one person. My wife and boy were kept in ignor- ance of my departure for Cali- fornia, because 1 did not wish td worry them and because I wished to arrive in San Francisco en- tirely unannounced. The hotel at which I registered on my arrival, and whom I lodged with later I do not wish to tell. Suffice it to say that I sent first to Dr. McLean and later to Rev. C. R. Brown, who has been my friend throughout this trouble. I knew that my fate was to be decided at the ad- Journed meetiug which is being held, and I was fully prepared. Whatever the outcome I shall send my resignation this evening to the Green Street Con- gregational Church, of which I am now This resignation is abso- lute, and should the conference refuse and cast me out I shall preach in the streets, in halls or in any place where I may have the opportun- ity. man is so well prepared to | preach from the text ‘the wages of sin | is deatw’ as I am, and I shall make that the burden of my message to the I know not how I shall make my livelihood, yet I know that God cares for those who care for him and I am prepared for whatever may come. “When I left Chicago I left a note to my wife and son saying that I would be away for several days, and that I might go to Iowa or even some more recent troubles. I know that I have the confidence of the people of Chicago. It was known there that I intended to apply for membership toeéthe Monday Club, and for my benefit the constitu- tion of the organization was so changed that it was necessary for one- third of the members to vote against an applicant instead of a single indi- vidual. My friends had this change made in the hope that I would apply for membership in the club, but I de- clined to do so. “Since my trouble has become known to the world I have letters from the interior of China, from France, Ger- many and other European countries, some defending my position and others condemning me for what has hap- pened. T suppose that I have received in all over 1600 letters. I hope the ex- ample of my troubles will be a warn- ing to those who have sinned as I have sinned, and that my trial will prove a benefit to others. “I may have no permanent abode after to-night, and I desire that those | of my friends who wish to reach me may address letters to me in care of tev. George B. Hatch of Berkeley, | who is the secretary of the Bay Cons ference.” This was the substance of all that Mr. Brown sald while waiting in sus- pense. After the conference had ren- dered its decision he seemed somewhat broken In spirit. Nevertheless, he tried to keep a brave front, and when asked what he thought about the action of his brother ministers replied: “It is all for the best, I suppose, yet it is hard | Church Last Evening. Sketched From Life by a Call @rtist. PR R R R AR R e AR R At o G i e R e e R O e e e R R R S R Rk T T T T PP vOSS PO U UV IN THE CONFESSION WHICH DID NOT MOVE BAY CONFERENCE. To Bay Conference. Fathers and Brethren: I hereby recall my answer to your citation. In this solemn hour the voice of God speaks and shall be obeved. I recail and repudiate every word which should not have been uttered. Through all the dreary months of conflict I have not ceased to love you, though it has doubt- less seemed otherwise. I love the same divine Lord whom you love and the same divine law, though it should grind me to powder. The resolution to address you thus has been formed under no compulsion but that of duty. Down to this hour I have been the pastor of that dear church whose people have loved and trusted me, and whom from the youns- est child up as I love the apple of my eve. No action but my own, now take could deprive me of my pulpit or of any fellowship in Chicago. My friend: in the interior are numbered by the thousand. Within the past nine months two pulpits have been open to me, and during the past few days there have been assurances of a larger field in the near future if I desired it. Very re- cently I was offered $1000 and all expenses for a few weeks in the lecture field, with appoin®ments so arranged that I could have supplied my own pul- pit. I do not boast these things. They are facts, however, wnich belong to the testimony of this hour. They are the proofs of my sincerity. To one of my training such possessions are greater wealth than Klondike, and you will consider what it means when I voluntarily surrender them. There was a deep and malignant conspiracy against me and my home. A small part of the accusation against me was true. For any wrong which I had done I had sought forgiveness both of God and man. I had turned utterly and with abhorrence from it long before I was publicly accused. Such were the condi- tions prevailing in San Francisco—so awful was the storm which threatened —that, overcome for the time with unworthy fear, I denied any wrong lest all should be believed. In that I greatly sinned. In the mad tumult of that cyclone which fell upon me, pursued for 150 consecutive days by the papers, with every nerve