The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-02-27
THE LATE HENRY SMITH.
Cbsequies Yesterday at the Seventh Ave-
nue. Methodist Church.
THE FUNERAL PROCESSION

comoned efforts OF the military, civic and police
authorities OF the metropolis could throw about
the opseques Of q public official, the mortal re-
mains OF Henry Smith, late President OF the Police
Commission OF this city, were yesterday borne from
out the city where ne had succeeded In making
himself power and an authority as broker in
politics to the little village on the banks OF the
Mohawk whence he had emerged as a boy, penni-
less, unfavored and friendless, quarter OF GEN.
fury ago. To say that the funeral OF the man was
the occasion Of an immense turn out OF the people
fsO-calle6) generally would be but the stating of
an absolute fact; for 1t cannot be denied
that, from early morn till the hearse was
borne from the City Hall to the rail-
road depot late In the day, the streets
though which the funeral procession was destined
to pass were lined with thousands OF spectators
Yet there was a marked difference between the
crowds That thronged the sidewalks and the
crowds which usually gather together to witness
the funeral OF public man who during his life
time may have made his name a household word
for
EMINENCE IN PUBLIC STATION
as an honest man Or Tor the good deeds done when
want and misery demanded the aid and comfort OF
the gOOu and the well to do. The majority were
made up Of spectators who were spec
tators because they knew there was to
be spectacle OF grand public funeral,
there been plenty or work for idle hands to do. 1t
may be safely asserted that there has not been
Tor ten years past present at any public occasion
on nOn-holiday so peculiar q crowd as that which
gazed from sidewalk stoOp and alleyway at the
pageant OF yesterday. There were but few women
to be seen along the whole route OF the procession,
and the masses which darkened the line OF march
and stood on Broadway shivering for hours before
the music OF the bands could be heard, and who
stood shivering for hours while the long line OF
military, police and high digntaries OF the city gov
eminent fled solemnly and grandly before them,
were chiefly OF the unemployed" class--men who,
before the late panic never knew probably what
q hoday-a week day without work-reany
afforded in the way OF sight seeing. There were
hundreds Of them looking hungry and ragged, yet
not like the ordinary rabble thai makes 1t a BUSH
ness to be on hand at every public pageant, and
whose every step and every move is an incentive
for action to the detectives the trail OF the bad
characters OF the town. Tdey we're orderly, all OF
them. They sat upon the steps of the stoOps on
Fifth avenue, and while waiting smoked their
pipes and gazcd wstlully up ct the happy
laughing child faces which beamed out
OF almost every window on either side
the way, each ul OF expectation OF the
treat OF band music and soldier marching that
they all had been told was to come. Candidly,
there could not have been any better evidence of
the immense number of willing, able bodied men
who are now in want OF work than was afforded
by the thousands OF labOrers mechanics and 9TH
ers of o like character who tnronged the street
during the procession, II seemed as though they
had somehow discovered that there was public
show, free to all, by which one day at least
could be whiled away. The excitement Of the
waiting for the display, the pushing and the
crowding. and the sudden meeting with old friends
want so that friends in better circumstances
would not descry them in their tattered clothes
made them forget ttat once upon a time one meal
a day did not answer for three.
AT THE CITY HALL
1t was some time after one O'Clock when the
procession started from the City Hall. The body,
up to the time OF the removal from the Govern
Or's room, rom midnight OF the night previous
had been laid in an elegant casket bound and
adorned with silver nails and handles, aud was
yet buried, so to speak, beneath mounds OF flowers
ana roses which fairly ladened the air with their
perfume. 1t took long time for tue crowd OF
90 mon ny me the ra M
but II was finally deemed advisable before all the
patient walters on the Hall steps had
which the Governors room is situated to
close the lid over the face of the deceased.
order, the band OF the Seventh regiment. which
was drawn up In line In front OF the City Han at
the time, playing dirge as the coffin was borne to
the hearse by eigat police captains:-
Mounted Police
The Seventh Regiment, National Guard.
Battalion of Fire Department under Chief Engineer Eli
Palbcarers in carriages
Guard of Honor CONSISTING Police Captains and Benev
Police Commissioners Gharlick' Russell, Gardner and
Police Justices sazDy amme
Mayor and Common Council in carriages.
Citizens loot.
TO THE CHURCH.
The snow had been the night previous thoroughly
cleared from the surface OF Broadway and the
march was, therefore, unObstructed to Fourteenth
street on reaching Union square the Seventh
had to break into company fronts, as the snow had
not been carried away from certain portions OF the
street along the lett of the line OF the. parade.
When the coffin was horne into the church on Sew
enth avenue, near Fourteenth street, there was
an immense crowd on the sidewalk, aud 1t was
found that even the galleries Of the sacred edlce
had been filed q full hour before. The services
were plain and devoid OF all ostentatlon There
were no decorations; the Moral tributes
the morning, placed on tables at the foot
OF the reading desk railing, being the only
binary one. The casket was borne In by selected
number of the police captains and depos ted in the
middle aisle near the altar railing, and was soon
followed by the pallbearers. headed by Commas
soners Charick and Gardener and the various
heads OF departments and other persons well
known In political circles III the city, among whom
were President Wales, OF the Department OF Public
Parks; George Van Mort OF the department OF
Commission; George starr, Commissioner OF Emf
grafton, Shepherd Knapp, Sheridan shook, Isaac
Bell, General Bowen, Commodore Budd, Archibald
Bliss.
THE RELIGIOUS SERVICES.
The musical part OF the services were under the
direction OF T. Is. Mosher, cnOrister OF the church,
and the choir was made up OF Miss Annie Bore,
soprano; Hattie Bryan, cOntralto; Royal Keith,
basso-the organist being VIM. G. Mccall. The
Dead March III Saul was rendered as the CONN was
being borne up the aisle, and soon alter 1t was
placed at the foot OF the altar railing; the hymn,
OF which the following are the first two verses,
was exQutsitely sung by the quartette: =
How vain is all beneath the skies;
How transient every earthly bliss;
How slender all the tondest ties
That bind US to a world Of bliss.
The evening cold, the morning dew,
The whitening grass, the fading hower,
or earthly hopes are embler true
The glory Vt passing hour.
Selections from the 1880 Psalm, "Bless the Lord
On, my SOUL and from the twenty-fourth chapter
of the Gospel according to st. Matthew were next
read, after which the choir sweetly sang the hymn.
"Depths OF Mercy" The first two verses run as