Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1885-07-02
ANDREW T. PETERSON,
Born April %, 1910,
DIED JUNE "a, 1885.


The features were exactly life like and
the remains lay in easy repose, with no
indications of the violent death of the
dutiful officer. At the head of the casket
was broken column of white roses and
carnations, the offering of the members
of Mayor Rhoads' police force. A fac
simile of the dead officers badge,
reproduced in white with the
figure 81" on the centre of the
star and sd. O." on the surrounding
circle in immortelles, was the floral
tribute from his fellow-officers of Mayor
Wales regime.
The service of the Reformed Episcopal
Church were conducted by the Rev. j. L.
Estlin, rector of the Church Of the
Redeemer. Prayer was offered by the
Rev. W. B. Gregg, who referred 10 the
violent death of the officer and made a
pathetic allusion TO his heart-broken
family.
From the text, "Well done my good
and faithful servant" Mr.. Estlin spoke
feelingly and at some length. The death
of the public servant, he held, was not
simply loss to his grief stricken family,
but to our city. He had the good govern
ment of our city at heart; he was faith
ful to the administration to which he was
attached and his fall is great loss in
deed. His career has been marked by
honesty and efficiency and he gave him
self unreservedly to the cause of good
government. Here in the shadow of his
own home he was overtaken by death !;
while waiting for the day which would
release him from public service,
an event he awaited with much
prospective pleasure. He was manly
and valient and went down to his death
in response to woman's call for protee-
ton, which at once appealed to him. The
speaker regarded the career of the dead
officer as model for the incoming adj
ministration, and his terrible taking off as a
warning to all men against the intoxicat-
ing bowl. The crime illustrated that
even our public officers are not safe upon
the streets while the condition of intoxi-
cation is so prevalent, and this sad affair,
the speaker hoped, would arouse whole
some sentiment against the spread OF
intemperance.
Preceding and after the sermon a
chorus of voices sang "Shall We Meet
| Beyond the River" and "Asleep in the
Arms of Jesus"
A few minutes before o'clock the re.
mains were conveyed to the hearse by
Police Sergeants Mcbride and Tucker,
| Patrolman Hanna of the retiring police
force, and Brothers j. Max Hammond, j.
| s. Lockard and ]. s. Sample of Delaware
Lodge No. l, l. o. o. F. The funeral
cortege then took up its sad journey To
the Wilmington and Brandywine GENE.
terry. Preceding the hearse both bat
talions of police marched as
escort to the body, and after the
mayors and chiefs of police
preceding the family, relatives, Delaware
| Lodge and friends. The line extended
over five squares, and included about 40
carriages. The funeral party moved
down Front street to Broome, out Broome
to Fourth, down Fourth to Madison and
to Delaware avenue and the cemetery.
The streets along the route were literally
packed with people, who swarmed almost
beneath the carriage wheels and curiously
stared at every one of the funeral party,
inquisitively peering into the vehicles, to
the annoyance of their occupants.
At the cemetery the crowd assembled
awaiting the funeral numbered many
hundred and the gathering about the
grave was immense. The funeral rites Of
the /. o. o. F. were performed Mt the
open grave by Past Grand Muster David
Downs of jefferson Lodge, in behalf Of
Delaware Lodge, at the close of which
each member of the latter lodge deposited
spring of green upon the casket. II
the midst of the benediction, which
was repeated by the Rev. j. L
Estlin, the wife of the deceased
daughter and Miss Sallie Searles {
cousin, were overcome by hysteria ant
swooned away. Restoratives were applied
unavnilingly for q time and only after thu
sufferers had been carried to their car
riages did they regain consciousness
Their expressions of intense grief wer'
pitiful in the extreme, and brought sym
pathetic sobs and tears from nearly al
the women in the large assemblage. Thu
younger children of the dead man CAV,
vent TO their grief in pitiable sobs ant
wailings and the wife could not be recon
ciled TO the sad fate of her husband ant
in heart-rending accents moaned "oh
why did they kill him? If he had onl.
died in his bed" II was sad scene in
deed, and there were but few dry eyes il
the large assemblage when the last Office
had been performed for the murdere'
policeman.