Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1891-05-29
Sad Ending of the Days Pro-
ceedings at Detroit.
JUDGE BRECKENRIDGE DEAD.
He Falls Painting 10 the Floor While Discussing
the Legal Phase of the Briggs Case.
Proceedings OF the Southern Presbyterian
Convention in Session at BirminS-
ham, Ala.-Greetins From Their
Northern Brethren.
Northern Presbyterians.
Special to the Gazette.


! Presbyterian assembly opened this morn
! ing interest in the Briggs case was strong
! enough. not only TO bring out i much larger
/ attendance OF commissioners AT the opening
! prayer service. but 10 ill The galleries with
| interested spectators. BY the time the
| hour for business session arrived the church
| was filled
! DR.. Patton Of Princeton opened the dis
/ cussion with an argument IN defense of the
! report favoring the veto OF Dr. Briggs ap-
| pointment. He felt that al were willing
| 10 credit the committee with j desire 10 do
| what was best.
| Professor Henry P. Smith of Lane semi
! nary rose to The defense OF DR.. Briggs the
! moment President Patton had concluded.
| He denounced the report as & proposition 10
| put an end 10 the usefulness of minister
| in good standing. The adoption of the re-
! port would put stain on the minister,
| harm the church and cripple the school,
ALREADY HURT BY \ DEATH.
| Professor Smith was caustic in his refer
| ences to DR.. Green OF Princeton. Not every
| school, ne said, could hope to have pro-
| fesSorS Of the physical aud mental stature
| OF DR.. Green. The second charge that Dr..
| Briggs was not orthodox was i gravcr one.
| There were a number of assertions III the
| address which, whatever might DE said of
! their prudence, should not De said to be
| contrary 10 the tenets of confession The
! most serious point was that of progressive
| sanctitcation. He didn't thoroughly UNDER
| stanG what Briggs meant on this point.
| Perhaps Dr. Briggs could explain. The
| Bible and confession had been misunder-
! stood-why not DR.. Briggs position? The
| doctrine of the Presbyterian church meant
| that every minute of time thirty human
| beings
DROPPED INTO HE'LL.
| This went on into centuries. Did they
! ever reflect and face the problem ana keep
f b.,
| that possibly God might give some relief
| for them.
| Rev. :. C. Logan, D. D., of Scranton,
! Pa, wanted the action proposed by the
| committee modified 1t would tend to the
| peace OF the church if they could postpone
! action.
President Patton of Princeton took the
| floor in behalf OF the report of the commit
tee. The only difficult point to his mind
| was the Interpretation of the compact be-
| tween the Union and Presbyterian assem-
bly,. If that compact permitted the exer-
else Of veto, and he thought it did. the
| duty of the assembly now lay in the direc-
ton of exercising the veto on stopping, once
for all. The assembly must make its con-
domination direct if it made it at all.
DR.. Dickey OF the Union seminary rather
disappointed the assembly by his failure to
back Briggs as strongly as was expected.
Races was here taken.
At TIE AFTERNOON SESSION
Judge S. NJ Breckenridge Of St Louis
spoke on the legal phases of Briggs case.
He held the church must act this year, or
the matter would be ended. Before he got
through, he fell fainting, aud had to be car
ried out OF the church. Several doctors
| came to his assistance, but he died i'll a few
minutes.
The assembly adjourned upon hearing of
the death Of Judge Breckenridge.
Among the most PROMINENT points ad-
vanced by Judge Breckenridge were the
following:
Years ago, ne said, the Union seminary
was independent, but in 1871 became Pres
byterian, and of course the assembly from
thu time controlled the appointments.
If we don't veto now, said he, I'VE never
can. DR.. LOgan'S amendment for referring
is impracticabe We view the transfer
from one chair to another the same as an
appointment. We can do nothing wisely
but disapprove. think it is wise to not
assign reasons. A Judge sometimes cannot
give all reasons for decisions on the bench,
but without assigning other reasons, il
does seem to me that the mind Of the church
for some months has been anxious, and we
should relieve i.
His last words We're: Now, gentlemen.
I feel that l have discharged nv duty. and
wish to be excused from further speak
ing
Reaching for glass Of water he threw
up his hands and fell, striking the back
Of his head heavily on the floor
He was carried to an ante room. Dr. Yoe-
mans attended him, put in Il few moments
he was dead.
The cause OF death was pronounced to be
heart disease.
The shock to the assembly when Judge
Breckenridge's death was announced was
perceptible one. Debate discontinued al
once, the banquet set for tonight post
poned and 4 memorial service or
dered instead. A committee consisting of
Rev. S. L. Patton, 6. 5. Hayes, c. A
Dickey and H p. Smith, and Elders George
Junkin, ]. J. McCook and L. w c. Humph-
rey were appointed to take charge Of the
remains and prepare minute to be pre-
sented to the assembly.
While awaiting the report of the commit
tee on funeral the assembly listened 10 re-
marks on the character of Judge Brecken-
ridge.
Prayers were offered, scriptures read and
hymns were sung.
The funeral committee accepted Gen.
Ayers tender of his private car to take
the body home, and the remains We're
shipped TO St. Louis tonight.
Just before he began his las speech
Judge Breckenridge was conversing with
Rev. DR.. Vermiuyea, delegate of the re-
formed Episcopal church, speaking of his
wife and children, and made an appoint
ment with DR.. Vermillyea to lunch together
tomorrow
The sad incident of the afternoon entirely
upset the assembly, ana after arranging for
the funeral the assembly adjourned.