Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1899-07-26
Robert e. IngerSOll.

noon, without an instant's warning, sitting
in a chair of his bedroom at his summer
home among the highlands Of the Hudson,
at Dobbs Ferry. He passed away smiling,
but mute. 1t was not the way he wanted
to die. He had for long in his mind some
thing he desired to say before death. 1t
was never said. Another desire was full
filed at his end, however, he retained con-
troll of his faculties until death. His wife
was in the room when he died. She had
Just spoken to him. He did not answer,
save with the smile. His last words were
spoken few minutes before, when he had
| left the veranda, where members Of the
household were sitting, with the remark
that he would return In a few minutes and
Join in game Of billiards. Heart disease
was the cause Of his DEATH
Robert Green Ingersoll was born in
Dresden, N. Y, an August IL, 1888, of
churchly parentage, his father being Con-
gregational minister. Because of bis re-
fusal to accept literally some of the church's
tenets, Ingersoll, senior, was frequently in
hot water with his fellow clergymen, and
from this it happened that young Robert
was baptized in theatre where his father
was holding services, his church having
been taken away from him. In young In
gersoll's early religious education the tor
ments of hell played large part and
reused spirit Of antagonism in the lad as
soon as he began to be old enough to think.
According toFCol. Ingersolrs own account
the beginning Of his agnostlcism was due
to the speech of minister before Sunday
school. Dives and Lazarus was the sub
ject, and the minister described the rich
man as still suffering fiery tortures and IN
vain begging Abraham for a drop Of water.
81 got up and went out" says Col. In
gersoll, "knowing in my boyish heart that
that was lie. From that day to this have
never believed in the dogma of eternal
punishment"
He was then less than nine years old.
When his father learned of his having lett
the meeting there was trouble for Robert.
The trouble took place in the barn, and
: the instrument thereof was strap in the
Rev. Mr.. Ingersoll's hands, after which
there was prayer for the guidance Of the
erring. Robert went out smartipg, but I'M
convinced. Meantime, the minister-tatber
was making acquaintance himself with the
corrective strap ecclesiastical, and found il
expedient to move. For some years the
family went from place to place in New
York, staying only a short time in each
town, and finally went out to Wisconsin
then back again as far as Illinois. All thi:
time Robert was picking up education al
he could, with receptive mind. When he
, was 1S years old he began to study law il
| the office of his brother, Eben c., who wal
afterward member of congress.
Ingersoll's defence OF the ''Star Route
conspirators" made him known we'll in the
east, and Immediately upon his settling il
New York cases began to pour in upor
him. His specially was mining cases, ant
1 many of the greatest suits in the history o
American mining enlisted bis services OF
i one side or the other. AS an after-dinne
r speaker, too, he was much in demand fo
t his wit and wealth OF language, and tn
pulpit began to denounce him for his treel,
expressed agnostic and heretical views
u This he bore with the utmost good humor
r as well he might, since it was all advertise
!, ment for him. His lectures on eth
Gods" "Ghosts," "Some Mistakes O
Noses" and afterward 1.-The Bible" ant
: the Foundations OF Faith" establishes
e him as one of the foremost public speak
:. ers of bis time, and offers for lecture
o poured in upon him from all parts of til
country, so that much of his time wa
u spent and much of his wealth was game
in this way.
n Always his attitude toward the Churc
, was one OF sarcastic charity. His moi
pointed epigrams were coupled with ASSET
tions that be believed the Christian churc
to be acting in good faith, but mistak enl
and foolishly. At the same time he neve
specifically denied the existence Of God
he merely said that he did not know.
10 other words, be was pure agnostic. a
n to the accepted deity of the Christia
church, however, there was never an
doubt Of his attitude. He ridiculed th
re possibility Of God who should door
n millions of souls to endless torrents, an
;. condemned those whose nature was sue
that they could worship this God. Matt
; rally, he was bitterly attacked and vilife
from many quarters, all of which attack
he sustained with unfailing good nature
% occasionally permitting himself bitin
n retort. From time to time clergyme
l. challenged him to debate the great que'
% tons of religion or tilted at him throug
letters in the public prints; but so gres
. was his power of satire and the resource
'. of hi, eloquence and wit that he NOR
: than held his own in these encounters
If The only opponent of Ingersoll who mad
a good showing in controversy with hir
was Catholic priest in small village u
>. in New York, who replied to the gres
agnostic's diatribes with ammunition OF tn
n same sort, ridicule Of Ingersoll's views an
1T satire directed at his logic, which was b
e no means invulnerable. This controvers
o fourished for a few months, and the
dropped because OF the departure of tn
priest to Europe.