on fire, with mental powers in confusion and moral sensibil- ities beclouded, it seemed almost right to defend myself, my family and the friends, who instantly espoused my cause, by methods which are justified But, brethren, if I feared then, I fear/no longer. To-day I can say with Chrysostom: *“I fear nothing so much as sin,” and with Tholack: *I thank God for the conviction of sin.” There were several times during the progress of the first council when I would gladly have told the brethren all. I would not now wi derstood as accusing the young woman who begged me to ref: On my way east from San Francisco the relief from newspaper assault and all the conflict was inexpressibly sweet. In those peaceful days I heard again the voice of God which the tumult had silenced. Amid the rocky grandness of the mountains and the welrd stillness of the desert God spoke to me and I thankful to hear that voice again, though in reproof. Obedi- ent to impr ons there received I wrote out a brief confession, intending to send it to you. I delayed, and that was fatal to duty.. When I reached Chi- cago my brethren received me so cordially that life again seemed worth living. Hundreds grasped my hand and assured me that no one believed the evil reports against me. The sweetness and confidence of their greeting wers like the life of the harbor and thefirm ground beneaththe feet of one who has come safely in from the stormy menace of a watery grave. I ¢id not see the further conflict to which I was committing myself. It seemed not so wrong to accept the proffer of their love and confidence so freely made, especially as I had turned utterly and with full penitence from my sin. When the con- fict was renewed, without my seeking, every impulse of the warrior was aroused in me. I looked on the faces of my beloved and said: “I will fight for them.” I looked upon my friends who had committed themselves in my behalf and said: “They ought not to suffer for being kind to a brother; I will protect them and make good their confidence.” And when two pulpits were offered me it seemed almost as if God him- self were fighting for me. I accepted the more modest and went about my work. 1 sald: “It shall be seen by my holy, patient and ministering life that I am a worthy man.” My success has been such that I lacked only the approval of my con- sclence of being safe in my position. But as I have drawn near the hour of your action God has so spoken to me that I have feared not your success, but my own. I have come to see that nothing is so perilous as safety when : “Step out and face the consequences.” With this clearer view I would not to-day, for my life, consent to stand as an example of ful wrong. I cannot afford to succeed while the churches suffer by my succe I rejoice more in this hour of self-recovery than words can tell. Truth is worth more to me at this hour than any pulpit in america. How gracious is our God who thus sweetens the bitter waters. I am sure that you will impute nothing to the Christian friends who have stood by me. They believed my public statement. Their frank and absolute sincerity more than any other human motive has led me to the resolve of this hour. One of my dear sons said to me: They know, rather, t I could not defend you except I believed in your innocence.” It has been a snare to me that I could truthfully deny so much. But at this hour I re- pudiate the folly of building a house of truths for a lie to live in. I rejoice in the thought that what I now say will go every whither and tell the whole world that righteousness is vindicated. Unto Almighty God, against whom I have chiefly offended, I himbly make my confession, appropriating, as the utterance of my sincere sorrow, the Fifty-first Psalm, omitting a part of the fourth verse, the whole of the fifth and fourteenth, and the last lines of the closing verse. Unto my brethren of Bay Conference I confess the grievous wrong, and through you I confess to the whole sisterhood of churches. I love the Con- gregational churches and am unwilling longer to be an occasion of grief to their fellowship. I am filled with profound sorrow that having been the recipient of their confidence and honors I have become an occasion of grief to their fellowship. I confess to Dubuque and Chicago Associations that I did them grievous wrong in accepting the fellowship of one and seeking that of the other. I herewith request that my name be dropped from the roll of Chicago Asso- clation. I confess to the dear friends whose help and confidence I accepted without a full statement of the truth. Finally, to any person whom I have wronged I confess. Brethren, T have not dared to ask you to forgive me. Possibly T ought not. I might embarrass you by such a request. If you could rorgive and re- store me, my life shall approve vour renewed confidence and attest my gratitude. It may be that you will find a way to make your mercy as con- spicuous as my peniten However, T do not ask you to sacexice any public interest for me. I do not expect to find a bed of roses in my furnace. Oh! Permit me to hope that he who could overrule the sin of David to his own glory may at least make some use of my suffering and contrite heart to enforce some needed lesson in righteousness. Maybe the words of Mas- sllon may apply to me: “How do you know but his mercy has made your sin der that thousands of sinners may be influenced at the tence.” If Almighty God can make use of my suffering to his in suffering. too notorious in or- sight of your peni- glory I shall rejoice Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy loving kindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. 