EXTRAORDINARY SCENE AT A FUNERAL.

Bruce Herald, Volume XVII, Issue 1614, 27 January 1885, Page 3

EXTRAORDINARY SCENE AT A FUNERAL.

» (By Telegraph,) Auckland, January 26. An extraordinary scene occurred yesterday at the funeral of J. Holmes, the scenic artist, who waa burned to death on Friday night. Mackinlay, the deceased's landlord and a Freethinker 1 , had arranged with Dr Yorke, a Freethought lecturer, to conduct the funeral obsequies, while his other friends had forwarded a similar request to the Rev. Mr Tebbs, an Anglican minister. The funeral was largely attended, and the Freethought section commenced to complain at Mr Tebbs being present. At the gate of the cemetery a parley took place, during which the coffin was left in the hearse. Mackinlay told Mr Tebbß that his services were not required ; but Mr Tebbß insisted on conducting the services, saying that there was not any relative of the deceased present, and there was no proof that he had abjured the faith of the Church of England. He would 'therefore do his duty. A number of chnrchmen then -went to the hearse and removed the cuffin. As the procession moved down the path to the open grave, the rev. gentleman commenced to read the passage "I am the resurrection and tho life,'" which was greeted by a portion of the Freethought section by interruptions of "Cub it short," "Bosh," We have had enough of that rot," "Shut up," etc. At the grave, just before the clergyman pronounced the words : " Ashes to ashes, dust to dust," Mackinlay jumped on the aide of the grave and cried out "We have had. enough of that Btuff," or words to that tffect, but he was greeted with cries of " Shame " from the crowd. Mr Tebbs, however, proceeded with the service to the close. As soon as he had done, the sexton and his assistants commenced to shovel in the earth on the coffin. A call was then made by the Freethought people for Mr Ellis to proceed with his service, but that gentleman declined. At the conclusion of the proceedings persons of every denomination, including Catholics and Jews, shook hands with Mr Tebbs and thanked him for carrying out hits duty in the manner he had done under the trying circumstances in which he was placed. As a finale to this extraordinary funeral, the driver of the hearse in returning to his home accidentally fell down a staircase and sustained a broken ankle. Holmes was not a member of the Freethought Association, but had attended several of their lectures. He waa a son of Holmes, Court painter to George IV.