Page 6 Advertisements Column 1

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXII, Issue 7246, 7 February 1885, Page 6

[advektisement.l TEE CEMBTE R 7 Dlb TVRBANGE. —STATEMENT OF FACTS. » Th« conduct of Mr. MacKinlay and other Freethinkers at the burial of the lute Henry Holmes has been bo grossly misrepresented, and the slanders have been bo widely circulated, that it ia deeded necessary to make tame effort to clear their characters from the stigma that has been placed upon them. It appears that the best if not the only way in which this object can be attained is by publishing a clear and connected account of the interment, and the circumstances surrounding it. The following are the facts :— For fonr years prior to the deceaae of Henry Holmes, loenio artist, Mr. John MacKinlay had been intimately acquainted with him. About fifteen months ago Mr. MacEinlay became aware that Holmes was not only in destitute circumstances, but that he was actually homeless, and had bean compelled to sleep for several nights in the Domain and other exposed places. He therefore offered the deceased the free use of a room on the premises ocoupied by him in Elliott-street. Thi« offer was gratefully accepted by Holmes, and he continued to avail himself of the accommodation thus hfforded up to the time of his death. During this period Holmes's earnings were very email, and Mr. UacEiulay frequently supplied him with money necessary to obtain food, and on Mr. MacKinlay representing Holmes's circumstances to Mr. Meade, butcher, that gentleman, who is also a Freethinker, often presented him with meat. Mr. MacEinlay s intimacy with Holmes enabled him to discover, in the course of many long conversations, that he was an avowed Atheist, and the evidence of Christians can be produced to corroborate this. During the whole of this time the Kev. William Tebbs, who claimed Holmes as a parishioner and a sod, albeit an erring one, of his Church, made not the smallest effort either to relieve the temporal wants or "minister to the spiritual needs" of this wayward member of his flock. On January 23rd a fire occurred on Mr. MacKinlay's premises, and Holmes, who still resided there, was suffocated. Mr. MacEinlay, who dwells in the suburbs, came to town as usual the following (Saturday) morning, and during the early part of the day several undertakers sought to obtain from him the order for the coffin. Understanding that one of these (Mr. Leaning) inclined somewhat towards Freethought, and also professed to have been greatly interested in Holmes, Mr. MacKinlay instructed him to make the coffin, and arrange for the burial, he beooming responsible to Leaning for the expense. Shortly after Mr. Patrick Doran met Mr. MacKinlay and Mr. Boss (another Freethinker), and suggested that a subset iptlon should be raised to defray the cost of the funer»l. A paper"was prepared—Messrs. Doran, floss, and McEinlay, starting it with their donations, and the list was then banded to Messrs. Boss and Martin—the latter, also, being a Freethinker. These two gentlemen collected the remainder of the money. After the inquest on Saturday, the body remained on Mr. MacEinlay's premises. He received from one of the constables the certificate of death, and relieved from duty the constable who had been left in charge of the body. Daring Saturday afternoon Mr. MacEinlay and some Freethoaght friends arranged that; the funeral should take place at three o'clock on the following (Sunday) afternoon ; that tbe body should be interred according to Freethought custom ; that Dr. York or Mr. Ellis should officiate at the grave, and that, as a matter of convenience, the procossion should start from Mr. Leaning's premises, in Wellesley-street. The body was delivered to Leaning by Mr. MacKinlay's instructions, and the funerel advertised for Sunday afternoon, but the certifi cato pf death was retained by Mr. MacEinlay till shortly before the funeral started. On Mr. MacEinlay coming to town the following afternoon to attend the funeral he ascertained that a few minutes before Frank Perrott and Orlando Mazzolini, two of the Opera Home employes, had interviewed the Rev. Mr. Tebbs, and had requested him to read the Church of England Burial Service at the grave. Mr. Tebbs had a baptism to perform, and he therefore urged that the starting of the funeral should be delayed, so that he might be able to reach the cemetery in time. It appears, however, that this little intrigue was unnecessary, as a slight delay was caused by other circumstances. Mr. Tebbs having performed with commendable despatch the holy ordnance of baptism, proceeded to theoemetery, and arrived there before the funeral. While waiting at the gate he was overheard making some remarks which proved that he was fully aware that the Freethinkers had made complete arrangements for the interment. When the cortege reached the gate, Mr. MacEinlay approached Mr. Tebbs, informed him that Holmes, having been a Freethinker, no religious ceremony was to be performed, that his services were, therefore, not required, and politely requested him to retire. Mr. Tebbs replied that he had been desired to officiate, but that if the relative or friend who had charge of the boily asked him to retire he would do so. Mr. MacEinlay informed him that he had been Holmet'a most intimate friend for the last three or four years, that he had charge of the body from the coroner, and consequently he called upon Mr. Tebbs to fulfil hit promise. Mr. Tebbe declined to do this unless the undertaker joined in the request. Mr. Leaning, upon being appealed to, said, "I have nothing to do with it; you must settle ii amongst yourselves." Some of the bystanders insisted that Holmes had been a member of the Ohuroh of England; others maintained that he was an Atheist. Mr. lebbe accepted the former as correct, and announced his determination to read the service. Some persons took the coflin from the hearse, and the procession started from the gate for the grave. Mr. Tebbs walked in front, and commenced reciting the service. The protects by Messrs, MacKinlay, Cox, Boss, Kopec, and others were so loud and emphatic that he was compelled for a time to desist; but no language of a profane or indecent character was used by any of the Freethinkers. The procession reached the grave, which was outside the Ghurob of England cemetery, being situated in that portion of the public cemetery set apart for the burial of persons of no particular denomination or sect. This fact shows Mr. Tebbs' interference in a still stronger light, and suggests the question, how far he was justified by the rules of his Church in burying a person in what that Ohuroh would oall " unconsecrated ground." Mr. Tebbs attempted to take his place at the head of the giave, but Messrs. MacKinlay and Oox having s cured that position, refused to give way to him, and he went to the foot, where he continued and concluded the service, going through the solemn force of burying a pronounced Atheist, in the " sure and certain hope of a glorious resurrection," thus giving what Christians c ill a " decent burial" to a man for whose eternal welfare he was so anxious, after he was dead. The service was not concluded without some further interruptions. Mr. MaoEinlay requested Mr. Tebbs to " cut it short," and some other Freethinkers characterised the ceremony and service as " Boflh," " Fudge," &c, but these were the strongest expressions used. Mr. EIHh was invited to make an address after Mr. Tebbs had concluded, but fearing an outburst of Christian zeal he deemed discretion to be the better part of valour, and declined. The assemblage then dispersed. During the following week Mr. Leaning industriously circulated the report that he had not been paid for his work, and the statement was published in the evening papers of Saturday, 31st January. It was not till that very Saturday afternoon that he tent in his account to Mr MacKin'ay l It was settled on the following Monday morning. Mr. MacKinlay has a balance in band of a little more than £2, and it is intended with this to procure a suitable tablet for the grave. The above statement is published with the hope of exposing the deliberate falsehoods and malignant slanders that have been circulated throughout the length and breadth of the colony, and it Is confidently anticipated that those who havu been misled by false reports will in a spirit of fairness excuse, If they do not entirely approve, the conduct of men whose religious views may be unpopular, but who nevertheless nre honest, upright, and withal, law-abiding citizens. WM, COOPER. Wβ vouoh for the correctness of the above statement, J. MacKinlat. B. K. Martin. J. Goodwin Cox.

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