2. Wash me thoroughly from mine in- out all mine iniquities. 10. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. 11. Cast me not away from thy presence, and take not thy Holy Spirit from me. iquity, and cleanse me from my sin. 12. Restore unto me the joy of thy sal 3. For I acknowledge my transgressions; tion, and uphold me with thy free spirit. and my sin is ever before me. 13. Then will I teach transgressors thy 4. Against thee * * * have T sinned, and done this evil in thy sight; that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest. 6. Behold, thou desirest truth in the in- ward parts; and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom 7. Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. 5. Make me to hear joy and giadness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice. . 9. Hide thy face from my sins, £nd blot way thee. 15. O Lord, open thou my lips; and my 120uth shall shew forth thy praise. 16. For thou desirest not sacrifice; would I give it; burnt offering. 17. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise. 18. Do good in thy good pleasure unto Zion; bulld thou the walls of Jerusalem. 19. Then shalt thou be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness. nd sinners shall be converted unto else thou delightest not in B S L Rt R R R S TR DR SR SN AR PR S SR AP EN N ++ X RAY ON THE CITY ~ ITALL DOME Grand Jury May In- vestigate Those Charges. | Substitutions of Work Which Demand a Searchlight. I Will Ascertain Whether Various Changes Were Illegal. HOW THE LAW REGARDS IT An Old Inquisitive Body May Bas Called the Present Purgers of Morals. Before FHE PP 4 H P44 1443444444444 4444444444044 4444444444444 It is almost a certainty that the pres- +4 ent Grand Jury will make a thoroug! + | investigation of the alleged frauds per- + | petrated in the building of the New City + | Hall dome. 2 + | There has been a great deal of discus- 3 | sion all over the city over the revela- | tions made by ex-Grand Juror D. O'Sul- livan, who alleges that the contract for P4 the building of the City Hall dome was a fraud which enabled the princizals + | to slight their work. + In spite of the fact that Auditor 4 | Broderick and Mayor Phelan have + | stated that there were proper substitu- + tions for all alleged defalcations, it is ¢ stated on good authority that there is a great probability that Auditor Brod- erick’s suggestion that the present 4 | Grand Jury investigate the old one's 4 conduct will be literally complied with. * Mayor Phelan does not pretend that 4 heis a lawyer, yet he was wise enough 4+ to “wink the other eye” when asked + | whether he believed from his investi- gations that the City Hall Commission- 3 ers had exceeded their authority when they allowed substitutions of one class of work for another in the contract for the building of the dome. 3| “If this sort o slipshod method may 4 | 80 on without let or hindrance,” said 4+ a well-known lawyer yesterday, “there + | will be no way by which to determine + when the city has been bunkoed. + | Whenever work is not done according : to specifications some apologist will be 4 | Seen rising up to say that, although the + Work was not done something else, + |some vague and unprovided for thing | was done in place of it. Coughs and_colds cured, Low's Hore- bound Cough Syrup: Ioc. 417 Sansome sté ——— Luetgert. Is Evasive. CHICAGO, Jan. 24.—State's Charles S. Deenen began amination of Adolph L. Luetgert at 3 P. + | m. to-d Deenen brushed aside the long recital of the defendant’s birth, par- entage, twin brother, boyhood and rise | In life and went to the heart of the mat. ter, piling question upon question regard- ing the whereabouts and actions of Mr. Luetgert during the twelve hours fol- o'clock on Saturday evening, To every question designed ime when anything was done or how long it took to do it, the same answer 5 returned, that he would not attempt X the tim Attorney the cross-ex- 444444 +44 Maine people are shipping pine cones to the treeless plains of the West. ———— JUDGES OF THE BEST And those who insist upon having the | finest that can be obtained have not been slow in discovering that the ap- proval of the Government of any article means a great deal. It is not surprising, therefore, that so many people with ‘Eeduca(ed palates and