The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1899-07-27
INGERSOLL is DEAD.
The End Came to the Great
Agnostic at His Home
Near Dobbs Ferry.
A STROKE or APOPLExY.

apoplexy-
Mr.. Ingersoll went to his summer
home in Dobbs Ferry two days age
apparently in good health. Shortly
after his arrival there he complained
of slight indisposition.
He spent this 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 downstairs
to the dining room below. He
Iaughingly replied that while he did
not feel quite as young as he ssed
to be, 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 he 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 il was
due to apoplexy. Mr.. Ingersoll's
wife and two daughters were with
him when he died.
Colonel Ingersoll held the belief
that no mans life should be written
while he is alive. I5 will be the task
of Mr.. Baker to write bis biography.
A record of the mans daily life was
kept by his private secretary, as well
as his important utterances and
writings upon notable subjects.
One of the curious features of his
compact with his secretary was that
when the end was nearing Mr.. Baker
was to be constantly on hand to
record the events up to death. The
secretary had particular instructions
about what he was to do upon the
death of the Colonel. and in every
possible way arrangements were
made to make his real life clear to
posterity.
Robert Ingersoll came of pious
parentage. His father was strict
Congregational minister. The son
was born in Oneida county, n. Y,
August IL, 1888. His father, the
Rev. John Ingersoll, went to Ash,
tabula, o, from New York state in
1s41 to the First Presbyterian
This was in the early days
of Ashtabula county and in the city
of Ashtabula there were then fewer
than 1000 persons.
Mr.. IngersolI was pessimistic.
austere and rigid. He believed in
preaching hell-fire and using the
rod freely, and those who know say
that mischievous "Bob" had to take
many a sound thrashing in the old
woodshed at the rear of the house.
Mr. Ingersoll was an able preacher,
however.
Soon after his arrival here the
preacher took up the theory of the
"Grahamites" and insisted that the
family menu consist of graham and
vegetables. This diet was not as
palatable to the children as it was to
their distinguished father, but their
protests availed nothing. He believ-
ed that there was too much vanity
in the world. To him fine clothes
and even minor extravagances were
Little Bob, his elder
brother and two sisters often went
in their bare feet until so late In the
fall that many people remarked that
it was a wonder that they did not
catch severe colds, but John Inger-
soil was q man who believed in chill
dren becoming hardened and the
opinions of the people in no case
disturbed his peace of mind.
Robert, at the age of s years, was
attending the village school and was
often chosen to take part in the
school entertainments. His part
usually consisted of recitation. He
was never tinid in coming before an
audience, and even at that age he
once made quite hit before crowd
which gathered at q school enter.
tainment. This entertainment was
held IN the Baptist church.
It was therefore In church that