The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-03-19
1 BADLY-scARED PREACHER.
"a Boy Over Whom he Preached Funeral
Service Died of Diphtheria.


a Boy over whom he Preached : Funeral
Service Died of Diphtheria.
New York World.
(, An interesting story of \ quarrel between
elergyman and an undertaken at funeral
which will probably terminate in a suit for dam
ages, is related by Coroner Kennedy:
"a week ago last Saturday he said, I'VE had
p funeral to attend to on Avenue A, near East
rows. the son of a respectable business man,
Eighty-sx street. A boy named Wallace Bur-
rows, residing in fat at No. 1855. Avenue A,
had died Of q mild form of diphtnerla Prepare
tons were made for the funeral, but | knew
nothing of the arrangements at the time, as
was confined to my bed. We did not receive the
doctors certificate giving the cause of death
until Friday night and the funeral was to take
place at noon tho following day. Itappears that
at the game house in which the boy had Gied. a
young lady in the adjoining fat had been ill with
the same disease, and, by order of the Board of
Health, the place had been disinfected by car
bolic acid.
sat the hour appointed FOR the services a
large crowd of friends and relatives of the de-
ceased gathered at the house, and the clergy
man. the Rev. Wilbur +. Curtis, pastor Of the
First Presbyterian Church, at Lexington
avenue and Eighty sixth street. conducted the
service The room was quite warm, IS there
was hot fire burning. The minister preached
for two hours When he got through he was
perspiring pretty freely from his work. Them
for the first time. he detected the smell of car
bolic acid, which had been used in disinfecting
the house He turned pale and asked person
standing near If the boy had died from con-
tagious disease. When he was informed that
such was the case he exclaimed:
s''Oh, my Godl why didn't you tell mel He
became greatly excited: and the people did not
know What to make Of his actions. He hur
riediy put on his hat and, without stopping to
pick up his overcoat darted out of the house like
flash. The mourners were very indignant
over his unchristian-like action, but the funeral
Ill 4t.~~~A A
few days afterwards / received the following
letter:
MIX anedy
Dear Sir-Please inform me Of what disease Wal
aass Burrows died funeral last Sat. 1925 Ave. Ar
the odor from ny suit of clothes, which scent
up whole car, or room. or church. whatever they
are after hours Of airing fear shall have to
discard them. Respectfully ~ y0 = =. ..r..
s'The next dry clerical-looking man entered
our place and asked if tho undertaken was in. l
told him the undertaken was out, but was his
sbrother. In the course OF a few remarks he
learned that was William III. kennedy, and he
drew himself up with an indignant gesture and
az have suffered a loss Of 8, ooo for which
you are responsible
: Who are your said L
al am the Rev. w. #. Crafts, said he.
"What have done to youq said /.
IS i of1ciated at tho funeral OF Wallace Bur
rows who died from a contagious disease, and
thereby lost my overcoat, which cost me $75,
and was compelled to destroy the remainder of
my clothing in order to prevent infection. The
result Of the germs OF the disease which carried
khome in my clothing made my wife i'll, and by
her illness am deprived of $40 day, which she
earns by attending to certain duties. consider,
sir, that have lost 81 900 by your negligence
criminal negligence, sir. According to the law
you should not have permitted person to enter
. house where another person died of a con-
tagious disease
~ Il couldn't prevent Them said L
. You should said he.
g you went there on your own free will, said
" You know didn't know said he
- You know the undertaken didn't know
SAID L
What about my clothingl want compen
sation, said he.
s That's your lookout You had no business
! 20 leave your overcoat there and don't know
anything about your suit of clothes, said I.
9 L will hold you responsible for the damages
said he.
81 expect continued Coroner Kennedy, "that
he will bring u suit against me He has already
made complaint to the Board Of Health, In
which he speaks of the unusual large crowd Z
permitted to attend the funeral
< ME Burrows the father of the dead boy, said
he was >member of Dr. Crafts congregation,
funeral. He did not know that his boy had died
OF diphtheria until after he learned Of the troub
le between Mr.. Craft and the coroner. The
physician who had been attending the boy told
him that the disease was catarrh of the head and
lungs He added that Mr.. Craft had visited him,
and demanded compensation for his alleged loss.
The Rev. Wilbur F. Crafts is preacher who
has gained much notoriety in this city, Brooklyn
and Chicago. He was Methodist minister in
Chicago but on account of some trouble with
his congregation he left that city and went to
Brooklyn and became Congregationaist He
took charge of the Lee-avenue Church, which
had been founded by DIR. Edward Eggleston.
His ministry there was not SUCCESS and the
storm which arose soon after he was installed
grew into such proportions that he was finally
obliged to vacate the pulpit He changed his
faith again. and became Presbyterian, and is
now tho pastor c. the First Union Presbyterian
(hnrnh