After meeting was dismissed we heard that Ezekiel R----, an old man eighty-two or eighty-three years of age, who lived one mile and a quarter east of the schoolhouse, had that day been killed by the cars in crossing the track at Shelby. I knew the man from my boyhood; he bought out my father in that country in 1853. He was very wealthy. God had blessed him with long life, prosperity, and good health. But he had no thanks to offer to his divine Benefactor, having set his whole heart upon the god of this world. There was no place for Christ in his heart. He leaned toward Universalism, because congenial to the carnal mind. He was filled with skepticism and was always in the habit of speaking lightly of preachers and professors of religion. I visited him twice during the meeting at Auburn last winter and conversed with him on the subject of religion. He acknowledged that there is one thing in the Bible that caused him to study a good deal, and that is the new birth, which he said, was perfectly dark to him. He told of having once gone to hear one of the greatest champions of Universalism preach on the subject. "But," said he, "I received no light whatever." His case was a clear fulfilment of 1 John 2:11, "Darkness hath blinded his eyes," and 2 Cor. 4:4, "The God of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not." He had a very large development of brain, of which firmness was the largest developed organ. What a pity that the devil perverted these faculties!
I was informed that he was going that day to close a mortgage and take a widow's farm from her. His last words to his wife, who cautioned him to beware of the cars at the crossing, were, "I was not made to be killed by the cars." This is like one who said to his soul, "Thou hast much laid up for many days; eat, drink, and be merry." But God said "Thou fool! this night shall thy soul be required of thee." He said "I was not made to be killed by the cars." But God said, "Thou fool! this day shalt thou be killed by the cars." His brains were dashed out and strewn along the road. His body was much mangled. But his poor soul has gone with all its guilt to where another rich man opened his eyes in torment.
The entry for the 24th, which was Sunday, records his preaching a farewell sermon to the congregation at New Washington, and also his reference to the revival held there in February, 1871. He had had the care of the congregation there.