The Evening critic., 1881-09-23
Mrs. Garfield at her Husbands
Side.
A Very Affecting Scene.
The Last Look and a Long
Farewell.
Preparations for To-Day's Services.


III tne HVEIy DNWhs
Friday morning, the 23d day of septem-
Der, A. d. 1881, dawned upon the sad
hearted, funeral.draped, National Capital in
all the loveliness of early autumn. The sun
climbed up the orient an1 bathed the world
in an atmosphere Of perfect light. As the
fingers of the morning rays stretched up and
out through the gray dawn and fell with lus-
ter, first upon the dome of the Capitol, grad
ually moving lower until they rested with
newer light upon
The Catafalque
whereon rested all that Is earthly of our
dead Chief Magistrate, it seemed Us II 1t was
the hand of God reaching down to lift him
to Himself.
There was No Gloom I'm Nature,
all was glad, beautiful, and joyous, as if it
regarded the day of the obsequies of the
great dead man as day of his baptism into
q second life, and one Of perfect glory.
All seemed, all was, in complete peace at
the Capitol in the first gush of the early
morning; the watchers about the sacred
remains and few employees were all that
evidenced life; the city slept.
The Coffin Yelled.
1t was deemed advisable last eve ming for
obvious reasons to close the lid over the
dead mans face, and although the visitors
were admitted as the day and night previous,
they could not look upon the features of the
deceased.
The number of visitors yesterday and last
evening was without parallel in the history
of the National Capital. A continuous
out moments cessation during the twenty
four hours.
The ushers and the gentlemen in charge
managed everything in perfectly syste-
matte manner, and through their manage
ment all incidentals connected with entrance
and exit, moved like clockwork.
To give an estimate-and it Is q very close
One-Of the number Of visitors during the
twenty-four hours, we can take the circum-
stances of the number who passed the cata-
falque each minute. II was carefully noted
and averaged, at the lowest, 100 in every
sixty seconds, without cessation; which
places the number in the neighborhood of
10000.
why the Casket was Closed.
About o'clock in the afternoon Mrs.
Blaine and Mrs. Window, in company with
Mr.. Sevellon Brown, chief clerk of the State
Department, entered the rotunda and
viewed the remains. Returning to the
north door, leading to the Senate wing, Mrs.
Blaine stopped and asked why the coffin
was not closed. Messrs. Robert s. Graham
and s. S. Burdette, of the Army of the Cum
berland, to whom the question was ad-
dressed, were unable to make any definite an
swer, and referred her to Col. f. A. Seeley, in
command. He at once replied that no orders
had been given for the closing of the casket
"But it ought to be closed" said Mrs.
Blaine. 1T would be very painful to Mrs.
Garfield to have the remains exposed, did
she know how they appeared"
Secretary Blaine is perhaps the only
person who can order it closed" said Col.
Sceley, courteously, though not knowing
whom he addressed.
"I am Mrs. Blaine" said the lady, "but
l think the Secretary would require the
request to come from some one higher than
me-" she added, smiling.
The party, however, went over to Col.
Brights Office and saw the Sergeant-at-
Arms, who, while perfectly willing to close
the casket, said that he could not do IL
without written order This was after.
ward furnished him, and about $3.50 o'clock
Col. Bright walked into the rotunda and
himself closed the casket. There was at
the time long line of visitors extending
from the bier to n considerable distance
from the Capitol.
Mr.. Charles A. Benedict, the New York
undertaken in charge of the remains, was
seen last night, and made the following
statement: " l was at supper when ! was
told that the coffin had been closed Hav-
ing given no orders in reference to this
matter came ut once to the Capitol, reach
ing here abont Z o'clock. | unlocked the
casket and removed the glass plate There
was no odor and the features had not
changed or become decomposed. l then
went to Attorney General MacVeagh's S
house and saw him, Secretary Hunt
and Secretary and Mrs, Window.