Middletown transcript., 1901-05-25
DIR. BABCoGK IS DEAD

Rev. DIR. Maltbie Davenport Babcock
for years pastor of Brown Memorla
Church, Baltimore, but lately pastor o.
the Brick Church, of New York, died
| in Naples, Italy, Saturday morning afte'
an Hines of only few days.
Dr. B..ucock. was with party who had
been ON a tour of Palestine and was re.
turning through Southern Europe. The
first cabIegram received stated that he
had died of Mediterranean fever. A
later cable said that while in the delirum
of fever Dr. Babcock severed the arteries
in his arms and swallowed corrosive sub
Innate, thus causing his death.
According to a dispatch from New
York, Mrs. Babcock cabled to the Off
cials of his church that DR.. Babcock was
suffering from fever and had been re-
moved from the ship to hospital in Ma
pies last Wednesday. Up to that time
DR.. Babcock had been remarkably well,
though the Rev. DIR. Wilton Merle Smith,
one of the travelling party, had been ill
of fever in a hospital in Jerusalem, and
several others of Babcock's party had
had slight attacks.
In the party, which sailed from New
York in February last, besides DIR. and
Mrs. Babcock, were Mr.. John P. Ammi-
don, Mrs. Benjamin F. Smith, Miss Julia
Smith and Miss Fannie A. Robin, all
members of Crown Memorial Church,
and Reverend and Mrs. George L. Curtis,
the former having been pastor Of the
Park Church for some years, but now
stationed in New Jersey. There were
also a number of clergymen and other
States.
It was not known in Baltimore that Dr.
Babcock was i'll until cablegfam to Mr..
Daniel c. Ammidon, 1923 Park avenue,
told he was dead. Rev. John Timothy
Stone later received several messages
from New York giving the sad intelli-
gence. He at ence cabled Mrs Babcock
as follows:
''The entire congregation is praying for
you.. We await divine Interpretation.
sobs In Brick Church
Members of the Brick Presbyterian
Church were profoundly shocked to-day
when they heard the report that their
pastor, the Rev. DR.. Maltbie D. Babcock,
had killed himself. They were loath to
believe it until they received some official
confirmation of the dispatches. It was
the unanimous opinion of members of
the church and session that if their pas
tor had taken his life he had done so in |
the delirium of fever.
"To the members of the church the
news was officially announced at the
service. Many persons wept
when they heard it. Although DR.. Bah
cock had been the spiritual head of the
for little more than a year,
the bond of affection between him and
his people was very strong.
DR.. Babcock's Career
DIR. Babcock was scholar of the broad
est intellectual culture, poet of acknowl-
edged excellence, fine pulpit orator, a
gentleman of captivating personality and
Of almost feverish energy and vitality.
He was manly man and preached
manly Christianity. He was theologian
Of broad tolerance, which made him
popular with the people OF
other denominations. One of the last
addresses he made before leaving Balti-
more was before the congregation Of Har
Sinai Temple, at the invitation of Rabbi
G. A. Rubenstein, one of his cordial ad.
mirers.
DR.. Babcock was born in Syracuse, N
Y, in 1858, graduated at Syracuse Uni
versity in 1879, and after three years at
the Auburn Theological Seminary was
to the Presbyterian ministry in
1882. About this time he was married
to Miss Catherine Talman, daughter OF
Judge Talman, of Poughkeepsie, N. Y.
They have no children. l.
His first pastorate was at Lockport, n.
Y, from which he went to Brown Me-
mortal in 1887. He had many calls from
wealthy and influential churches while
there, but refused them all until the call
TO the Brick Church in the fall OF 1899 to
succeed Rev. DIR. Henry Van Dyke, who |
went to Princeton University as professor
Of English literature. He eft.Baltimore
in January of last year. His salary as
pastor of Brick Church was $4,000 a
year. He succeeded Rev. DIR. Frank w.
Gunsaulus as pastor of Brown Memorial
the latter having gone to Chicago.