The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1878-02-14
Death OF Mrs. Benn Pitman-In.
terVieW With Her BerenVed
Husband.
The Body to be Taken to wash.
ington, Pa, Tomorrow.
Cincinnati Gazette, 18th.
The following brief card conveyed to
the many friends Of the wife Of Mr.. Benn
Pitman the first news Of her death:
IN MEMORIAAI.

February ii, 1878, Ja.., As Beloved we q Ben

inteflAeed with pleaAAntnesse that With EXCEEDING
grace abe Nas lighineESe TO all around.P-Oid
Chronlelef.
| A Ga.ette reporter called last evening
at the residence Of the family in Fulton,
and introduced himself TO Mr.. Pitman,
for the purpose Of learning something Of
the plans for the somewhat novel diSpo.
sition Of the remains Of the deceased.
The house was brilliantly lighted, and
filled with friends Of the family. The
reporter was brought into the sitting
room, occupied by Mr.. Pitman and lady
and gentleman friend. Mr.. Pitman com.
piled cheerfuity with tie reporterS re.
quest, and proceeded at once to explain
his own and his deceased wiie's views on
the subject Of cremation. He said that
about two years ago Mrs. Pitman wrote
to DR.. lie Moyne, at Washington, Pa, a
wealthy gentleman, who had built a Gre.
nation furnace in that place, in regard 10
that method OF disposing Of her remains.
She was then in perfect health, and prob.
ably had no idea Of her early death.
Mr.. Pitmau here produced the will drawn
tn the hand writingof the deceased in
August last, and read the following clause
OF instructions:
most sensible mode Of dhpOslpg ot my body, de-
sire that my rGmains b forwarded 10 Dr. Le
Moyne, 10 10 crenate Ia the furnace baiIi BY him
for That purpose In Washington, Pa"
Mr.. Pitman gave the substance Of q
further clause Of the will, providing, in
case her daughter dies without Issue, that
her lot which adjoins that owned by her
husband on the hillside, in Fulton, be set
apart for an institution, or for the sup
port Of II lady physician, for the treat.
inent, free Of charge, OF special diseases
OF women, in cases where tue applicants
are loo poor TO pay for treatment.
In regard TO the wishes OF his vile TO
be cremated, Mr.. Pitman said that about
ten days ago she reminded him OF her
wish, aud asked that he write TO DR.. lie.
moyne on the matter. Mr. Pitman treat
ed It lightly at first, but at.erward wrote
as she desired.
Mr.. Pitman said that one Of his wifes
reasons for prelerring cremation was her
abhorance Of the hypocrisy and expense
OF the modern style Of burial. She waE
emphatically opposed 10 all forms Of
waste and extravaganza. She abhorred,
too, everything dismal and morbid. So
the funeral would be conducted without
either undertakers or priests, nor black
colors nor anything gloomy. "tam haS.
ing the cabinet maker make neat nioho.
gany casket for her. Her room there
will be draped in bright colors, among
them will be- some small British lligS,
which her brother, Wm. Bragg, President
Of the Academy Of Design in Sheffield,
England, brought us on recent visit
here. We will also have some American
flags, aud other cheerful colors. Thecat.
afalque will be trimmed with light blue
silk. We have invited a few friends 10
come and see IL, but will not allow the
lace Of the corpse to bs ssen, or, any thing
10 occur that may graiiiy morbid or
gloomy taste. The body will probably be
taken TO Washington, Pa, on Thursday
night. will go with il alone"
Mrs. Piiman, he said, WAS born In Bitm-
ingham, England. She was one Of q
family Of ten children, each OF whom
Nas remarkable IN some trait OF charac:
ter. Her brother, William Bragg, had
the honor OF introducing almost all the
modern appliances OF civilization into
Brazil. He il n member Of the great At,
las Steel Company Ia Sheffield, and made
the first practical application Of the Bes'
Remer process OF making steel. Mrs.
Pitman was woman Of great literary
ability. She read the final proofs Of q
large phonetic dictionary, assisted Mr..
Pitmaan In all Of his extensive phono-
graphic reports Of the great conspiracy
trials during the war, did half the NE.
chanicai work Of setting the type and en-.
CRAVING OF Mr.. Pitman's phonographic
works, and in some important cases Of
Photographic reporting dictated 10 a.
many us twelve copyists AT time. She
was y woman OF energy, aud possessed so
much vim that she overlooked for long
time the progress Of her disease, an inter.
nal cancer. "She had been SO healthy
up to this time that she had never since
her marriage, over quarter Of century
ago, been under physicians treatment.
Since my engagement with the School OF
Design, Mrs. Pitman conducted the pho.
nographic publishing business exclusiye-
| ". don't suppose the students OF the
academy are aware that they are indebted
10 her iot all Of the time have devoted
10 them"
The friendly visitor here asked Mr.,
Pitman II he would have had the body Gre.
mated, II the deceased had not requested
Il. :.
Certainly" replied Mr.. Pitman. az
would have carried IL out II she had
never uttered word. But our belief In
cremation as we'll as almost everything
else, wAs Identical
Mr.. Pitman added that the deceased
ghad an abiding faith that The Great
Father Of all would take charge Of her
hereafter as before. She had quiet con.
Gdence OF The future that amounted 10 an
absolute certainty 10 her mind. She was
essentially religious"
"Was she member OF any church
air 7" our reporter inquired timidly.
"Ha, ha, hal Why you make me laugh,
sir" said Mr.. Pitman. at Is 30 very
| uuduIus hud yet ~ Liaiy Ha'S auihSSt
me with such questions. No sir, Ger.
tainly not. We were progressive and
raised ourselves from all the old ruts Of
faith. You can't imagine, Air, how com
pletely we emAnclpated ourselves from
the old rutA when We came TO tLls coun-
try, and we never wore into any new
ones. You might say, II you do 1t neatly,
that she had outgroWn her SNedenborgian
belief. She had grown far beyond II.
She went TO church sometimes, but At.
tached herself to no form Of faith.
"What will you do with the remainsT
asked the friend.
al WillhRye them brought home, and
determine aflerWArd what to do with
them. may possibly plant rose bush
over them. 1 would be very glad to have
her live In rose bush. / know itwould
please her, too, aud be In every way con.
sistent with her own ideas.".
aYou would not deposit the ashes in
the classical urnF queried The friend.
GNo, no, We don't want anything Of
the horrible abont Il. II might be well
enough, though, II there were . mausol.
cum here for the storing Of such remains.
"Haye any Of your friends expressed
a desire TO accompany you TO the crema.
4 u al