St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-04-19
THE ROMANY.
Imposing Funeral of the Dead Queen of the
Gypsies.


CANINE LETTERS, queen of the gypsies Of
the Unitei States, died at Greenfield, Tenn,
on March 10, and was buried at Dayton.
Ohio, April Is. The gypsies ore encamped
all abont the city to the number Of about
1900, travelling by wagon from all parts of
the country. The queen was embalmed and
laid out in Nashville, Tenn, Immediately
upon her death, and when brought to this
CITY. where her tribe own considerable pro-
perty and large lot in Woodland cemetry,
where lies buried a former queen and king OF
he gypsy tribes in this nation, she looked
beautiful indeed. She was in handsome
casket made Of the finest wood, lined with
the finest silks and satin, and decorated with
gold and Jewels. In the cemetry, where she
was buried to-day amid the most touching
and imposing ceremonies. the lot belonging
to the gypsies is marked by an exquisite
monument of granite, shipped here from
Greece. The funeral procession, which was
composed entirely of gypsies, formed in the
northern section of the city and marched to
the southern extremity of the city, where the
cemetery is located. The crowd of people
was immense, At the grave rope was
stretched around, it, leaving an inclosure
large enough for the mOurners to stand. The
crowd surged up against this rope, bending
it almost to beeakiug. The mounds in the
vicinity were trodden on; boys and men sat
on tombstones, and filed the trees and every
place that would afford an opportunity Of
seeing what was going on.
The funeral services were Christian, being
conducted by one of the leading pastors Of
this city with choir of his church. The wife
of the reverend gentleman accom- panied the
mourning husband. The grave was sunk in
the ground about ten feet. 1t was a square
pit about ten by eight feet in dimensions.
At the bottom was a box made of stone slabs,
and in this box the coffin was laid by the side
Of another, that of daughter of the deceased
She was only 10 years old, and died in 1866,
but the body had been exhumed to be plac
beside the mother. There were stifed and
sobs as the mourners gathered about the
grave. and several broke out in loud cries as
the coffin was lowered. The preacher refer
ed to the deceased, whom he had known per-
sonally in life. She had been a christian, he
said and the bible she had worn with reading
was placed at her feet now that she was dead.
At the conclusion of his remarks the choir
sang ''The Sweet By and By" and the ser
vices closed. But the most affecting scene
was when the great stone was about to be
lifted BY means of derrick close at hand
and the stone box containing the coffin clos
ed. The sons and daughters climbed down to
the coffin to take their last farewell, the lat
ter being lifted into the grave. Their sobs
and cries filled the air, and were echoed by
the mourners that stood on the brink of the
grave. They threw themselves PROSTATE on
the coffin, kissing the wood, and it was only
with great difficulty they were prevailed on
to come out of the grave, and they were as
| sisted out, finally, after much entreaty. BY
means of the derrick and the stone laid was
then put into position and the dirt thrown
upon it. huge monument will be erected
over the grave-a life-sized statue, of white
marble of the dead gypsy queen.