Morning journal and courier., 1893-05-22
COLONEL HoUsToN,s FUNERAL.

COLONEL HOUSTON,S FUNERAL.
Such as Befitted a Brave officer -
Services Held at DR.. Perry's-The
Body of Mrs. Porter Brought TO
This City for Burial.
Yesterdays New York Times says OF the
funeral of Colonel Houston and of the late
Mrs. Porter, who was buried In this city
Saturday:
The bodies of Colonel David @. Houston,
United States army, who died in st. VIM
osnt's hospital Thursday of alcoholism,
and Mrs. Minnie Porter, his companion at
the Everett house, who died from the same
cause In Bellevue hospital Friday evening,
were taken from this city yesterday for
burial.
After Colonel Houston's death his body
was removed to the house of DR.. Alexander
Perry, at 1873 West Forty-fourth street.
DR.. Perry is distant relative of Colonel
Houston. A dispatch WAS cent to Captain
Alexander Ross Houston, United States
army, who was in Milwaukee, and he ar
rived Friday evening and went to the
Everett house-the same hotel In which
his brother passed the last days OF his life
with Mrs. Porter.
The funeral service over Colonel Hous-
toms body was held at II a. m. yesterday
at DR.. Perry's residence. The Rev. George
Clarke Cox of Ridgewood, N. j., OBLIGATED
and read the service of the Episcopal
church. The coffin was draped with an
American flag, and Colonel Houston's
sword and belt were placed upon it. The
psllbearers were Brevet General Comstock,
colonel of the engineers corps; Lieutenant
Colonel G.. L. Gillespie, Lieutenant James
G.. Warren, Lieutenant Thomas b. Rees, Il.
NJ. Babccck, d. J. Stone, a. @. Twining
and William Tailey.
At the conclusion of the service the body
was transferred to the Grand Central sta
ton, whence it was taken to Middletown,
N. Y, by Captain Houston.
A great many military men attended the
funeral, and all expressed deep regret for
the death of Colonel Houston, and par
ticularly over the circumstances attending
it.
II never knew Colonel Houston very
well" said DR.. Perry to New York Times
reporter after the funeral. "He was an
extremely reticent man and had few con-
6dants. My mother was only . distant
cousin of his, 80 cur relationship was very
remote. I seldom met him.
"Of the Porter woman I know nothing
whatever. I don't know whether she and
the colonel had known each other any
length of time or not. Colonel Houston 3
wife died about twelve years ago. They
had no children. His brother and are
the only relatives he had"
II have not given the subject any
thought, but do not suppose Colonel
Houston left any estate. An army officer
has only small salary, and, as he ia kept
moving from post to post, he does not get
an opportunity to collect valuables or save
money. His social obligations are such
that he muat spend all his money. Colonel
Houston was not business man, bat was
absorbed in his profession. I donot think
he left much"
Mrs. Minnie Porter died In Bellevue hos
pital at 9:15 p. m. Friday. Friday after
noon Mrs. Elizabeth Porter of $40 Crown
street, New Haven, Conn.,, called at the
hospital and introduced herself as the
woman's aunt. She told the officials that
she was anxious that her neice should have
decent burial If she died, and made ar
rsngements to take charge of the body after
death. She said the woman should ba
buried in her lot in a New Haven eeme.
terry.
Mrs. Porter was shown into the ward
where her niece was, and spoke with the
doctors about the case, but refused to tell
them anything about Mrs. Porter's an
tecedents further than that her maiden
name was Minnie Smith, and that she
came originally from Galveston, Tex. She
would say nothing of the woman's husband
or family.
After her death Mrs Porter's body was
tsksn to the Morgue, where 1t remained all
night. Yesterday noon Undertaken ]. NJ.
Duffy of 434 East Twenty sixth street took
it away and placed 1t in neat casket, by
direction of the aunt, and 1t was shipped
on the p. m. train for New Haven.
A woman who said she was a Mrs. Dana
her and that she lived in West Forty-third
| street, called at the morRue yesterday
morning and identified the body of Mrs
Porter. She said she met Mrs. Porter
three years ago in the Irving house, Phila
| delphia. Mrs. Porter was then living
with her husband, who was a sporting
man. She was extremely gay and fond Of
| wine, and she and her husband did moi
live happily. One day Mrs. Porter dissp
peared suddenly, and Mrs. Danaher did
not meet her again till year later, when
/ she was living in a French hotel neal
Broadway and Twenty third street, where
she INDUCED her fondnees for wines and
good company to the fullest extent"
A SUCCESSFUL TEST.