The New York herald., 1879-10-15
OBITUARY.
DIR. FRANCIS JULIUS LEMoYNE.

DIR. FRANCIS JULIUS LEMoiNH'
In his home at Washington. Pa. which. through
his eccentric ways and curious experiments mas
attained celebrity almost worldwide. DIR. Francis
julius Lemoyno expired yesterday. at the advanced
age OF eighty-one. ripe scholar. patient invest
gator and deliver in all sorts Of abstruse science
and occult art. the Doctors chiefest prominence
rested in his being the father Of cremation in
America. A life given up wholly to study and
reflection devoted in its decline to graft
ing upon the soil of this New World
custom which. except in the remote East.
had almost died with the inception of the Christian
era Unlike many advanced thinkers. the Doctor
made up his mind that an innovation 80 utterly In
consistent with present FORMS and opp lsed to the
practice if not the doctrine of dominant beliefs
would only in time gain foothvd with tho people.
and, in order to make his own example as well as
his theories efficacious he determined to become
himself one OF the first subjects of tho experiment.
During the last years of his life no constantly spoke
of the satisfaction it gave him to know that he
would DO incinerated after death. and he
professed hope that from his ashes would
arise widespread belief in the advantages
of cremation which would be sure to be followed
by its general adoption. A man like DR.. Lemoyna.
who solates himself from society and in the search
for scientific and moral truths dreams entirely OF
the future seldom is addicted to reciting the story
OF lifetime, however cncckefeu anu 30 IL napPens
that many who were brought into intimate relations
with him ignorant OF how his earlier years were
spent. A great part OF them. it is known. were de-
voted to the practice of medicine. and tho Doctor Is
said to have found the calling profitable to him
from financial standpoint as it was interesting to
him in his capac ity of student. Always eccentric.
1t only toward the close OF his career that no
displayed peculiaritics of mind and habit that
marked him out oddity, but through all his life
he showed himself possessed Of many Of the most
estimable qualities. TO educational and scientific
enterprises he subscribed largely and his generosity
IS attcsted by donation Of $25,000 to the Lemoyne
Institute in Memphis, Tenn, and gift of S21 900
the Washington College to endow chairs OF agricul-
ture and applied mathematics. He also devoted
$4,000 to the establishment OF public library at
Washington, Pa.
DR.. Lemoyne was the only by second
riage of John julius Lemoyne. French physician.
native soil. Ho settled at Gallipos. Ohio. but
removed to Washington. Pa. There the deceased
ans Sra in the he carried
ness for study with him into Washington
College. from which he graduated IN 1915.
for the healing art and he ut once began the study
OF medicine i'll the University Of Pennsylvania, and
after Ave years OF close application he essayed its
practice. In the year 1921 he married. and he had
eight children as the fruit OF his union. Five were
daughters, most Or whom are married. Inc sous
lawyer IN Chicago and an ex-member OF Congress:
Frank Lemoyne is prominent physician OF Pitts
burg Pa. and julius Lemoyne Is farmer in WASH
ington county
DR.. Lemoyne active politician till the lattcr
part OF Of his life and was perhaps the most pro-
nounced abolitionist in that section prior to tho
opening OF the war. Up to this day the memory
OF his friendship for tho slaves survives and many
instances remembered OF tho aid he rendered
OF them in crossing the line which divided the
slave from the free States. Owing to the proximity
mites to mako himself Of avail to the
objects of his pity, and he was always
willing to encounter serious personal risks
in dong so. AS manager OF the underground rail
road which had an important depot at this point.
and man VINO encouraged local enterprise by his
voice and purse. he soon became widely known. and
in 1s41 he candidate for Governor on the aboli
ton ticket but only received 1853 votes or late the
Doctor had chiefly devoted himself to study, and
only after years of Investigation did he take pro-
nounced position on the subject of creIna-
ton. Not satisfied with expressing his con-
about giving a practical illustration OF them
by erecting at his own expense crematory not far
from his place OF residence. 1t Is structure sim
glo story height covered with roof OF corrugated
iron and capped by three chimneysono for carrying
ment. There two apartments in it; one is
neatly furnished reception room with receptacle
tor the ashes of the cremated the other contains
the furnace where the process OF ncineraton is per-
formed. This peculiar cdifce was erected by the
as Gaows Hill, from its having beou tho scene OF
not few criminals final adieux to the world.
This crematory intended by the Doctor at first only
for himself, his family and such friends in the
neighborhood as concurred in the innovation, was
the means of lifting him into notorety which his
long physician. politician and philan-
thropist never won him. To it taken the
mains of the versatile and scholarly Baron de Palm.
and there. in the presence OF his associates
OF the Theosophcal Society, 1t was reduced
to ashes. The affair ut the time created
quite sensation. and the accounts of
it. which were published at length in the HERALD
ut the time, were widely read and commented on.
The Doctor presided, and under his direction tho
incineration conducted Its success afforded
him great satisfaction, which intensified when,
IN February. 1878, the body OF Mrs Jane Pitman.
wife Of Ben Pitman, OF Cincinnati. the celebrated
photographer, reduced to ashes in period
short beyond precedent in the history of cremation
About that date the Doctor. who was remarkably
robust i'll spite of his years. began to feel their
weight and almost his last days he devoted to the
writing of pamphlet entitled IAN Argument to
Prove that Cremation is Preferable to the Inhuma-
ton OF Dead Bodios.
The Doctor q man Of powerful frame and i'm
posing appearance. During his later years his nd
vanced ae his devotion to chemical experiments
in which he almost constantly engaged. gave
him weird. wizard-like appearance. His long
hair venerable gray beard and skin soiled with the
drugs OF the la, oratory mado singular impress
sion upon strangers. But those who knew the old
man more intimately understood that his cccentrici-
ties hid nature imbued with sympathy for his fel-
low men and wish to bo of service to them. For
some time lie unable to move about, and during
the last few days he sank rapidly till the loss OF
consciousness Sunday afternoon followed
forty eight hours after by death. Tho Doctor, in
his will, leaves instructions to have his body
mated In his fu rnace but does not fix . date.
FREDERICK J. BELTS.
Frederick ]. Belts died at Buffalo. N. Y, on tho
18th inst in tho seventy year OF his age.
He was born in Richmond, Berkshire county, Mass,
HIS grandfather. Samuel Comstock Belts ono
of the pioneers Of that part of hav-