The San Francisco call., 1899-07-26
Simple Services Conducted
by His Lifelong Friend,
John G. Ridpath.
NO CLERGY PRESENT
Last Poem of the Great Agnostic,
the "DeclaratiOn Of the Free"
Read Over the Body.
Special Dispatch to The Call.

NEW YORK, July 25-The funeral
of the late Robert G. Ingersoll took
place this afternoon from Walston,
Dobbs Ferry, where he died on Friday
last
No clergyman was present to conduct
the services; there was no music and
there were no pallbearers. The body
lay on a cot in the room where he died.
1t was enshrouded in white and just
one red rose placed on the breast.
About the cot were banks of floral
tributes sent by friends, wreaths and
punches of blossoms. The services were
held at o'clock. Mrs. Ingersoll sat be-
side her dead and beside her were her
daughters, Mrs Walston H. Brown and
Miss Maud Ingersoll. They were very
much agitated and wept almost con-
tinuously. Mr.. and Mrs. G. p. Farrell
were present, and Charles Broadway
Rouse, Colonel Ingersolrs oldest friend,
occupied a chair by the side of the bier
There were some forty others present,
and they remained by Dr. John Clark
Ridpath, who, in a voice full of emo
tion said: MY friends, it is my very
sad duty to read in the presence of the
dead the last poem written by Colonel
Robert G.. Ingersoll, entitled The
Declaration of the Free. This poem
Colonel Ingersoll had read and altered
in some of its parts only few hours
before he was stricken down"
Major o. j. Smythe, who resides in
Dobbs Ferry, and who was close per-
sonal friend of Colonel Ingersoll, then
without preliminary words read an
other extract from Colonel Ingersolrs
writings, entitled My Religion"
DR.. John Elliott of New York read the
funeral Grafton delivered by Colonel
IngersoIl over his brothers body.
This concluded the short and simple
services. Nearly all present then took
q parting look at the dead and passed
out After they had gone, Mr.. Rouse
arose from his chair and as he is total
ly blind, passed his hand over the face
of his, departed friend and said: Per
haps he is better now. No one can un-
derstand it." Mrs. Ingersoll sail TO
him: 1.-The colonel wanted you to put
your hand upon his heart" and suiting
the action to the word. she directed his
hand to the left breast of the deceased.
Mr.. Rouse asked what she was going
to do with the remains. L can't give
him up' she said. Il can't put him in
the ground. can't bear to think of it.
We're going to bring him back home. :"
The body will probably be taken to
Fresh Pond Thursday for cremation.
but this arrangement is subject to
change During the morning there
were many visitors to look upon the
face of the deceased Among them
were several old colored servants of the
family who had come from Washing
ton and took four days off and paid
their expenses to do honor to their
great benefactor. Among these were
two former buffers of the family.
One old man, who was a baggageman
on the railroad, came from down on
Long Island Others came from Chi
cago, Syracuse and Buffalo. Many ad-
ditionaI kilograms of sympathy were
received to-day, one of them being
from General Miles. Floral tributes
were received all the morning and
there were two rooms full of them.
A photograph of the body was taken
this afternoon, just as 1t lay surround