EXTRAORDINARY SCENE AT A FUNERAL.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 7160, 27 January 1885, Page 2

EXTRAORDINARY SCENE AT A FUNERAL.

(Peb Unitzd Fbess Association.)

Auckland. January 26,

An extraordinary scene occurred yesterday at the funeral of J, H. Holmes, the (iconic artist, who was burnt to death on Friday night Mackinlay, the deceased's landlord and a Fre?. thinker, had arranged with Dr Yorko, a Freethought lecturer, to conduct the funeral obsequies, while Holmes' other friends had forwarded a Bimilar request to the Rev. Mr Tebbs, an Anglican minister. The funeral was largely attended, and the Freothouptht 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. Mackiolay told Mr Tebb? thathis services,werenot required, butMrTebbg insisted on conducting the service, saying that there was not any relative of the deceased present, and thoro was no proof that he had abjured the faith of the Church of England. He would thereforo do his duty. A number of Churchmen then went to the bearee and removed the coffin. As the procession moved down tho path to the open grave, the rev, gentleman commenced to read the passage, "I am the resurrection and the life," which was greeted by a portion of the Freethought section with interruptions of " Cut it short," "Bosh," "We have had enough of that rot," "Shut up,"' &c, At the grave, just before the clergyman pronounced the wordß, " Ashes to ashes, dust to dust," Mackinlay jumped on the side of the grave and cried out, "We have had enough of that stuff," or words to that effect, but he was greeted with cries of " Shame !" from the crowd. Mr Tebbs, however, proceeded with the service to tho close. As soon as he bad dona, the sexton and bis 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 his 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 momber of the Freethought Association, but had attended several of their lectures. He was a son of Holmes, Court painter to George IV.