The Portland daily press., 1896-02-03

He broke with the leaders of his party
because he would not go on the stump
when he was judge and degrade his
nigh once by engaging IN party pol.
man, impartial, unbiased and an in
corruptible judge.
DIR. Parsons illustrated by the follow
ing story: Ha was once riding on the
rain with the chancellor and his wife
The latter said: Do you know how
near came to being heavy ssookholder
in this railorad? and then related that
sometime previous it was ne cessary that
a receiver should be appointed for that
railroad There were two factions among
the parties involved. Each had its eau
didate for the position and each had the
audaoity to hint at a bride, II the chan.
cellor would appoint. They were ordered
from his office in the most vigorous Eng
fish. Later the chanoellors wife was
approached and offered large block of
the stock If she would use her influence
The ohanoellor's anger was something
terrible when she told hira about it. His
honor was assailed and he bristled in
defense. Neither of the men were ap-
pointed.
In his domestic life he was lover Of
home and wife and children and contin-
ued to be to the end.
The reason for his declining the Aus
trian mission in '84 was simply this.
After it was offered him he mentioned it
at home. His old father was sitting at
he thought of it. ''Oh," said the old
man, "i'll be so lonely, Theodore. if you
go away "Then I won't co." said
the noble son and he wired to President
Cleveland to that effect.
And now I come to the crown of t
all. He was imam in Christ" His
conversion was remarkable and entirely
| oh ootor nj NIL
of Newark and ~ years old, he happened
into the chapel of st. Paul's church on
a prayer meeting night TO see gentle
man on legal business. Testimonies were
being given. The lawyer sat on the back
seat and listened. Before closing DR..
Dashisll, then the pastor, said, Is there
one here who has not spoken and who
meeting who would like to say a word ?"
The lawyer arose and said, II thank
you for the invitation for would like to
say word. I came here tonight to see
q gentleman on business at the close of
the meeting, and while I've been here
I've been listening and thinking. Some
thing now and strange has come over
me. Here are men and women in whom
have the utmost confidence and who,
II they were witnesses on my side in any
case, should think the case won, who
have spoken intelligently and positively
on the question of personal religion. This
bsing true, cannot believe that they are
deceived or mistaken in this most i'm
portant matter of which they speak and
I've been asking myself how can longer
fail to bsliev5 and accept great truth,
established by such a crowd of credible
witnesses and do not doubt any more
and, Goi helping me, from this day I
! will be Christian. desire your sym
pathy and prayers"
That was the hour Of his conversion to
the religion of Christ and from that hour,
until in the gray dawn of last Monday
morning the Fathers gentle voice whis-
pered to him, ut is enough, come up
higher" he lived a consistent and devot-
ed Christian life. His fidelity to duty
leader in st. Paurs church when he was
| appointed to the ohanoellorship, and was
compelled to spend much of his time in
Trenton. His class met on Tuesday night
and on the afternoon Of every Tuesday he
rode from Trenton to Newark to meet
with his brothers and sisters in the class
room.
He was chief justice Of the state of New
Jersey and he was a olass-leader in the
| Methodist Episcopal church and be was
no more faithful in the discharge of the
duties of one office than of the other
| For years he was superintendent of the
Sunday school of St. Paul's church but
whole duty with that. By his effort a
mission chapel was erected in a needy
part of the city for which he gave most
literally and for years the chief Justice of
the state was also superintendent of a
mission Sunday school.
Theodore Runyon was in every sense
| a high grade man. He was proud man
and yet as kind hearted as any who ever
lived. Make your case for any needy
| person or cause and he responded in
stantly with sympathy and means. While
not man of show and pomp for the
sake of these things, yet he was always
rigidly observant of the conventionalities
and best usages of society. This will ac-
count for the fact that upon his first pre-
sentation to the German Emperor he ap-
peared in the full uniform Of major
general of the United States army, be-
cause he knew those things counted for
something there.
| He was a man in the first rank in So
ciety, but never overbearing or patro-
nizing, and yet he recognized the social
distinctions, and being a high grade
| man, a proud spirited, superior and SUI
perb man he could not be the demagogue
and neglect to witness that fact before
! the world.
! The death summons came to him while
worshipping in the house OF God. With
difficulty he reached his home and in a
few days, his earthly career had closed
Glow happy the angels must be- p
said little Boston girl when her mother
told her that Phillips Brooks was dead
Today I appreciate the touching words
of the loving child and say while earth
is poorer in the loss of great and good
man, heaven is undoubtedly richer.
| Theodore Runyon, true heart, noble
soul, dear friend, hail and farewell, and
yet not farewell for, please God, we shall
meet in the morning.
Funeral of William f. Todd.
| The funeral of the late William j.
Todd took place at his late residence at
No. Fessenden street, Oakdale, yester-
day afternoon. So large a number of
people we're present that the house was
much crowded. Rev. DR.. Parsons of the
Chestnut street church offioiated. The
Masonic services were performed by the
officers of Atlantic Lodge. The Jewellers
l.