Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1883-02-16
NO PREACHERS.
Charles r. Thorne's Dying Request
About His Funeral Ceremonies.
Stuart Robson, the Actor, Conducts
the Service A Simple Burial.

~. Louis. fCuruafN ~. - ne follow
ing New York special TO the Post bis.
patch was published here yesterday
One day about twelve years age
Charles X. Thorne, Jr., Stuart Robson
and Robert Craig were discussing the
quiet burial of Charles Dickens, and
fell TO talking about unpleasant funeral
sermons that had been preached over
actors. Craig said that he would have
no Clergyman speak at his funeral.
1T was there Mr.. Robson said,
"that Thorne, Craig and ! made a
compact that whoever Of us survived
the others or another should do what
could be done to keep the
preachers away from the funeral.
Thorne went to Europe. Craig
died suddenly. His family insisted
on having the usual religious services
AT the funeral. | told them of Craig's
well known wish ia the matter, but
they insisted. The minister who con
Quoted the service was an educated
man. bat he had all the preiudices
more common in his profession then
than now, and he began TO make an
apology for the evil which this young
man had committed in adopting a
profession that had so many evil
associations, while his talents i'll
an honorable calling might have
brought him great honor. He thought
he was justified in asserting that in
spite of this Mr.. Craig might have a
hope of heaven. / told Thorne this
when lac returned from Europe, and it
increased his feelings against such
proceedings. He said he did not wish
all sorts OF people 10 be running 20 his
funeral at the Little Church around
the Corner, just because he was nm
actor, and the last word he said to his
wife was: mo preacher, tell Rob. y
In accordance with this wish of Mr..
Thorne, his funeral was conducted
early III the morning. The coffin,
covered with black cloth, lay in the
center of the room. The face of the
actor was exposed.
THOSE MEMBERS OF THE PROFESSION
and friends of the family in
the room were Mr.. a. NJ.
Palmer, w. III. Morton, w. IL.
Crane, Chas. r.. Thorne, ST.. VIII
Thorne and his wife, Mrs. Jno. Cham
berlin, Walden Ramsay Jno. Math-
ews, DR.. Haywood and Stuart Robson
and his daughter Alicia. At9:30
O'Clock Mr.. Robson crossed the room
and stood beside the coffin and said in
his peculiar voice: 1T was often the
expressed wish of our dear friend dur
ing the Illness which resulted in his
death that no performances of relig-
ious nature should be permitted ut his
funeral. In conformity with this de-
sire. let us bid good-by to him simply
and briefly. He had few enemies and
many friends. Narrow men did not
love him-generous men did. He was
liberal to a fault, honest, manly and
true. Those who knew him best
loved him best. High tempered
at times as all good men are
If led hastily into an injustice, he as
quickly saw his error and rectiiied it. 1t
IL n source of qualification for us to
know that he'who lately feared death
as the most dreaded OF all evils, when
the time came, welcomed it with all the
calmness of a sleeping child. He had
few regrets for the past and none for
the future. If Chas. =. Thorne had
faults, | never saw them. NV great
love for the man clouded my Judgment
perhaps. | could sec only the good in
him. Last Thursday saw him for
the last time. He asked me in
n laughing way If | had any clearly
defined ideas in respect to future
state. | replied as vaguely as could
that / supposed the subject was rather
indefinite; that the more thought the
less / knew, and several other current
answers In popular use. He said
that during his illness he had read
literally on this theme and saw moth
ing more suitable to his views than
>the following lines. The future is u
dark, impenetrable curtain which no
human being has ever drawn aside
and cannot be better reached than by
the recital of the following words from
the imnisNtal masters Tempest, which
MIR. ThornN frequently recited with n
tenderness which has not been euualled
IN our time.
These our actors,
As | foretold you, \were ali spirits.
Are melted into air, into\thin air:
And, like the baseless fabric of this
vision,
The Handicapped towers, the gorgeous
palaces,
The solemn temples, the great gfsbe
itself,
Yea, all which it inherit, shall dis
solve
And, ike this insubstantial pageant
fuded,
Leave not n rack behind.
'We.are such stuff
AS dreams are made of, and our little
life
Is rounded with a sleep.'n
Mr., Robson then read this telegram
from Robt. G. Ingcrsoll;
" Say what YOUR heart prOnnts 4
few tears, n few words, few flowers.
are all that the living can give to the
dead. The tragedy has ended, the
curtain has fallen. Applause cannot
lift ii again, but memory and hope re-
main. Give my sincere sympathy to
those who weep
The pall-hearers lifted the coffin into
the hearse, which was driven to the
Grand Central depot. The 1880
o'clock train bore il to Woodlawn
cemetery. Here, without any words,
II was placed in receiving vault.