The McCook tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 1886-1936, 1899-07-28
ROBT. INGERSOLL DEAD.
The Greatest of All Agnostics Summoned
Suddenly.
IS CARRIED orr BY APOPLExY
Death Comes to Him at His Summer
Home, With Wife and Two Daughters
Prosent-Brief Biographical Sketch of
"a Man Who was Known From One End
of the Country to the Other.

NEW YORK, July 22.-Robert G.
lngersoll died at his home IN Dobb's
Ferry, N. Y, yesterday afternoon of
apoplexy.
Mr.. Ingersoll went to his summer
home in Dobbs' Ferry two lays ago,
apparently in good health. Shortly
after his arrival there he complained
OF a slight indisposition.
He spent yesterday morning in his
room, and shortly before he was
stricken his wife offered to have his
luncheon sent up to him so that he
would not have to walk down stairs
to the dining room below. He laugh
ingly replied that while he did not
feel quite as young as he used to,
he guessed he was not yet an invalid
and he would go down with the others.
AS he finished speaking and was about
to rise he fell back into his chair.
A physician was Immediately sum-
moned, but when ne reached the
house he found that Mr.. Ingersoll had
died almost instantly. The physician
did not give the cause of death, but
the family believe it was due to apo-
plexy.
Mr.. Ingersoll's wife and two daugh-
tiers were with him when he died.
Colonel ROBERT G. Ingersoll, gener-
ally conceded to be the greatest of all
~agnostics, was the son OF a Presbyter-
ian minister of the strictest sect, and
by many at least his views on the
bible are thought to be the revulsion of
feeling due to the severity of relig-
ious discipline in his boyhood days.
He was a youth of tender years wnen
his father was installed as pastor of
a church at Ashtabula, O., in 1S41.
Here he spent several years, removing
to Madison, O., and later to Illinois.
1t is somewhat strange that his first
fame as an orator should have been
won at a Sunday school picnic in Illi-
nois, where he was put in as a make
shift on account of the speakers who
had been expected failing to appear.
Later he studied law and was admit
ted to the bar. He served in an Illi-
nois regiment during the war, where
he earned the title of colonel. He also
served in congress from Illinois. He
first sprang into national fame as an
orator by his speech nominating
Blaine for the presidency in the Gin
cinnati convention, wherein he por-
trayed him as a plumend knight in the
political arena, ready to meet and
vanquish any aspiring opponents.
Long before this every man, woman
and child in Peoria, ILL.,, his home,
was familiar with his powers as an
orator and with his keen wit. Thomas
Crafty, the very opposite of Ingersoll
in personal appearance-small, wrink-
led-faced and sour looking-was his
only rival. When it was known that
these two were to try a lawsuit it
mattered not what the case, the court
was sure to be crowded. There
was certain to be clashing of wit, logic
and eloquence such as is worth any
mans while to listen to.
Later, when he became more of a
national figure, he removed to New
York, where by %lecturing and in the
practice of his profession he earned
large sums of money, though by rea-
son of his generosity and free spend
ing of money he accumulated little in
proportion to his opportunities.
Personally. he was a o genial
man and in his family, as with others,
he was liberal to the point of prodi-
gality. Every man, woman and child
in Peoria knew him and his kindly
heart and purse were always open
to the cry of distress. Whatever else
in his creed there may have been to
condemn, the people who knew him
could not help but admire these traits
of his character.