Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1891-05-17

| taken out from the ruins John was pro
| nounced dead and coroners permit was
! given to remove him to neighboripg un
| dertakers establishment. William hveC
| six hours, CONSCIOUS to the last, and CRATE
| full to an all-wise providence that his worth
| less nephew would now be excluded from
| any control over the Dingee million.
| John Winkletip was grass widower, his
| wife, an Englishwomau, having abandoned
| him and returned to England and for many
| years he had made his home with his only
! ether child, widowed daughter. Mrs.
| Timmins, who was openly opposed to many
| of her fathers peculiar notions, as she
| termed them, one of which was his strong
| advocacy of cremation, he being one of the
original stockholders, and at the time of
his death director OF the Long Island Gre
| nation society.
Consequently Mrs. Timmins gave orders
that Immediately after the coronor's in
quest her fathers body should be removed
to her residence in Harlem. but as the
officers of the Cremation society held the
solemnly executed direction and authorize
ton Of their late friend and associate to in
cinerate his remains, they were advised by
the counsel of their corporation that such
an instrument would justify them in taking
possession of the remains at the very earli-
est moment possible and removing it to the
crematory.
Warned by the undertakers of Mrs. Tim
Minis threatened interference, they re-
solved not TO risk even the delay necessary
to procure burial casket: in fact it would
be useless expense anyway, and conse-
quently John Winkletip began his last ride
on earth living in the cool depths of the un-
dertaker'S ice box.
As Mrs. Timmins' cab turned into Wash
ington street she met hearse, but not until
she had reached the undertaker'S eSta biiSh-
ment was her suspicion transformed into
certainty by being told that her fathers
body was already on its way to the crema-
tory.
Mrs Timmins was long headed woman.
She knew the uncertainties of cab trans
portation through the crowded streets be
low Canal, and dismissing her CAB at the
Cham bers street station of the Third
avenue elevated she was soon speeding on
her way to the Long Island City ferry.
This she reached just as a boat was leav
ing the slip. Misfortune number one. When
she finally reached the Long Island side.
she threw herself into the carriage nearest
at hand, crying out:
TO the crematory! Five dollars extra
if you get me there in time,'
1t was not many minutes before Mrs.
Timmins became aware of the fact that the
horse was next to worthless and could
scarcely be dashed into respectable trot.
Mrs. Timmins was nearly frantic Every
dow 10 urge the hackman 10 greater speed.
There was but one consoling thOught-the
hearse itself might get blocked or might
have missed boat.
As again and again her head was thrust
out of the carriage window. her hair be-
came disheveled, for she had removed her
hat, and the supertitious Hibernian on the
box was upon the point of abandoning his
post at the sight of the wild and crazed
look presented by Mrs. Timnins. Was she
not someone's ghost making this wild and
ride?
But the promise of extra S. kept the
man on the box.
Suddenly cry of JOY escaped Mrs. Tim
minis lips. The hearse was Just ahead of
them; but its driver had the better horses,
and half suspecting that something was
wrong, he whipped up vigorously and dis
in cloud of dust. Mrs Tim
minis horse, now as wet as if he had been
dipped into the river, and she expected
every minute to see him give out, but
strange 10 say, he had warmed up to his
work and now in response to the drivers
urging, broke into a run.
Again Mrs. Timmins caught a glimpse of
the black coach Of death in the dust clouds ,
ahead of her. The race became every in
slant more exciting. 1t was a strange |
sight, and instinctively the farmers in their |
returning vegetable wagons drew aside TO |
let them pass. once more the hearSe dis |
appeared in the dust clouds. . This was the |
last Mrs. Timmins saw of it until she drew |
up in front of the crematorium. There it !
stood with its black doors thrown wide |,
open. She had come too late. Her faith |
ar's body had already been thrust into the |
fiery furnace.
The antagonism of Winkletip's family to |
his views concerning the cremation of the |
lead was an open secret with every at |
.p "a 40 n ha rroa, oh
we're determined that the society should |
;ome out the winner. They We're on the |
ookout for the body. Everything to the |
ninutest detail was in readiness. The fur
lace had been pushed to its greatest de-
troying power. and hence was it that haste |