Daily American organ. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1856, 1855-08-30
The late Rev. DIR. spencer H. Cone.

1 NO AatC ltCFs Dss opCuStE Is SOhCs
This distinguished Baptist divine, who died in
New York on Tuesday, was about IL years Of Sge,
and an eloquent pulpit orator During the last
thirty years he has filed many important positions
among the religious and benevolent organizations
/ OF the day For many years he was Secretary of
the American Bible Society, and on the formation
OF the American and Foreign Bible Society he was
chosen its President, which Office he filed tor
! period OF fifteen years. On the formation of the
! Bible Union he was chosen President Of that Or
ganization, which Office he held TO the day of his
DEATH lie was pastor Of the Oliver street Bap-
| fist church IN New York until 1910, when he ac-
cepted the pastorship of the First Baptist Church
in that city, and remained such to the close Of
his life. 80
Mr. Cone was native of New Jersey and a
| graduate Of Princeton college. In early life he
took to the stage in Philadelphia under charge of
Mr.. VIM. r. Blade, and performed in juvenile
tragedy and light comedy. His first benefit proved
loss pecunarly, and il was repeated, when no
Melted $735. Soon after he retired from the STAGE
and was engaged as bookkeeper in the Office of
the Baltimore American newspaper In 1873 he
was married to Miss Sally Wallace Morrell OF Phil
adelphia, and was appointed to clerkship in the
Treasury Department at Washington. During his
residence in Philadelphia, and his seven years ex-
perience on the stage, Mr.. Cones early religious
instruction would seem TO have been almost obit-
Grated. He was an editor, a politician, an actor,
and military man; but his restless spirit, though
always seeking for change, never seemed satisfied.
From letter written by him previous to becoming
a member Of The Baptist church. we extract the
following:
Having served the proprietor Of the Amer-
can more than year. John Norvel, Esq, of
Kentucky, who married my youngest sister, (long
since dead,) and who has since been Senator of
the United States from Michigan, induced me to
unite with him and purchase and conduct the
Dbl ,n,1 n,,Y;, he
tanned the Madison administration with all our
powers; at the same time commanded the Balti-
more Union Artillery Company, and was carried
away with military ardor. For two years / do
not recoect attending public worship more than
twice--politics and war completely engrossed my
mind
"In the month of November, 1913, after break
fast, took up the newspaper and saw, among
other things large sae of books advertised at
Woods auction rooms, and said to myself, | will
look in as ! go to the Office, and see what they
| are. l did go, and the first book took up was
volume Of the works Of John Newton. In
instant my whole life passed in review before me.
| remembered taking that book out of the college
library, while at Princeton, and reading Newtons
Life to my mother"
lie then goes on to state how intensely his mind
turned upon religious matters, his attending tho
Rev. Mr. Duncan's Church, and finally going to the
plstor Of the First Baptist Church in Baltimore, to
be baptized, which ceremony was performed on
the 4th of February, 1914, by Elder Lewis Rich
ards, the ice in the Patapsco, more than foot
thick at the time, being cut for the purpose.
| Mr.. Cones induction into the ministry equal
" remarkable as his conversion. He was frequent
ly urged by his brethren, and he felt strong de-
sire to preach the Gospel but believing himself to
be unqualified he did not even attempt to exhort
at prayer meeting, until he took up his residence
| at Washington Three or four weeks after his re-
moval to that place he was invited to lead the
Lords day morning PRAYER meeting in the little
church at the Navy Yard which was destitute at
the time of a pastor, and to give word of exhor-
tation. He thus speaks of the occasion and its
sequences:
ain reading John 9 was iorcibly impressed
with the words, If any man sin, we have an advo-
cate with the Father Jesus Christ, the righteous
and spoke from them without embarrassment for
nearly an hour, to my own utter surprise. This
was my first attempt to preach Christ crucifed to
my fellow men"
Subsequently he promised to preach again at
the Navy Yard, but when he saw the Immense
crowd present. filtered, but resolved to try and do
his best and succeeded beyond his expectations.
DR.. Cone ordained in the Baptist church at
Washington, November 26th, 1915, and was soon
after chosen Chaplain to Congress: In 1926 he
was called TO the Baptist church in Alexandria,
and in May 1928, he removed to New York.
DR.. Cone leaves son. Spencer Wallace Cone,
member of the New York bar, and though young
man, quite prominent Democratic politician.