Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1899-07-27
COL. r. G. INGERSOLL.
from heart trouble f,

was undoubtedly aware that a fatal
termination of his ailment was inevita-
BILE, the end was believed to be a long
way off, and the suddenness of his
death was terrible shock to the mem
bers of his household.
He had left his son-in-law on the
porch with the remark that he would
soon return and play game of bill
lizards. Ten minutes later, as he was
comforting with his wife as to what
they should have for luncheon he fell
dead from rocking chair Doctors
were hastily summoned, but they could
only say that he was past human aid.
Angina pectoris was what the doctors
called the ailment to which he had sue
cumbed
Col. Ingersoll spent the morning in
a hammock and on the veranda with
members of his family. When he
started upstairs at 1890 o'clock he
stopped in his wife's room. While
talking with her he leaned his head on
his hand, which rested on the back of
the chair in which he sat- Responding
ing better. Those were his last words.
second after they were uttered the
sudden summons came.
A man of picturesque career. ar
orator possessed of unsurpassed elo-
quence and rhetorical ability, lawyer
and an impassioned pleader, politi
clan who never sought public Office, a
past master in the art of invective,
satire and pathos,a word painter whose
equal a century has not produced,
yelling fountain Of wit and humor, a
humanitarian with a soul full of poetry
and love for his fellow-man, a scholar
who challenged the admiration of the
learned, constant friend, enjoyable
companion, loving husband and
father, an agnostic who stirred the re-
ligious world as even Voltaire, Paine
or Tyndall could not lecturer of in
ternational renown, the best beloved
and most cordially hated man in
Christendom-such man was Col. In
gersoll. Thousands will deeply mourn
the passing of brilliant star and still
other thousands will look upon his
death as the close of a career that was
a constant threat to the foundation
principles of the Christian religion.
Col. Ingersoll was born in Dresden,
n. Y, on Aug. IL, 1888. His father
was a Congregational clergyman whose
rigid adherence to the tenets Of the
church stood in bold contrast to his
sons tearing down of sacred things.
In 1S43 the family removed to Illinois,
where young Ingersoll studied law,
finally opening an office in Shawnee
town. In 1857 he removed to Peoria,
and his life there was made the basis
of one of the most bitter attacks ever
made upon him. In September, 1889,
after the Christian world had come to
realize the purport of Col. Ingersolls
teaching. Prof. Clark Braden pub
lished a pamphlet which was distrib-
uted throughout the country and
which charged him with nearly all the
crimes in the calendar. To this attack
Col. Ingersoll remained silent and re-
fused to make any defense.
Early in the civil war Mr.. Ingersoll
became colonel of the Eleventh Illinois
cavalry and united with the republican
party.
1t was Col. Ingersoll who in the re-
publican national convention OF 1876
nominated James G.. Blaine for the
presidency and dubbed him the plum
ed knight"-a name which followed
him to his grave. From that time
dates Col. Ingersoll's fame as a cam
paign speaker, and ever afterward his
services were in great demand. Time
after time he was called upon to help
the republican standard to victory by
his matchless eloquence, and he al
WAYS complied. His services to his
party were rendered without demand
for reward, and 1t is probable that ne
hoped for none.
1t was about this time, 1877, that he
entered the lecture field. 1t did not
take him long to have the entire Chris
tian world arrayed against him, and
because of this there was little pros
pect of his political preferment. The
very mention of his name as minister
to Germany during the Hayes admin
istration raised such storm thar all
talk of such preferment was quickly
abandoned. His friends say he would
have rejected the post had 1t been Of
fered to him, but he would have APP
preciated the mere tender as sum
cient reward for his services. PSelic
sentiment was so strong, thouN mat
even this qualification 49,: denied iAim.