The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-12-22
THRICE FROM THU TOMB.
How the Tinker Guard Buried
Its Noble Dead.
AND PUT A COFFIN IN THE WRONG GRAVE
A Colored Procession that Came
to a Sudden Halt.
MYERS. THE CEMETERY LlTlGANT

The premature resurrection Of the human remains
IN the "Od Bushwick Graveyard" recorded in the
HERALD. has recalled to the memories OF the resi-
dents in the neighborhood the which accom-
/ panied the disnterment Of the remains in the old
Cannon Street Baptist Church burying ground in
1870. which situated two squares TO the west of
the old Bushwck Ground. Then hundreds o. outraged
friends Of those who lay buried there hocked around
the Of Dissertation protesting against the work
fight took place in the effort to prevent the re-
moval of certain remains but thirty only OF the
lot owners had recorded their deeds for lots the
movals in spite OF protests and notices. such
as--
pont open this grave antf seen by W. shsrer No. ISL
RHo . d' GiAfiAH No IS Hester ssposs
| Tho Trustees commenced the work privately in the
| colored section frst Tho work done rapidly
| tin order IL possible to complete II before njunc-
ton could be served then) that it was not thor
oughly done. and now every month or so. as tho ne
cessary excavations for the foundations Of new build
ings made skeletons fragments Of them are
| turned up.
| The most remarkable case in the whole cemetery.
| however. that OF "the neavy cofhn." as 1t was
called at the time the story Of which is here given.
| and has never before been published
THE TINKER GUARD.
In the old palmy days of dancing for cells in Gather
| inc Market company was organized, composed OF
| darkies. and named the Tinker Guard" the name
being in honor of old Fulton Market dealer. who
general favorite along shore One object Of the
organization of the Tinker Guard was benevolence
which expressed itself in gorgeous parades on the
| death Of member. Colored preachers were not
| very numerous in those days; but those who were
located in the city all eager for invitation to
participate in theshows of the Guard because of the
! notOriety il afforded them. as the parades of
Tinker Guard great attraction the east side
| OF Gotham. Cemeteries also scarce about that
time though under the act of 1s47 four or five had
been organized. and numerous litigations various
! points had marked their entrance into the economy
| of the times
Old Gil Smith the undertaken did all the work for
the Thinkers and he had friend named Myers
| who remarkable for his litgations with ceme
terry corporations, and who, knowing of Gil Smiths
| interest with the Tinker Guard" made it
lever to carry his point in a dispute with
| ono Donaldson, the superintendent of the
| old Cannon street burying ground in Bnshwick.
Myers owned q lot in the ground and during the
quarrel between them Ton some petty subject Don
aldson used the expression Myers, you have had
just like to have Q tussle with you know all there
is 70 know about cemeteries and cemetery law. aud
well" said Myers, Il don't see any occasion to
| open this institution, but the first time get
III
| more cemetery law than you ever dreamed Of"
PURCHASE or THE HEAVY coFfN.
Without waiting for the morrow Myers , crossed
member Of the Tinker Guard that dies want buried
| In my lot"
| The undertaken, sstonished, begged to know what
he by burying n negro in his lot, when it
against the rules of the cemetery to bury colored poo
| Pile there.
| Just what I say" returned Myers II want the
next member OF the Tinker Guard that dies bnried in
my lot. especially his folks are too poor to buy
grave"
He had scarcely finished when committee Of the
Guard entered to purchase coffin for one of their
number who had shuffied OFF this mortal coil They
desired him to put tho body they wanted II
kept for nine ten days. The Guard always buried
Sundays To insure a big turn ont; and this
DEATH occurring Friday they could not complete
their arrangements in two days, and therefore, kept
| the body another week.
Gil promised that it should be done. and then pro
ccced exhibit his stock Of collins for their selec
tion but none would suit them. Rosewood. ma
hogany. stained wood, all repudiated, and. in
| despair. he about giving up when a brilliant
idea struck him he marched them down into the eel
lar and in moment or more they emerged delighted.
and. paying SIS. went OF congrstuatng each other
having de handsomest coffin dat niggah eber
buried in in New York. sah.'
Gil then showed Myers what he had sold them-it
lcaden coffin, covered with handsome black
cloth pail. in which the body OF noted official had
been brought from Europe and then the coffin had
been thrown aside useless. 1t weighed between
500 and 900 pounds but Gal was satisfied to get rid OF
IL for IS. Before leaving the shop Myers wrote
Donaldson notifying him to open grave III his lot
in which a friend OF his to be buried The
OF the coming funeral spread tar and WIDE, ana
the Sunday there not only turnout OF sixty
muskets on the part Of the guard. but an immense
throng to witness It.
OBSTINATE BAND.
The band. which had been engaged by white man.
refused to play when they discovered that Il was
coored funeral. urging = that it would in
jure their business. The gallant captain OF the
Thinkers could not change their determination.
some of the butchers from Fulton Market were called
in, and under their persuasions and the
fact that one of the FIRST bands in town
had played for the ''Tinkers" and would
| engagement. the musicians concluded to play.
Through the streets the procession wendell its way
the ferry, tho band playing it's finest dirRe the
carriages and then the Guards filed into the ferry
house and on board the boat. The moment they had
all entered tho gates shut and the boat was rung
| off, The band remaining the street. TO say the
Tinker Guards were rnraged will hardly cover the
/ situation, and no description can be given of the
| scene on board the boat during the passage. The
| band loudly denounced as having spilled lie
| hole funrsl" But another incident almost put
| end to the entire ceremony.
Dan COPELAND. the driver of the hcarso had become
thirsty. and seeing the water carrier % the Guards
with his pail Of cool ice water stopped up to him to
get drink Two or three OF the members approach
ing for the same purpose the water boy VINO was clad
| III gorgeous uniform, rivslling even the drum
ncttcd Dan, and with round oath or two, he threat
ened 10 dump the coln and corpse on the dock
he got over the river aud come back again
with the hearse the boat All hands crowded
around tho dsputants and hight would have re-
| preciatng the new difficulty and the necessity %
appcasing Dan. ne addressed him WHAT persishun
docs you occupy IN dis yer tun'ral. sahr
"Why, am the undertaken said Dan.
"Ahl" said the Captain, You am Dc undertaken p
Then, turning TO the crowd. no inotoncd then all
| back with 'Gemmen, step back little and let dis
yer white drink fust, adding. ALPHABETICALLY,
| ''he am our--und.rtakah"
| Dan took his drink but felt mighty surly. and
only sorry he had other " dump his heavy
| load. After diserbarking IN Williamsburg long
delay occasoned by the search for music and At
tho end of al hour the procession started 70 the
| sound OF q solitary drum
DIFFICULTIES AT THE CEMETERY.
When the cemetery reached Donaldson. seeing
many colored people, refused to let them enter.
and, closing the gate. brared his back agains; IT, say
Ing. This Is Niger burying ground. and I'll be
damned IL this crowd gets In this cemetery while I've
| got anything 70 say about it,"
The Captain Of the Thinkers" brought his men 70
| ''rcst." and approaching Donaldson with profound
bows said what de mattah. sab, at dis stage OF
| de percecdins2"
We'll" replied Donaldson. II want You TO take
| your funeral somewhere else; you can't bury
| nigger this cemetery.
'iIut, sab urged the bewildcrcd Captain, who had