Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1899-07-27
The FUNERAL OF lNGERSOLL
No Clergyman Present. NO Music and no
Pail Bsarsrs-Other strange Proceed-
inKs By Friends.

New York, July 25.-The funeral of the
late Robert G.. Ingersol took place this ef-
ternoon from Walston- ON Hudson. where
he died on Friday last.
No clergyman was present to conduct
the service; there was no music and there
were no pail Bearers. The body lay on a
cot in the room where he died 1t was en-
shrouded In white, with just one red rose
placed on the breast. About the cot were
floral tributes sent by friends, wreaths
and punches of blossoms.
The services were held at 1 o'clock. Mrs
Ingersol sat beside her dead, while be-
Idle her were her daghuters Mrs. Wal
ston II. Brown and Miss Maud Ingersoll
They were very much agitated. Mr.. and
Mrs G.. +. Farrell were present and
Charles Broadway Rouss, Col. Ingersoll' 5
oldest friend, occupied chair by the side
OF the bier. There were some 40 others
Ipresent and they remained standing
throughout the services.
The intense SILENCE was then broken by
Or. John Clark Ridpath who In voice
fun of emotion said
MY friends, it IL a very sad duty to read
in the presence Of the dead the last poem
written by Col. Robert q. Ingersoll emit
tied Declaration of the Free This
poem Col. Ingersoll had read and altered
in some of it's parts only few hours be-
fore he was stricken down.
Major o. ]. Smith, who resides in Dobb's
Ferry. and who was a close friend OF Col.
Ingersol then, without preliminary words
read another extract from Col. IDsersoll's
writing entitled My Religion"
DR.. John Elliott of New York read the
funeral Grafton delivered by Col. lnger-
soil over his brothers dead body. This
concluded the short and simple ser9ices.
Nearly all present then took q parting
look at the dead and passed out. After
they had gone Mr.. oRuss arose from mis-
! t.xtYI ind .Ssf.A
his hand over the face of his departed
friend and said:
Perhaps he Is better now. No one can
understand it,
Mrs Ingersoll said to him;
"The colonel wanted you to put your
| and upon his heart" anu sutins the ac-
| ion of the word she directed his nAnd to
tie left breast of the deceased.
Mr. Ruuss asked what she was going to
do with the remains. II cant give him
up" she said II can't put him in the
ground. can't bear to think of it. We're
COINS to bring him back home
The body will probably be taken to
Fresh Pond and OH Thursday be cremated
but this arrangement is subject 10 change.
During the morning there were macy
visitors to look upon the face of the Dcad.
Among them were several old colorcd ser
wants the family, who had come from
Washington and taken four days on and
paid their expenses to 90 honor 10 lheir
benefactor. Among these were two for
mer buffers of the family. One old man
who was "A baggage man on the rai,rod,
came from down on Long Island, others
came from Chicago, Syracuse and Buffalo.
Many additional kilograms Of sympathy
were received to-day. one of them being
/ from Gen. 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 it lay surrounded by
these flowers. 1t took a three quarter
view of the face.