discriminating minds are using the popular «O. F. C." Whiskey in preference to any other. A well-known gentleman, speaking on this | subject recently, said: “| do not agree with the man who stated that ‘all whis- kies are good’ My experience has been that most of them are bad, but when | find the Government guarantee- ing by its official stamp that every | bottle of +O. F. C" Whiskey is 100 per O L T O T T T + NEW TO-DAY. FAGE HUMORS Pimples, blotches, blackheads, red, rough, oily, mothy skin, itching, scaly scalp, dry, thin, and falling hair, and baby blemishes prevented by CuTIcURA SoAP, the most effective skin purifying and beautifying soap in the world, as well as purest and sweetest for toilet, bath, and nursery. (Uticura ar fs %02 throughout the world. . Conr., Sole Props.. Boston, U. 0 How 10 Prevent Face Hum EVERY HUMO Wiight's Indian Vegetable Pils Are acknowledged by thousands of persons who have used them for over fort, rs to cure SICK HEADACHE, GIDDINE: CONSTIPA- TION, Torpid Liver, Weak Stomach, Pimples and purify the biood. Grosstman's Specifc Mixturs, With this remedy persons can cure themselves without the least exposure, change of diet or change in application to business. The medicine contains nothing that 1s of the least injury to the m;::’.zll]muom Ask your druggist for it. Price, § & botule. Porrxs Dave axo wailed free. From Pimples to Serofula cured. by Comicuna Bxxotes, The dramatic quality of the incident — | can be understood when it is stated that Dr. Brown read the confession to the Bay Conference, and that in every tone of his voice was a tremulous plea for mercy. His face, pale when he ap- peared, became flushed; his arms, at first resting quietly, waved in gestic- ulation. He was pleading for his min- isterial life. Mr. Brown’s appearance here was a | surprise hardly less great than his par- | tial acknowledgment of a guilt he had | | | and strenuously denied. The particulars of his trial do not need to be recalled. the foremost churches was almost split in it resulted to other fields. At Dubuque given the hand of fellowship, and later took a charge in Chicago. While there local twain, he practically challenged the Bay Con- | ference to a reopening of the matter. Delegates were sent from here to Chi- cago, and again Brown came out of the | ordeal, having gained nothing. Final adjudication remained with the Bay Conference, and yesterday was the time for consideration. Mr. Brown has been here since Sat- urday, although few were aware of the | fact. He was in the church at Fif- teenth street, near Mission, all the time hisfate as a minister was being debat- ed, but remained in thestudyof the Rev. Mr. Rader, occasionally receiving re- | ports of the proceedings. He sang as he waited, and one of the hymns he chose was “Back From the Folds of Sin.” He talked freely to callers. “My de- termination to come to California, pre- sent my confession and receive the ver- It | | was one of length and bitterness, dur- | | ing which one of in his having to go he was | distant point, and that is all they knew of my intentions. My congrega- tion in Chicago know nothing of my intention to make a confession, and the report of what has happened in San Francisco to-night is the first intima- tion that my friends will have of my D000 09000000000006 | & RESOLUTIONS DASHING o THE HOPES OF THE EX-PASTOR. Whereas, The Rev. C. O. Brown, being sum- moned before the Bay Conference, has appeared and hes made humble and penitent confesslon, be it therefore ; Resolved, That the conference mourns -with Dr. Brown over his trnsgressions, and supplicates with him the forgiveness of the Almighty God ; Resolved, That it extends to him its brotherly sympathy in this hour of sorrow and humiliation, and assures him of its complate and hearty for- giveness, and of the recognition of the Christian manliness of his action in coming here to make his confession; however, in view of the chamcter and publicity of the offense now confessed, and © of the length of time olapsed since it was com- @ mitted, during which he has maintained a false titude in_ affirming his innocence, and in view of @ the further fact that this conference distinguishes between the personal forgiveness that must be in- stantly extended to an eming but repentant brother © and the solemn responsibility of sustaining & man inofficial position as a public teacher of righteous- @ ness; be it further @ Resolved, That this conference with profound & sorrow feels compelled, as invested with resporsi- g, bility for the purityof the ministry and the pesce of the churches, to express its sense of Dr. Brown's disqualification for the performance of the duties of the ministry, and we therefore deem it wise and just to remove his name from our roll as a minis- © © terial member of the conference. © ® ® 9000000090090 00000000 L RN R RN R R RO R R ORCRCRORCY 0000000000000000000060006000060 for me to bear. I did not expect any funny business when I came out here. 1 did nct come