The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-01-05
PUT HIS CREEDIN HIS WILL
NO RELIGIOUS SERVICE OYER THE
LATE HENRY ~. TIBER

-
ne Gave isis Rody TO ne Burncd-Fermeriy
President or the Heard OF Trustees or the
first Presbyteriau Church-Be LEFT q MIL
iion and an lpiunctien 10 his Two Chiidren.
This Is an extract from tho last will OF Henry
Morehouse Taber, formerly PRESIDENT and Treas
urer Of the Board Of Trustees OF tho First Pres
bytcrian Church OF 81 Fifth avenue, OF which the
Rev. DIR. Howard Dufield is minister:
Believing that all religions. including Chris
tianity, arc supcrstitions; that the basic doc
trine Of the Christian religion-tho fall OF
man-is utterly and absurdly false. and that
its oppositc-the rise Of man from lower ordersl
lis n scientific fact; that belief in $50 called
miracles are Authorizations of tho brain, and
never had the slightest existence in fact; that
the chief characteristics Of what Is known rs
the Word of God are injustice, cruelty, untruth.
fulness. and obsccnity: that the effect OF ortho-
dox Christian teachings Is to encourage ignor-
ancc, selHshness, acrimoniousness. intolerance.
wrong. and mental slavery; that Christianity,
so called, Is not tho religion OF Christ; that 1t
supplants ethical culture and true morality
with meaningless theology and unbelievable
dogmas; that 1t puts an unknown land probably
unknowableD imaginary being in the place Of
~nature; that II gives a name and a personality
to evil, an equally unknown and imaginary be-
ing; that 1t so works upon the credulity o; its
aoherentS as 10 lnNlte III them u IehF u lihab
most horrible of doctrines) eternal punishment:
I say, believing all this. l, in all kindness, re-
quest that over my remains there be no religious
services of any kind, nature. or description
whatever.
~ also request that my body be cremated at
Fresh Pond or other crematory. and that my
ashes be left there.
III. as has been said. the highest tribute to
the memory OF our dead consists in obedience to
their wishes may l not trustingly hope that my
children will pay the tribute to my memory OF
seeing that The above clearly expressed wishes
are carried out, and that they will resolutely
and pcrsistently resist any effort that may DO
made on the part of any VI my pious relatives
or friends to thwart my wishes"
Mr.. Taber's will was filed for probate yester-
day. IL disposes of about a million dollars;
Mr.. Taher was q widower at his death, az -
years Of age, on Dec. "a last. He died at a. West
Twelfth street. He began business in this city
in the cotton trade in 1910. and at the, time OF
his death was q member OF the firm OF Henry N.
cremation Cseer i Go soe de was and rreS membS or OF ore the SeC Cotton
the Museum Of Natural, History, the Academy
of Design. the New England, Society. the Amer
lean Geographical Society, the Society for ETH
cal Culture, and the Union L ague Club. He
on the board Of the Presbyterian Hospital, and
was in the directories OF a number OF banks, in
f Hs Wss o one pof e.. ana Glaes Of 9r tSe Lioyaii
Two children survive Mr.. Tsber-Merg, who
William p. Tabcr. died on Oct. 80 last. The
are M1si t wes c safsHs0e ex ee ted April 1p' i' IS. 1885 * and
| Nov. %, 1897. The daughter Mary is made
SSo house and is ane ]eon sns hsf i Pf ire. '' %T. + Tab Sss s s1s
aside $4,000 for his executriX to use in con
tinuins his business of Henry NJ. Taber & Co,
and the rest OF his estate is to be divided be-
The funeral was held at the family residence.
| vices were conducted by Prof. Felix. Adler Of
the Ethical Culture Society and, conformed IN
S %is5y tS respect rsne to the in 11s1FHfti09s Of II S ahe Ta6e an TO
spoke Of Ir, TaSer's lifs as one worthy Of
Of tolerant spirit. benevolent inclinations.
indubitable honesty. and commendable altru-
ings OF the Society for Ethical Culture, were
sung by q quartet. The body was Immediately
taken TO Fresh Pond and Cremated
Mr.. Taber was -nevcra member of the First
Church society. His wife, however, was n de-
v9tsd Of Shq Ire Tlrss ch as 2 on Id' a %eensfa IN t a,
WIS death Mr.. Tsber FREQUENTLY ~aseompanied
responsibility OF assisting in the management Of
the church society's temporal affairs. +,
My fathers connection with the church,
said sydney Richmbnd Taber yesterday, was
! purely n business mans relation 10 his business
]a agsmsa, He If 1 fSs sSar sfr's a. 4 sr1 pasei IN ' Business men,
proposition, and when my mother was alive ac-
companied her to some of the services.
He was a, man OF, very strong convic-
death severed his connection with the
| church as far as any religious relation existed.
He desired that MS little fuss be made over his
death as was possible. and what he has said in
the will concerning his funeral was often i'm
pressed by him upon my sister and myself -,
The funeral services which were held could
not be termed religious, as Prof. Felix Adler in
his address confined himself to the most mate
rial themes. and the character Of the hymns or
songs was wholly compatible with the instruc-
tions OF the will.