The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1901-01-22
DEATH OF MARK r. sOoY.

d Although not unexpected, the sad tic
ings of the death of Mark R. Sooy cast
l. gloom over the entire town on Saturda,
!, morning 1t was known that he was
very sick man. but with that idea tina
! while spark of life remains there is rea
: son to hope for the better, the genera
hope was that he might not be taken ava.
in the prime of life, and in the midst o
his usefulness This was not to be, how
ever, and about midnight Of Friday, h
quietly breathed his last
Mr.. Sooy was stricken with his last i'll
ness about week before his death. HI
was in Philadelphia attending to business
when he was seized with an attack of the
heart Medical aid was summoned anC
the sick man was taken to hotel. Re
covering to a degree that seemed to war
! rant his removal, he was brought to his
} home on Tuesday. Congestion of the
lungs developed. and increased with fatal
rapidity, frail constitution being unable
to Withstand the shock.
Mark r. Sooy was born at Green Bank,
in this county, in April, 1916, moving, with
his father, to farm near Mount Holly, in
1855. Having desire for college life, he
pre- pared for it under the instruction of
Rev. Samuel Aaron, entering the Univer-
sity of Lewisburg, Pa, in 1854 Three
years later he entered the sophomore class
at Princetown, graduating from that col
lege in 1870.
His first vocation was instructing Greek
and Latin in Wyoming Seminary, King
ston, Pa. In the fall of 1879 he became
principal of the Mount Holly Institute, on
Mount Holly Avenue, holding this posi-
ton until 1875.
The law always had an attraction for
him, and he prepared himself for the bar
under the instruction of Joseph 81. Gas
kill In 1877 he was admitted to the bar,
being made a counselor in 1881. Immedi-
ately after his admission he formed part
nership with Judge Gaskill, which was
continued until January, 1881, when Mr..
Sooy opened an office for himself.
The ability of Mr.. Sooy made his ser
vices eagerly sought after and he was in
demand all over the state. He has been
engaged in some of the most important
cases that have occupied the attention of
the courts. When thus engaged he devot-
ed his entire force to his work, drawing
upon his nervous system to such an extent
as to finally render him an easy prey to
disease. Before jury he was a power.
One thing which gave him influence in
trial was the fact that it was generally
understood he carefully inquired into a
case before taking it, and seldom pressed
suit unless he recognized its justice. In
politics Mr.. Sooy was an ardent Repub-
lican. One of his greatest delights was to
aid his party on the stump and many elo
quent and forcible addresses has he made
The memorable debates in the campaign
of 1896 are still pleasant memories to those
He never held an Office mainly because he
would not push himself forward. Ere
quently urged to enter contest, his re-
ply was that if the people or the appoint
lug DOWCIS W dubCu u1iA bAOy WOulO COLL
on him.
He leaves widow and four children
one daughter and three sons.
THE FUNERAL
The funeral took place yesterday from
Mr.. Sooy's late home, on High street.
The services were conducted by Rev. G.
H. Pendleton, pastor of the Mount Holly
Baptist Church, and Rev. S. Giffard Mel
son, of Brooklyn, former pastor of the
Baptist Church. Music was rendered by
choir consisting of Joseph G. Cowgirl, |
George A. Lippincott, Eckard P. Budd,
Charles K Chambers and Stacy B. Lip
pincott.
Rev. Mr.. Pendleton's remarks were as
follows:
We are not here for eulogy. The smitten
nerves, the stricken hearts, are not yet
calm enough for US to tell in formal sen
fences the meaning of this life or gather
the teachings which are its requests In |
our bewilderment the first clear thought |
which touches our grief into fresh paDg
is the brevity of the years that are told. |
We feel that length of days would indeed |
have been length of influence and the ex-
tension of enviable fame
1t has been the fortunate lot of few |
men to carry into chosen career more |
conspicuous talents calculated by rare fit |
ness to enable him to win deserved emf |
nence. AS he nears that maturity where |
he could masterfully manage the rich |
achievements of those talents gathered |
through years of patient and indefatig- |
able industry, and compel common con-
sent to most conspicuous eminence-l
lust at the glorious sunrise of superb |
professional career, he was struck down. |
That he had done was but the earnest of |
more brilliant things to come. He is |
struck down. We are left with the heart |
breaking question, ''Whyf" From the |
shoreless mystery of our being comes only |
the echo of our cry.
1t is not the hour for enconium-if eyer
that ought to strike in this clouded life, -
only for tears, only for prayer, silent
reverence and unspeakable sympathy |
Could Mark r. Sooy lift that pulseless |
hand and move those mute lips he would |
wave back and forbid words of praise. |
His was singularly modest and shrink |
ing nature. Brilliant, accomplished, with
mind all aglow with light, he saw too
clear and felt too true not to recoil in
stinctively from the mere vain show of
life. He loved truth, genuineness.
Whatever his faults-and what mortal
man is without them-his was swathed in |
such halo of rare and noble traits of
kindliness, our hearts go easily oyer them
to love the man. Justice has lost stout |
and uncompromising defender, mercy has
lost a masterful friend, the state and com |
munity have lost the clearest and sanest |
teacher of right measures and policies. |
We have lost a generous and helpful
brother But, OH what is this-the light, |
hope and the protection that have gone |
out of this home There is sorrow that
does not bleed, but yet aches. Those ex-
quisite agonies that beat and throb at the |
very centre of sentence and conscious
ness, that the lips cannot murmur and |
with which no outsider may NEEDLE, only |
God in the Comforter, Christ, can.
Oh wounded and broken hearts, ours
cry with yours Thanks be to God there is |
One who can and will help you. You are
of God, you are journeying back to God, |
and to God your friend, husband and
father has gone. He will wait with I'M
abated love your coming. He has passed |
where care can no longer lacerate his heart. |
We feel afresh the silly decisions and cruel
blindnesses that divide heart from |
heart and make man unmerciful to
his brother. He has passed softly |
and speedily into that still country where |
haiIstorms and fire-showers do not reach,
and the heaviest laden wayfarer at
length lays down his load to rest in his
Fathers House.
Mr.. Pendleton was followed by Rev.