The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-08-09
THE LAST LOOK.
The Last of the Procession Passes the Cas-
ket and 1t Is Closed Forever.

ket and 1t Is Closed Forever.
New YORK. Aug. 8-Chef Of Police Murray,
at o'clock this morning was in command of men
and affairs at the City Hall At that hour the
iron gates were about to be closed when he OBJ
served that there were 800 or 1000 people yet
waiting at the foot of the steps and across to the
plaza.
"Let them come in, commanded the superin-
tendent to the officers, who, at his command,
had shut off the people. And then followed ten
minutes of the most exredious hustling of human
beings that has probably been known since the
emancipation proclamation. The material was
composed almost entirely of men. and lusty
policemen supplemented their admonitions of
haste with exceedingly effective persuasion of
muscular character. Men and boys were shot
through the City Hall with such celebrity as will
render the occasion to them doubly memorable.
The last person had at last crossed the we'll worn
Threshold, and the iron gates changed shut. The
public had taken its leave of the dead General.
Officers of the Seventy first Regiment were on
duty, and the usual detail of Grant Post was
present as immediate body guard. while the
Loyal Legion was represented by of its
| members who stood at the head of the casket.
One of Wheeler Post, of Saratoga, which first
mounted guard detail about the mountain cot
tage the day of General Grants DEATH was also
present.
The last of the general public had shufded away
through the black draped corridors. and out of
the building. The hour was 1:IS A. NJ. None
but the police, and guards and allnight report
ers were present when the undertakers took
charge of the remains ANY here who now
desire to view the remains will step forward at
once" said the undertaken, and his voice echoed
through the dark, still corridors All present
passed by the casket and the Lying in State of
the ex-President had ended.
Undertaken Merritt then brushed the glass
plates above the body and drew from their places
the two lids which cover the casket The four
screws in each were turned down, and the face
of the dead had been closed forever from view,
unless there shall, in the future, come from the
| family request to remove the lids. Then the
dead was left in care of the guards, who stood
erect and silently within the closed iron gates and
beneath the black drapery.
The night wore on, and the gray Of daylight
was creeping UP the east The still air of the
tomb-like corridors became heavy with the per-
fune of witherine flowers near the dead. A huge
piece, 1.-THE Gates Ajar," had place at the head
of the casket and the sweet smell Of the lilies
was borne down 20 those stood and watched.
Great horseshoes of red and yellow rose buds
added their fragrance, and cross and crown
from Mayor F. c. Latrobe, of Baltimore, sent
| out its quota to the heavy perfume that settled
| on the sepulchral air
But there was one tribute that bore no fragrance
| except such as will come tenderly to the family
of the dead. 1t bore no perfume save that which
lives in its memories. This token was plain
| wreath of oak leaves, pinned together with stems
and formed in the shape of a letter ct" The
leaves grew on the oaks in the forests of Mt
McGregor, and futtered in the mountain
breezes while General Grant was dying. On the
afternoon of Thursday-the day he died-little
Julia, his grand daughter and little Josie, Dr.
Douglass child, had gathered the oak leaves in
the mountain road. Then, as the children pratt
tied, they knit with innocent fingers and loving
hearts the wreath of oak leaves that day is the
only tribute that touches the Generals casket
The little ones, their offering finished had taken
it to Colonel Grant, whose eyes were filed when
his daughter said: Papa, Josie and have made
this for grandpa, and please wont you give it to
him9' The Colonel placed the oaken wreath on
the casket and there it rested in Albany, and
| still remains as the children's offering.