The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-12-10
THE INGERSOLLS BELIEFS.
EFFORTS TO CONVERT THE GREAT
dGNOSTIC,S FAMILY


Sent to Them Since Col. InRersoir.
Death.-Complete Harmony of BELIEF
Among tho Famiy-Infuence Of Mrs,
Ingersolps Grandmother. Mrs. Parker,
When Col Robert G. lngcrsoll died. hundreds
OF persons throughout the country asked a aucs-
ton which clearly showed that they had no Ca.
ccption Of the real state of affairs in the ngcrs II
household. II was; rs Mrs 1ngersoll really
an agnostic also'" or: DO his wife and family
share his views? Will they not change now9-
Ever since Col Ingcrsoll's death letters have
poured in from all PARTS of the earth from people
who write to inquire concerning the religious
faith of the family and TO urge upon them tho
commonly accepted beliefs Of the Christian world
beliefs long rejected by every one NJ Col Ingcr-
soil family including his widow, his daughters
Mrs Brown and Miss Maud IngcrsolI, his brother
in law, Mr.. Farrall. and his son.in.law, Walstou
Brown. How many thousands Of these letters
tracts and relics have arrived it is impossible 10
estimate Here some extracts from the letters
Are you converted now"
do you not now the folly Of your late hus-
bands agnostlcism?"
Although your husband is now in he'll there
Is yet TING for you 10 escape from the wrath 10
come I&nounce his pernicous doctrine before
IL Is forever too late
You arc now punished for being the wife II
an unbelicver. He must suffer eternal damns-
ton for the doctrines he preached. and you via
endure the same fate unless you accept the Bible
and turn away from tho dsmnabie theory Of Ingep
solism"
Thousands upon thousands of tracts have
come in. A few copies taken al random are en-
titled: Gods Word to the Bercaved Cnbccver":
The Fate Of the Damned; "a Thousand Years
In He'll; where Will You Spend Eternity7-
Finger Posts to Heaven; The Unbelievers'
Deathbed"; "Ingersollism a Fraud; What 10
the Soul: What Say the Scriptures About
He'll: Tomorrow In He'll; Hope for the In
fidci": Come to Jesus; why lngcrsoll was
Wrong; The Plan of the Ages; "Why Inn
mortality is True: The Palaces Of the Sccp,c.
Catholics have scnt bits Of relics scapulars
and other articles Spiritualists send assurance q
that they have received messages sent by Col.
Ingcrsoll from the spirit world They ask for q
sitting Few Of the letters from Sprituslists ore
answered at all
\ comparatively small proportion Of the letters
come from people who in their own way attempt
TO comfor, the family one was written by a
woman Of Atlanta, Go, and part Of II is as follows:
my DEAR MRs. lSGHRsoLL: The cry of
your grief stricken heart has come To and
desire. ON, much. 10 contribute my grain q
comfort Dear one. can you not believe that
your beloved il still with you. at your side
constant though silent companion DO taks
this comfort Ia your heart. You who knew tho
breadth Of soul. the largcncss of heart the noble
nature OF your husband much more intimately
than any else could. can you not believe TINT
these graces of heart and life were bu, the man.
Hesitation of the loving Father within him Can
you no, believe, with me, that this same loving
Father welcomed his son, running 10 meet him.
falling upon his neck. kissing him and crying.
This is My SON Robert who has not recognize
Ne these many years, but whom I have been
loving all the time This my son. who WAS
dead bu, is olive again. has come back 10 his
Fathers house And there was Joy in Hea ven.
Take heart dear. bcEcaycd one Take To your
sslf this assurance, this hope, this comfort offered
you from the fullncss Of a loving. sympathetic
heart lie may not return to you. bu, you shall
go IN him"
The amount Of illitcracy in the letters is aston
ishng one reads
-MY Maud IngerSoN
DEAR MAD. enclose you a tract. what il
the Soal, and hope reading same may Convert
you from The evil Of your Ways hope you will
write me your Opinion Of il"
The avalanche which has poured in upon the
family has nSci their utmost resources 10 sort
out what little wheat there was from the chat
and TO send replies 10 all who deserved il So
far as has been possible they have sent courteous
replies To all really sympathetic and sensible
letters Three large drawers have now been
-, ASIDE for the reception Of future correspondence
and they respectively labeled. Well meaning
"Spiritualistic and "ldiOtic
Most o: the writer's seem u doubt Mrs lngcr-
soils agnosticSm She could scarcely
hold other beliefs Sarah Buchanan Par
kcr her grandmother, was the wife OF wealthy
shipuDncr .! Boston. AMI alter his death
she with two sons, George and 3encmin crossed
the country and in 1886 settled in central llli-
nois Here her home was situated in the centre
Of n triangle having at its angles Springfield,
Bloomington and Peoria. Here the family flour
ishcd and exercised decided influence ON all
educational, political and business interests OF
the community. This influence was excr,ed
chiefly by Mrs Parker. who was woman q! unu+
ua intellectual qualities and fond 81 study In her
library were more books than usually fell 10 the
lot OF any save a minister or a lawyer in thoss
days Her taste ran 10 a study of the religions and
creeds III the world, and among her fayor,,,
books were the bible, the Koran, the Vedas and
The works OF S"cdcnborg. Hume Humboldt
Nolncy. Noltairc, Gbbon, Kant and Paine She
arrived at that stage where she believed only in
the revelations of science, Tohcr sons she ,suvhs
her beliefs and they followed in her footsteps for
10 them she was ever an oracle. while the bond
Of affection between them OF that close and
deep sea,ed nature which is characteristic Of the
lngcrsoll and Parker families on both sides Tor
many generations back.
poin, Of meeting Tor well known men If The i,n,
Three OF the hes, kuown and mos, welcome were
Anrnham Lincoln OF Springfield: David Davis,
aiterwhrd senator, of Bloomington, and Leonard
SWEET OF chicago The three men were ali im-
innate friends and very fond Of one another,
hui the iact that they lived al widely Different
places and that travel was not then 40 easy as
now led them frequently 10 agree on some place
81 common advantage Wen meet at Mrs
parkeIs was always satisfactory 10 all, and 50
they did and more than one Western minister
had the fortune 10 do his best measuring argu
mcnts with the four Tor Mrs Parker roof sheltered
many a one, To whom she extended every cour-
tesy that the most orthodox could have done;
hPF ia
without being asked To say grace
Into this brilliant circle Robert e. Ingcrsoll
entered about 1893 and met Eva Parker daugh-
ter Of Benjamin Parker. with whom he Al onr.
fell in love, and from The hour they met until tho
day Of his death the harmony in every respect
between perfect Miss Parker was already
an agnoslic
This group continued unbrokcn up to the time
OF Mrs Phrkcr's death. She departed this lto
al An advanced age. ripe with the hunors Of .
well spent existence and undisiurbed in her atheis-
tic belcl From her had radiated an influence
which may be IleaIlX lraccd al be NJ -.