The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1902-03-07
A BEAUTIFUL LIFE
Was That of the "Tombs AngeI,"
Who PerIshed IN the New
York FIRE.

The New York journal SAYS, edi
torially:
A rare woman was lost to the worlC
when Mrs Rebecca Salome Foster
persisted in the Park Avenue Hotel
fire.
Her life was spent in doing good.
She sought the most unfortunate and
wretched-Ihe criminal the abandoned,
the friendless. the least of these my
brethren. and did what she could to
bring into their darkened lives the
light of sympathy and the warmth of
helpfulness.
4" The Tombs Angel she was called.
and she deserved the name. for surrey
her spirit was heavenly-the spirit of
/ the Master, since her charity was all
embracing. Naked human need made
the strongest claim upon her noble
heart. A holy woman, said District
Attorney jerome, with tears that did
his manhood honor, in addressing the
| Court of Special Sessions and asking
that it adjourn as a tribute to her
| memory.
''And the court did adjourn, with
remarks from the bench which proved
that the reverence expressed for the
dead was not prefunctOry A fine
life, a great life. life lived on the
highest plane, was that of Rebecca
Salome Foster
In its news columns the journal
says:
SAT the home of Mrs. Bowers, Mrs.
Fosters daughter. No. 12 East Twelfth
street, where the body lay yesterday,
many strange faces were seen. They
were the faces of DIen and women
whom the Tombs Angel had helped in
times past. They came with tribute |
of flowers, with words of sorrow and |
praise sobbingly spoken for their great. |
good friend, who had never turned her
back on them no matter how black had |
been the accusation against them.
Perhaps the most touching tribute
came from Marie Barberi. the girl who
slew her faithless fance some years
ago. Mrs. Foster was with her all
through her two trials. The girl, in
shabby attire, appeared before Matron
Hamilton at the Criminal Court build
ing yesterday and wavering asked if it
was true that Mrs. Foster was dead.
''On learning that it was, she burst
into tears and then offered 20 cents
all the money she had-to buy some
Howers for the dead woman's grave.
She bought the flowers afterward and
carried them to Mrs. Bowers house.
4" She was my very great friend,
'obbed tire girl, and / want, oh, just
,nce, to look on her face. She re-
,eived permission
AT the services today all of the
court officers of the Courts of General
Sessions the Criminal Branch of the
supreme Court and the Court of Special
sessions, will attend They will meet
It Twentieth street and Fourth avenue,
no proceed to the church in a body.
he courts were adjourned yesterday
fternoon by order of the presiding
judges in honor of Mrs. Foster
lemory, and to give all an opportunity
} attend her burial. 1t was done at the
equest Of District-Attorney jerome,
-ho went from court to court and made
le motion to adjourn for this purpose.
The Dist1ictAttorney in each case
ttered a eulogy of Mrs. Foster Tears
cursed down the checks of this rugged
an of law as he spoke in tender
ords of the good wrought by her who |
rs passed away. Judges on the bench
t weeping, and were not ashamed of
cir tears 4
Criminals before the bars of the |
veral courts were moved as no plea |
ID ever moved them. Several of I
EN-, old offenders, bowed their faces +
their hands and sobbed 4
In the Court of Special Sessions h
strict Attorney Jerome said in part: n
- There is a word which is seldom III
ed. To us, who in the administration VI
the criminal law are daily brought VI
to contact with the misfortune and W
OF humanity. it seems almost a
It word. 1t is the word holy In q
that that word means to English 20
eaking people, it seems to me that
could be applied to her. She was,
Iced, a holy woman. 1t hardly
comes to us to do aught else than to
tify in reverent silence our love and
pect. e
ITO this address Justice Holbrock, CIR
presiding justice, replied with sou so y
ching tribute to Mrs. Foster iao
stice Hinsdlae followed In all the Deg
er courts the presiding justices res!
ogized the dead 'Tombs Angel. In
Every one present, as member SIN
the bench said yesterday, will be Wh
incere mourner at the bier of this reg
ID woman, who spent her life in ia
laiming the fallen; who, without ua Il
re of reward. labored increasingly exc
ong those who had transgressed sen !,
law to bring them back to the VI u =
light path. Jus'
Her n"me was strange in the NOT
al life of New York; she founded piac
she left no monuments
lrt or literature, yet her death will
by thousands of those she IT
comforted in New York and all pres
, the land, by men in all walks of cash
and especially those of the crimi will
bar who had daily been in contact Brin
4 this gentle, unobstrusive by q
ian. scriI