The evening times., 1900-02-24
DENOUNCED over A bier
A Preacher Condemns a Rich Jer
Sey City Club.
The Institution Blamed for Young
Mans Death-Iembers Indignant
at the Minister for Preaching
Bitter Funeral Sermon-They Say
His Remarks Were Unwarranted.

| NEW YORK, Feb. 24.-One of the most
/ remarkable funeral addresses ever deliv-
cred was that made on Thursday night by
! the Rev Dr. Charles Herr, of the First
| Presbyterian Church, of Jersey City over
the body of William J. McIlroy. who had
! died after short illness of pneumonia at
| the home of his father, John McIlroy, on
| Bramhall Avenue. The big house was
! filled TO overf1owing by relatives and
! friends of the deceased, and nearly 200
members of the Jersey City Club, of which
| William McIlroy had for many years been
a prominent member, attended in body.
DR.. Herr opened his remarks with
eulogy upon the dead man, TO which the
mourners listened with respectful inter-
est. But suddenly the minister changed
the tenor of his discourse, and while his
hearers were transfxed with astonish-
ment and dismay, he continued:
This is a death that ought not to have
occurred. There was no hope. humanity
speaking for Mr. McIlroy from the mo-
ment he was attacked. The disease found
him in such impaired physical condition
that a fatal issue was inevitable.
There is one thing that was at least
contributory cause to this conclusion-the
cafe attachment to the Jersey City Club
/ know that | am on the solid ground of
fact in declaring that but for the cafe,
and the habits and associations il engen-
dered, this sad service would not be held
tonight. There is one sacrifice OF young
manhood at least in which the cafe has
had some share. How many more there
have been how many are now in the proc
ess of making ] do not venture 10 say.
but this put to you men: Can YOU af
ford in duty to your community, IN view
of the obligations of brotherhood in re-
gard for the happiness OF your homes, in
conscience toward God, to sustain an in
stitution which is even in a small measure
responsible for this? Can you think il
right and worthy of you to assent to the
continuance of an agency in its prime to
blight fine powers. TO wreck promising ca
reers. TO agonize homes, TO break hearts?
Here is a household darkened under a
pail that Will never lift; the sword has
been driven up TO the hilt in the hearts of
these loved ones. Let the cafe bear its
share OF responsibility. and be held by all
true men for what il is-a loathng and
curse.
These remarks came like thunderbolt
upon the audience The mother and sister
of the dead man, hearing him thus accused,
became hysterical The fellow -clubmen
standing in manner accused of their
friends death were dumfounded at the
charge They left the house in silence,
but since Dr.. Hers sermon has been prac-
tlcally their only topic of conversation
and indignation in Jersey City against the
minister is not expressed in moderate
words
Or. Hers opposition 10 the club was
long known In the old days the organiZd-
tion was known as the Jersey City Ath- |
letic Club. Or. Herr and other ministers
were among the members. About five years |
ago the club was reorganized. The word !
athletic was dropped from the title, and |
cafe where liquor was sold was added |
to the features of the handsome clubhouse. |
That aroused the bitter ire of DR.. Herr and |
other advocates of total abstinence. The |
total abstainers left the club. while other |
members joined it. The club has a hand |
some building at Crescent Avenue and |
Clinton Street.
Mcllroy who was forty-one years OF age |
and who worked for a coal firm at No. 1 !
Broadway. New York. spent much Of his |
time there. That he was Incorporate is |
fact that his friends have TO admit but |
that that misfortune should be attributed |
TO the club fills the members with the |
greatest indignation. The officers of the |
club are: President. ". f. Scudder; vice |
president Frank Eveland; treasurer. Ell !
mer 3. Yale: secretary. William G. Glass. |
Among the governors are Myron J. Furstt, |
the well-known dry goods merchant of JeT- |
sey City; A. y. Spooner William v TOf- |
fey, and G. c. Arrowsmith, men all well |
known in that city.
In the absence of the president another |
officer of the club. who is a total abstainer. |
said: Il heard the sermon over McIlToy's |
body last night. and it was the greatest |
outrage | ever knew. McIlroy never became |
intoxicated in this club. in fact, he often |
came here TO recover from the effects OF |
an evening spent elsewhere. We who knew |
him and liked him did all we could TO save |
him That the club should be blamed for |
his habits or his death is simply disgrace |
full. DR.. Herr only a few years ago drove |
the fastest team of horses on the Boule |
ward and he was in the clubhouse on Lin |
coins birthday 10 celebrate the day with |
the Lincoln Club. which hired our hall for |
the occasion
DR.. Herr said: Il said what did in or
der 10 preach warning to others"
The matter is not ended. DR. Herr has |
declared open war on the club and the |
ba, no