The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1872-04-26
He was Only IL Mason F.; 13MCy
Him Like q DOE.

Church, in GAINESVILLE, Wis, died few
weeks ago, and his funeral was not per-
mitted to be held in the church of
which he was an honorable and univcr-
sally respected member, merely because
he was at the time of his death, men,
Der Of a Masonic Lodge. Out upon
such hypocritieal cant Such combi-
nation Of ignorance, superstition, inhu-
manity, and stupidity would have dis
graced the dark ages. Mr.. Holmes,
the unworthy deceased, was good
enough when living to have a pew in
the church, to partake of the sacrament,
to shake the sacred digits Of the i'm
maculate pastor, and to be universally
respected; because-don't you sce?-
he<,yas an honest man, and helped sup
pert the church but to treat his dead
body Chat had no pocket-book) with
respect, was quite a different thing
He was then nothing but a defunct
Mason! To bring his wicked flesh and
bones into the Holy Church was a sac
rilege that the venerable and loving
Christian minister couldn't allow on
any condition. He was consequently
buried from the home of his widow
the very place, perhaps, he would have
selected, if his own wishes could have
been consulted But the object of the
church officers was to disgrace the de-
ceased brother, to humble the widow,
insult the Masonic fraternity, and glo-
rify themselves. There being no '.little
church around the corner to defend
from intentional insult the deceased
Mason--as fortunately y was not the ease
in New York, with the deceased actor
the remains Of Mr.. Holmes were ig-
nominiously hurried from the couch of
death to the burial field with rs much
celerity and humanity as might have
been expected at the slaughter Of a
rabid dog. The gross inhumanity was
so brutal that the unconyertsd heathen
made uncompiimentary comments on
the transaction until the eastern papers
took it up, and Theodore Tilton-the
champion for truth, wherever and who
ever it hits-gave scathing account of
the whole affair. When Mr.. 1ilton's
paper, the Golden Age, reached Wis
consin, it fell into the nest of hypocrit-
ical pharisees like hundred pound
can Of glyeerine. A church meeting
was called, resolutions passed, and a
committee appointed to secure an afti-
aa~;s-ssom The bereayed widow that
she never wanted the body buried from
the church, and that everything had
been done that christianity and human
ity could desire. A statement of this
character was published i'll the papers,
over the signature Of half dozen of
the christian trustees, followed the next
day by the following rather ''stunner"
from the truth-telliug widow:
TO THE PUBLIC.
To the Editors of the GAINESVILLE Gaz, tie.
| Ny attention was called to an article
which appeared in last evenings Ca
zette, purporting to have been written
by myself, to the effect that the state
ment which appeared in the Golden
Age of March 23d Concerning the
burial services of my deceased husband
was untrue.
The article in question was not writ
ten by myself, neither did I author
rizs the publication Of such q com'mu-
nication. The facts of the case are as
follows: I was waited upon by trus-
tee of the Congregational Church (of
which my husband was mcmber) and
requested to sign paper he had pre-
pared, denying in toto the statement
that Rev. Dr. L. Whiting had objected
to permit the burial service to be held
in the church also, that the services
were performed at my house at my re-
quest. l told him most emphatically
that | could not sign such paper, for
the reason that MIR. Whiting did object
to having the funeral at the church, as
Mr.. Holmes was Mason, and he DIR.
Whiting) was opposed to Masonic flu
nerals being held in his church. l told
the gentleman if he would publish the
conversation that ensued between Mr..
Whiting and myself of which the above
is the substance) that l would sign a
paper to the effect that the funeral
services was held at my house at my
request.
1t is not my desire to bring the mat.
ter before the public, but justice to my
self demands plain statement of the
facts This l have given.
SOPHIA HOLMES.
The State of New York is proceeding