for my own interest, but that of the churches of this city. I sup- pose they did what they thought for the best, and I suppose I would have done the same thing if I had been in their place. “My plans are all upset. I do not know what I will do. I know, though, I will stay in town for a little while, and after that I will have to go and see my wife and children, who are in Chi- cago. “Dr. Chapman was the one that | brought the news to me—the man that has been the best friend to me during all this trouble, even when things seemed the blackest. “All T can say is they did right. I hope that the world will be lenient with me, for I have sinned, but also [ have thoroughly repented.” After this Mr. Brown went among the members of the conference, and, taking the hand of each, expressed hu; affection and stated that he bore mal- ice to none. Those on the committee who passed sentence on the disgraced clergyman were Rev. F. H. Foster, Rev. G. C. Mooar, Rev. C. R. Brown of Oakland, Rev. Dr. Chapman, Deacon Mills, Rev. William Rader and James Hutchinson. They were ap- pointed on the motion of Rev. C. R. Brown that a committee be appointed to take the matter in hand and report to the main body. This motion wa3y carried by a unanimous vote and these aforementioned gentiemen named to act. The report of the committee was accepted by the conference after con- siderable wrangling, many of the mem- 1 bers being disposed to treat Brown le- niently and give the penitent a little | hope, by having his name erased for only a year, while others went to the other extreme, and wished his name | erased for life. however, to leave it as the committee had decided. HAVE AIDED THE. POOR. @ Large Amount of Work Done by the St. Vincent de Paul Society. An annual report has ben issued by the | St. Patrick’s Conference of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul showing the amount of work done during the past year and the total sum of expenditures for the re. lief of poor familes. The report shows | that $2014 9 has been pald out during that time and that nearly 2K people have been | visited. In addition to the above dosgzas ~ apparel, valued at 5} rs of Charity. e Soclety sncourages morally and ma- | It was thought best, | | McKENNA DID NOT terially the deserving poor and particu- larly familles having a permanent resi- dence in the parish and who are com- pelled, through sickness, accident or lack of employment, to apply for temporary | relief. The donations given by friends of the parish have materially aided the work. ASSUME HIS NEW DUTIES. WASHINGTON, Jan. 24.—Tt was ex-| pected that Hon. Joseph McKenna would | assume his duties as Associate Justice of | the United States Supreme Court to-day, but the ceremony has been postponed un- | til Wednesday next. The court did not hand down any opinions to-day, but re- assigned some cases. made suggestions to counsel as to the line of argument in | others and announced a three weeks' re. cess from next Monday. Among th. ases reassigned was that of Jargens vs. Yot Sung. The case comes from Mon- tana and is a habeas corpus proceeding. It involves the constitutionality of the | Montana State law imposing a greater tax on Chinese laundries than on other laundries. The case was set for the sec- ond Monday in the October term if not | reached previous to that time. ? The € Produces Saving. llggfi line aJET 5 and 10 cent boxes. Try 4, L. PRESCOTT & CO., NEW YORK- POLISH. Dustless, Odorless, Lal nmymc;ueea'nh.m cent. proof, and when | find upon tasting and noting the after effects how pleasant it is to take and how fine in its offects it does not take me a moment to make up my mind what to do, and that is to use it regularly. [ find it all that | can desire.” There are thousands of people in the community who have made the same discovery, and the number is in- creasing every day. i USE No RUPTURE 5= X2 Hoops or Steel Springs. Rupture retained with ease and comfort, and usands radically Cured oy Dr. Pierce's Celebrated Magnetic Elastic Truss. 7 Call at office or write for New Pamphlet No. 1. Address MAG- NETIC ELASTIC TRUSS CO., DR. PIERCE & SON, 704 Sacramento st. (cor. Kearny), SAN FRANCISCO, Cal. [7 When writing please mention The Call Baja California DAMIANA BITTERS 1s a powerful :phroasiac and specific tonic for the sexual and urinary organs of both sexes, and a grest remedy for diseases of the kidneys and bladder. A great Restorative, Invigorator and Nervine. Sells on its own Merits; no long-winded testimonials necessary. NABER, ALFS & BRUNE, Agents, 828 Market Street, S. F.—(Send for Circular.) DR.MCNULTY. HIS WELL-KNOWN AND RELIABLE OLu 'E cures Private Nervous. Biootmnd Srin Diseases of Men onty, 1y Power'restored. Over 20years' experieuce. ‘Send for Book, free. Patients curedat Home. Terms reasonable. Hours, 9 to3 dafly;6:30 to8.30evigs. Sundays, 10t 12, Consulta- donfree and sacredly confidential. Cull or address P. ROSCOE MeNULTY, M. D., Kearny Stree t. San Francisce. Cal 26X 1