The Critic and record., 1891-04-10
GENERAL PIXIES FUNERAL.
Impressive Ceremonies of the Scottish
Rite Religious Services To-day,

Bite-Religious Services To-day.
Last night as the city bells tolled with
solemn clang the birth of new day, in
Congregational Church an immense au-
dicncc witnessed solemn service Of Ma
sonic ceremonies impressive beyond de-
scription. It was the burial ritual OF the
Scottish Rite over the remains of their
late commander General Albert Pike.
The interior of the edilce was darkened
with the exception of the ilickering yell
low light from nine candles in great brass
sticks arranged in three triangles around
the Caskct, which rested on Il catafalque
draped as dark and heavy as the night
without A Chaplet of white roses Law on
one end of the coffin, at the other rested
the dead Knights sword and regalia.
Near the coffin upon a tablet rested a
skull wreathed i'm laurel and circled by
seven candles unlighted. The organ
played family. From out the darkness
grew twcnty.onc shadows, Knights of the
order, grouping themselves in triangular
form near the body of their beloved
brother.
In some distant recess of the church
trumpet sounded the golden notes floated
over the immense concourse of mourners,
echoing and rC-eChOing until they were
lost in silence. For five minutes q most
intense quiet prevailed, broken only by a
long drawn sigh from some one whose
nerves were Overstraincd The candles
faint glare fell on the sable-draped walls
and the white faces of the knights. A
gleam rested for second on the sword
upon the CasRet, causing it to shine
through the gloom like a sea gul's wing
in the mist and spray of storm. Out of
the triangle of Knights stepped one bear
lug aloft q lighted candle and an iron
hammer. IT was Grand Master Holt. He
spoke these beautiful words:
1T IS midnight, and a new day begins
for us. Our brother has finished his
earthly probation. Death is the ineXor-
able creditor, whose indulgence nothing
in the world can purchase. Every mo-
mcnt that sees q newborn child laugh at
the light, sees also a man die, and hears
the cry of breaking heart, and the
lamentations of those who sit lonely, and
in the desOlation Of alllCtion, no longer
seeing the faces Of dearly loved ones.
Round the little island of our being, on
which we follow our various pursuits of
toll or craft of usefulness or miscG!ef,
;hrobs the illimitable ocean of eternity,
upOn which, round the isle a broad circle
of impenetrable darkness brooding lies
But beyond that zone the outer ocean
| sparkles, and its white-crested waves
| dance in the light, and somewhere in the
| distance he Islands of the Blessed are
| dreaming, girdlel by the peaceful waters.
| Here, in our present home, we live our
| little life, waiting to be called to other
| duties elsewhere, and one by one oar loved
| ones and our cherished friends glide away
| from us unseen, and are swallowed mp in
| the darkness, which is the shadow of the
| broad wings of death"
When he had finished each Knight adj
| vanced, placing his right hand on the
| casket, and with few words blessed the
deceased. After the last one had invoked
a blessing the lights flashed up and the
| people filed slowly out After their de
| parture the remains were carried back to
| the Scottish Rite Temple, on q street.
! AT 1880 this afternoon the remains of
| General Pike were taken from the Cathe-
dral on G street under the charge of an
armed escort from the Scottish Rite and
borne to the Church of the Ascension on
Massachusetts avenue. BY request OF the
family the only ceremonies ut the church
were those of the Protestant Episcopal re-
ligion, the Rev. DR.. Elliott officiating.
After the benediCtion the pallbearers car
ried the casket to the hearse which, fol-
lowed by long line of carriages,
conveyed the body of the great Mason
to its final resting place in Oak Hill.
The active pail bearers were Messrs. o.
St. Clair Denver, Frank Armstrong,
Robert A. Howard, Thomas Lannigan,
JOnn - DUlnn, EN-oenduOf rOWler, Ol
Tennessee l.. II. Mangum and the Hon.
Clifton r.. Breckinridge. With the OK
ception of Mr.. Denver, all of these gentle
men were friends of the dead General in
his early Arkansas days.
The honorary pallbearers were Senator
Dolpb, the Rev. DR.. Bullock, General
James w. Denver Ashton S. II. White,
Henry i. Palmer, Sovereign Grand Com.
mander of the Northern Jurisdiction Of
the Supreme Council; James A. Henry
Frederick Kramer, and the following
active members of the Southern ,Jurisdic'
ton: DIR. j. c. Bachelor, General Pixies
successor; Fred Webber, John Mills
Brown, Gilmore Meredith, Hall $. Long
and Martin Collins.
G. b, Hyer, j. B. Bailey and George
Mr. Thompson acted as ushers at the
church.
All the funeral arrangements were I'm.
der the supervision of the Scottish Rite
Joseph Gawler was the undertaken.