Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, Ramsey Co., Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1905, 1899-07-28

80 WA
tested.-Grand Forks Plaindealer.
GONE INTO THE DARK"
Col. Robertt G. Ingersoll, the Noted
Agnostio, Lawyer and Lecturer.
Joins the Great Majority.
Robert G.. Ingersoll died at his
home in Dobbs Ferry, N. Y,
Saturday afternoon of apoplexy.
Mr.. Ingersoll went to his sum-
mer home in Dobbs Ferry two
days ago, apparently in good
health. Shortly after his arrival
there he complained of a slight in
disposition. He spent the
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 down stairs to the
dining room below. He laugh
ingly replied hat while he did not
feel quite as young as he used to,
he guessed he was not yet an
invalid, and he would be down
with the others.
As he finished speaking and was
about to rise he fell back into his
chair. A physician was immedi-
ately summoned, but when he
reached the house he found that
Mr.. Ingersoll had died almost in
stantly. The physician did not
give the cause of death, but
the family believe it was due to
apoplexy.
Mr.. Ingersoll's wife and two
daughters we're with him when he
died.
The funeral of the late Robert
G.. Ingersoll took place Tuesday
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 pail
bearers. The body lay on a cot in
the room where he died. It was
enshrouded in white and just one
red rose placed on the breast.
About the cot we re banks Of floral
tributes sent by friends, wreaths
and punches of blossoms. The
services were held at 4 o'clock.
Mrs. Ingersoll sat beside her dead
husband and beside her we're her
daughters, Mrs. Walston H.
Brown and Miss Maud I~ngersoll.
They we're much agitated and
wept most continuously. Mr.. and
Mrs. @. P. Farrell were present
and Charles Brockway Rous, Col.
Ingersoll's oldest friend, occupied
a chair by the side of the bier.
There were some forty others pres
ent and they remained standing
throughout. The intense silence
was broken by DR.. John Clark
Ridpath, who in a voice full of
emotion said:
my friends-It is a very sad
duty to read in the presence Of the
dead the last poem written by
Col. Robert G. Ingersoll, entitled
Declaration of the Free This
poem Col. Ingersoll had read and
altered in some of its parts only a
few hours before he was stricken
down"
Maj. O.. j. Smythe, who resides
in Dobbs Ferry and who was a
close personal friend of Col. Inger-
soil, then without preliminary
words read another extract from
Col. Ingersoll's writings. "My
religion" Di. JouA LAiots Of
New York, read the funeral grafton
delivered by Col. Ingersoll over
his brothers dead body.
This concluded the short and
simple services. Nearly all pres
ent then took a parting look at
the dead and passed out. After
they had done so Mr.. Rous O
from his chair and as he is totally
blind passed his hand over the
face Of his departed friend and
said: perhaps he is better now.
No one a understand it." Mrs.
lngersoll said to him. "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. MI. Rous asked what
she was going to do with the re-
mains. II can't give him up" she
said. II can't put him in the
ground. I can't bear to think of
it. We are going to bring him
back home" The body will prob
ably be taken to Fresh Pond,
Long Island, on Thursday for
cremation, but this arrangement is
subject to change.