The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1908-08-26
EX-PREACHER KILLS
. SELF, LEAVING A
PATHETIC NOTE
REV. ALBERT n. TRICK DEPLCRES
THE PRESENT DAY THEOLOGY
AND TRINITY OF SUCCESS,
PLEASURE AND GOLD.

NEW YORK. Aug 26.-Beheving
himself a failure, i'll end half blind,
Rev. Albert H. Trick, retired Pres
byterian minister. yesterday shot and
killed himself in the Mills hotel.
Rev. Mr. Trick once had charge
in Chicago and later was pastor Of a
church at Saratoga, n. Y, but had
held He regular Passionate for several
years, obtaining an insecure liveli-
hood az an insurance agent.
His wife died IA FEARS ago. He
once attracted the attention OF the
whole church by his vigorous defense
OF the higher criticism OF the bible,
delivered before the general assem-
bly, OF the Presbyterian church IN
1893, before which Rev Charles A.
Briggs had laid his appeal from the
action OF the New York presbytery
from expelling him from the church
for heresy.
fhe unfortunate fffttfi TT behind
him In the form of letter to friend.
DR.. Chas. ~ Dowd, farewell ser
mon, deeply tinged with bitterness
against what he declared TO be the
inaptitude OF modern churches to
square Christian dogmas with the
practical facts of present day life.
Because he took too much Ia heart
the teachings of Jesus Christ and at
tempted To live them In workaday
world the suicide deemed that mis- life
had been a failure.
A Remarkable Letter.
The letter reads in part as follows:
have never been able TO con-
quer an Unborn contempt for the
place money has In this world,
though knowing so well how apso-
lutely fair amount OF IL, at least,
is necessary 10 all OF us. | could
never adapt myself in view OF my
early ideas TO the methods by
which money is made. They are 80
transparency selfish and more or
less INSCRIPTIONS. whether used by
the church or the so-called world.
could never worship America
TTfnITy, SUCCESS. pfcrsurr. 'rffst'-s .fsiT-----
| am too old and settled in my char
acter To change, though my eyes
have long been bent on my delu-
sions. 1 took deeply TO heart the
teachings Of Jesus and tried hard
and long TO square my soul By
them. | found AT last what pitt
ful mistake 1 had made and how
lonely | was even IN the church.
The average man cares little. about
what Jesus taught and il makes
ones heart sick to hear it's ecclesi-'
| rejoice in the better day dawn
Sng, when society with it's supcrsti-
lions and errors, like all the other
religions OF men, shall have passed
away and religion that has pas
sion for truth Justice. love and lib-
erty, purity and humanity shall
prevail. Yea, God. what does the
church care for these things? II
twists all the facts, philosophy and
expressions of history to make
them square with their petty ira
dftfOns and FySTCUS or tdys
The time viii soon come when
the world will prove that sacred
as the place that Jesus holds in the
worlds esteem they are no NOR"
bound by what He taught did and
thought than they are by the pre-
cepts OF Robert lngersoll, and tho
modern church moro nearly follows
this exemplary and kindly and non
est American than they do the ORR
entail
| wish | could live and preach
this but I am broken too much and
the habit OF my long life Of self
denial and suffering. always so
tragical forbids H. ! do not com
plain. IL Is all OF destiny.
To his-tMo- sons-and- daughter.
who live in Brooklyn, the former pas
tor wrote: IL have gone to join
mother"