New-York tribune., 1900-09-23
JONATHAN REEDS TOMB.
1T IS ALSO HIS HOME. ALTHOUGH IT CON
TAINS HIS wIFE's DEAD BODY.

TAINS HIS WIFEs DEAD BODY.
Among the features of Evergreens Cemetery,
Brooklyn, there is none that has caused mora
comment than the Jonathan Reed tomb It
contains the body Of Mary E. Reed. who died in
March, 1888 and is also the home Of Jonathan
Reed, who was her husband. They had been
married thirty-five years when Mrs. Reed died.
On her deathbed Reed promised his wife that
she should never be buried out of his sight.
but that he would have her body where he could
see it. This promise he has carried out The
metallic coffin which contains the body has been
so placed that he can see the face at viii
The handsome tomb was built soon after the
death Of Mrs Reed and was arranged to ac-
commOdate only two coffins. The one contain
ing the body stands the right as one enters
the tomb and the left is an empty coffin
Of the same pattern resting on marble slabs,
The interior Of the tomb is arranged with a
view to making it "cosey and homelil1e." The
walls are decorated with the handiwork Of the
dead woman, pictures bric-a -brac, etc. The
floor is covered with rugs, and the exterior is
tastefully decorated with growing plants in
costly vases. In speaking Of the man who
reared the tomb and who occupies it most Of
the time a man who knows him said;
There is considerable misapprehension re-
garding the motives that induced him 10 take
up his present residence. The casual observer
would suppose that he is possessed of a peculiar
state of mind bordering on insanity, though one
has only to engage in conversation with him
for a few moments, when the fact Of his sanity
will be established in the mind of the visitor
He believes religious sentiment to be the result
Of geographical chance in the matter Of birth,
and that the crank is the man who breaks loose
from the ironbound dogmas of his brothers, and
had it not been for the cranks the human race
would have remained aborigines. He does not
deny his unbelief in a future state, but says:
IF there is a life beyond the grave it Will be
all right, but I shall make the best OF this life
and be with my wife while I can He thinks
the only difference between him and his wife is
that the spark has simply gone out of her body,
and that she is only sleeping or in torpid
condition He does not think that God calls any
one from this life, but that death is simply an
act of nature, and that he cannot accuse God
of being a murderer
Mr.. Reed possesses sense Of humor that
Will save d man from becoming despondent. He
laughs like man who lives amid scenes of
mirth instead Of one who spends most Of his
time in and about a tomb. His memory Is IS
extraordinary his life. He takes pleasure in
relating the experiences Of his past life, The
humorous as We'll as the sad side Of it. and his
manner of expression makes IL the more inter-
esting- He lives as he does because he enjoys
it, and possessing his theories Of life, he could
enjoy nothing else To be separated from the
one whom he loved would make him most mis-
cradle and wretched."
A picture of his wife hangs on the door Of
the tomb, and under this the following inscr1p-
tion has been placed:
Let those who seek not knowledge pass by
this tomb and those who fail TO learn the secret
Of life in death depart.-(Reed."