St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1881-09-30

Senators and Representatives, and
filed slowly and sadly up n pathway
which had been kept open in the mid
die of the broad flight of stairs, the
sides being densely packed with peO-
pie who had chosen to see this part of
the pageant.
On reaching the centre of the vast
rotunda, the casket was placed on the
catafalque which had been prepared
for it, and then the President and his
Cabinet, together with General Grant,
Senators and Representatives stood for
a moment in silence. Then a panel
covering the face of the dead President
was removed, and those who stood
round gazed upon the wasted features
of him who so lately was chief of the
nation, and sOlemnly moved away.
The sight of the face of the dead Pres
ident was indeed terrible and upon
most who saw it an impression was
left which time cannot efface. 1t was
pinched and haggard to the last ex-
IRENE; the skin yellow and glistening !;
the eyes sunken, and the upper lip
tightly drawn, showing to their full
length the teeth. The nose looked
unnaturally long, sharp and hooked !;
and altogether there was not the slight
est resemblance in the dead face to the
late President when in full and robust
health. 1t is said that mt least 10000
people were on the streets at this time.
The sOlemnity of the scene at the Cap
itOl Wednesday afternoon was en-
HANGED by an incident. After the body
had been deposited on the catafalque
and the President and Cabinet had de-
parted, Marshal Henry of this district,
an old personal friend of the late Pres
ident, fell upon his knees beside the
open bier and bowling his head almost
to the earth wept long and bitterly.
All through the Presidents illness in
Washington, Marshal Henry was con-
slant in his attendance and was one of
the brightest and cheeriest spirits
about the White House. He was full
of hope and courage to the last, and
when the end came he was greatly
shocked.
LYING IN STATE.
The body of President Garfield lay
in state on a catafalque in the center of
the rOtunda of the Capitol. On his
simple coffin lay two palm branches,
united at the stems with white ribbons.
Around the dais and Mt the doOrways,
and at intervals around the wall, stood
the silent members of the guard of
honor, comrades all of them of the dead
man in the Army of the Cumberland.
The surroundings were decorated in
good taste. Looking from the cata-
falque, each of the four entrances to
the rotunda was hung with black.
There was rOsette in the middle of
these hangings and one on either side.
The paintings were draped with rO-
settles and pendants of black cloth.
On the cOrnices above the pictures were
black pendants with rOsettes. The
House and Senate chambers, and the
approaches thereto, were hung in
black. Up to ii o'clock on Wednes-
day night over 5000 people viewed the
remains, and by five o'clock on Thurs
day morning the line was formed again.
During the forenoon IL double file of
Afterward it was doubled at the steps
VI JhC SdplbOl, sO bndb
they entered the rOtunda. On the
west porch many fingered, and the
halls and corridors and porches were
thronged all day long. Many took
their positions high upon the galleries
of the dome to view the scene as the
file of people passed the catafalque.
The floral display was magnificent.
At either end was a wealth of ivy.
There was a large column of white
roses, upon which white dove was
mounted. A beautiful representation
of the gates ajar was made of rOsebuds
and smilaX, and there were besides IA
crown of white flowers and pillow of
white roses upon which, in letters of
violets, were the words ''Our Martyr
President" At night the rotunda and
dome were again lighted, and until late
the ceaseless tide of people rolled on.
During Thursday afternoon there
were signs that the body of President
Garfield had commenced to decompOse,
and it being understood that in such
an event it was the wish of Mrs. Gar
field that the features of her husband
should he free from the public gaze,
the lid of the casket was closed by or
der of Secretary Blaine at about $50
that evening. This decomposition was
due, it is said, to defects in the EN-
balming process.