St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-01-16
GEN. BUFFERS BODY.
It Is Lying in State at Hunting
ton Hall, City OF
Lowell.
The Turbulent Crowd There AL
most Sweeps the Doors From
the Hinges.

LOWELL, Mass, Jan. 15.-At Cen.
Buffers late residence on Belvidere hill
this morning private funeral services
were held. Rev. Dr. A. st. John Cham
bre. of st. Anne's Episcopal church,
read the office for the dead. The body
was in the drawing room. The stars
and stripes were not on the coffin
during the private funeral serv-
ices. President HarrisOn's wreath
and a couple of ferns and lilies were
laid upon the coffin. There was no
eulogv and no address by the clergy
man. After the short service. closing
with the Lords prayer. those present
looked upon the general for the last
time. A detachment of comrades of
Post AZ, G. A. r.. reached the house
directly after the private funeral exer-
ciSas. Their standards were draped,
and the banner Of the post, bearing a
portrait of the dead commander. was
also in mourning. Col. DImon, vino has
charge of the arrangements of the
funeral, was in command.
Comrades bore the body from the
house to hearse drawn by four horses.
A wild wind was blowing from the river
lIs II.
but not man sought shelter. As the
body was carried from the portals of the
house the drums of the band rumbled,
the cOlorS were dipped. and the COM
Dany saluted. Then the march to the
hall was taken up. arms were reversed
and the officers fell to the rear Of the
detachment. The streets were crowded
as the band sigIaIled by dirges the pas
sage of the generals body from the
house to Huntington hall, where the
body was to lie in state. A great crowd
was waiting to be- admitted to the hall.
In the hall the coffin was placed in the
center of the floor. From the ceiling to
the floor a wall of black extended. The
dim light did not extend to the wall of
black, and the effect was dismal and
gruesome.
Grand Army men surrounded the cas-
ket On the coffin rested the sword and
epauIetS that were worn from Lowell to
the gulf and back again. Behind the
catafalque rested bank of flowers that
had come from President Harrison.
from the convicts of the state prison.
and from all classes of people between
those extremes. President Harrison's
wreath was placed in the coffin in
Washington. Senators Dawes, Chand-
Ter and Hale, Gov. RUSSELL Hon. Fred
erick Douglass. militia companies and
societies and friends in Lowell. Boston.
New York, Washington, Chicago and
other places sent pieces that took up
one side of the hall.
When the crowd was admitted to the
hall they almost carried the doors off
their hinges. They struggled I'D stairs
and bowled over the police. who tried
to restrain them. Shouts and cries
awOke the echoes of the hall where the
dead man lay. Huntington hall, when
ever Gen. Butler appeared there in life.
saw turbulent scenes. but those of today
surpassed anything ever seen before at
the old hall. Down in the street thou
sands pressed forward when they saw
the doors open. All the afternoon a
steady stream of people poured III. but
the crowd did not diminish. The exit
was on Shattuck street and stream Of
people passed through that door.
No impression could be made by those
that clamored for admission at that side
of the hall. Late In the afternoon the
doors were closed. and the officers had
an hours rest. II was designed to close
the hall at 5 o'clock until tomorrow
morning, but at 6 o'clock they were
opened again. This time the people
we're formed into lines. and more order
was maintained up to II o'clock, when
the final closing was made.
Hundreds left the place without get
ting in, and many others who wanted to
get out of the jam were forced to wait
and be swept into the hall by the
stream. There will be another clash to-
morrow morning, as those who failed
today will try then. The preparations
are for a great event. greater than
Lowell has ever witnessed.