Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1881-09-24

mourning MTrtad8 - Grtef's sad
SplendOr at His Resting Place
The Memorials and Tributes TO the
Dead.
WASHINGTON, September 23.-The capitol
was crowded again this morning up to
eleven o'clock. At that hour It was closed.
Although the remains were not open to
view, thousands passed by the covered cof-
fin. At eleven O'Clock the doors were closed
TO the rotunda.
Shortly after that Mrs. Garfield appeared
to take look at her husbands body as 1t
lay upon the cstafalque. She desired that
her visit to the rotunda be as private as pos
sihle. She drove to the capitol with her
eldest son and daughter and several imme-
diate friends. The rotunda was cleared of
every living soul. The widow, with the
black veil drawn from her pale face, entered
alone the vast circle in which the body lay.
For twenty minutes she remained In that
big room with the dead. What happened
there In that time nobody knows or cares
to inquire. It was a matter too sacred for
even the most acute curiosity to wish to
pry into. When she left her pale face was
veil covered, and she bore In her hands a
few flowers from the handsome and costly
piers OF floral architecture, which stood be-
side the bier Of her dead husband. Mrs.
Hayes visited the catafalque shortly after
Mrs. Garfield left, but It was when the
guards returned to their stations and others
were in the rotunda. The silent, solitary
visit Of Mrs. Garfield to the body on the
catsfslque was one Of the most solemn and
most striking features of the whole Illness
and death Of her husband.
The funeral obsequies Of the dead Presi-
dent this afternoon commenced at twelve
o'clock. They were as solemn and impres-
sive as they could be. The rotunda vas
crowded. All who could possibly get IA
there we're seated or standing outside the
last circle OF chairs arranged shout one COM
mon centre. The catafalque faced that
centre. The singing of the choir of forty
voices sounded we'll within the circular
wall. All faces bore the imprint that their
owners were moved by the sad notes.
The voice Of the clergyman sounded IN
prayer and in sermon clear and resonant.
The light of the fading September sun
broke through the windows half way up
the dome. It fell upon exactly one-half of
the assembled audience, which included the
gaudY uniforms Of the diplomatic corps, the
army and navy officers in full dress,
with a background of civilian costumes,
-
ladies' bonnets and wear. The other half
of the audience was thrown into the
shadow. It eontrasted very quantity but
foreibly with the grandness of the other
half which was under the sunlight.
The deepest attention was paid to the
services. There were at times quiet re
sponses to the prayers of the men of the
cloth. The ex-Presidents and all the promi
nent officers Of the army, navy and civil
life, and large number of Senstors and
members Of the House we're present.
Outside the people had gathered in thou
sands. They filed all the available space
on the pOrtieos OF the capitol and stretched
out in all directions in countless thousands.
The march to the depot was followed ard
preceded by vast pageant of the militia
ry. The sidewalks, the porticos, the roof
tops, everything where foot could get hold
were crowded with people. 1t was impos-
sible to pass through the throng.
There was no noise or disturbance. The
hush Of deep respect was upon every soul.
Washington has never seen such crowd as
watched or tried to watch the passage Of the
remains to the depot. Stands have been
built across the streets, which intersected
PENNSYLVANIA avenue, and fOothold thereon
rented at so much. The train as It passed
out of the depot was greeted for at least two
miles by line of people on either side
with uncovered heads. With every mark
OF regret and every sympathy of the hu-
man heart the funeral train sped onward.
One of the features of the funeral cere-
monies here has been the gathering of relics
from the coffin and from the capitol build
ing. The flowers upon the former were
taken away, one by one, by those allowed
pass to see the remains. They had to bs
be renewed several times every few hours.
Is was impossible to prevent the people
from taking away memento. The Grape
which was placed upon the capitol at every
distance accessible to the hand, has been
torn away in bits and carried away as me-
mentoes. The police were powerless in the
prevention Of it.
THE CROWD EXCLUDED.
At midnight the throng of people
who visited the capitol to take
last glance at the casket contain
ing the remains of President Gar
field was sensibly diminished, and as night
wore on ceased almost entirely. The doors
Of the rotunda were closed at ten minutes
before twelve this morning, and all
persons except the Sergeants-at-Arms,
their assistants and the guard of
honor were obliged to leave the hall. At this
hour, II q. m, an order has been Issued that
DO person be allowed to enter the capitol,
and, though the terraces surrounding the
building and adjacent are thronged with
people, the corridors present comparatively
deserted appearance.
THE WIFE BESIDE THE CAsKET.
At twenty minutes past eleven two closed
carriages drove up to the east lower en-
trance of the Senate wing and the occu-
pants ahghted and passed up the private
stairway to the Vice Presidents room. All
the corridors and passage ways upon
the main floor of the Senate wing
were quickly barred to all comers, and in
structions given by Sergesnt-st-Arms Bright,
of the Senate, to the employees and capitol
police on duty to keep themselves com
petely hidden In the reeeeses of the doors
and windows while Mrs. Garfield passed
through the rOtunda. The rotunda itself
was entirely cleared, the guard OF
honor retiring from view for the
time being. In few minutes
the little procession emerged from the Vice
Presidents room and passed around
through the east corridor In the following
order, through the silent and deserted
main passage way of the building: Sergeant
at Arms Bright leading, then followed Mrs.
Garfield, leaning upon the arm OF General
Swain, Harry Garfield, Mollie Garfield and
Miss Rockwell, Colonel and Mrs. Rockwell,
Attorney General McVeigh and Mrs. Swain.
Not a sound was heard, save the soft
patting Of the feet upon the mar
bic floors as the little company,
robed in sombre garments of the deepest
mourning, passed silently on to mingle their
tears and pay their last earthly tribute
over the casket which sealed from view
the form and features of the dearly loved
husband, father and friend. After remaining
about twenty minutes in the rotunda they
returned as quietly and with the same pri=
vacy that marked their entrance, and pass
ing through the Senate wing entered their
carriages and returned to the residence OF
the Attorney General.