The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-07-03
OF AN EXECUTED MAN.
Dr. Buohanan's Funeral Fur
@ nishes a Show in the
:. Eighth Ward.
CHILDREN AMONG SPECTATORS.
Little Ones Taken Into an Under
~. takers Shop by : Their
-. Thoughtless Parents.


: NEW YORK, n. Y July 2.-There was
+. a ghastly show inthe Eighth Ward to-day.
The funeral OF Dr. Robert ". Buchanan,
who was. executed yesterday at Sing Sing,
was held at 3 O'clock 1t took place from
the undertakefs shop of Anthony Hanna
at 127: Varick street: Just because the
body OF an executed murderer lay
there; the undertaker's shop was crowded
=: by hundreds of PERSONS ever since the body
was brought down at g o'clock last night
until it was taken away this afternoon.
: From the. time of its arrival until 2 80
:. O'clock this morning; hundreds of morbidly
!. curious men and women and small chill
.:*dren continuedto. .pe.ur through the door,
=. and with heads. barred gazed curiously at
the face of the;>dea man as they filed
:: around his. coffin. Early this morning
..Undertaker Hahna made an effort to close
= his shop but his.bell was kept ringing. so
:. incessantly that two Hours later he again
it, Several persons were standing
!: blythe door. awaiting admission, and they
: : had no more. than departed after view of
the body :by*gaslight than others came and
=. Succeeded them.
1T Throughout the. morning the crowd con-
>.tinued to passin and at-10;3O G clock it was
:. e$timated= that %fjllly..:1500> persons had
. vieHed*the features Of the dead murderer
AT hines the throngs were Sc, great that
:>the police had ito be summoned to keep
them in line. In: passing the, coffin every
LONG observed the usual token OF respect for
the dead. ~>Themen apremoyed their hats
=: and net. a.word was spoken In. the room
{ where the body lay, Throughout the late
:. morning hours dIring thernoOm.hour and
J: mp to tile very Hour .of the funeral. the
I: morbid crowds continued to>fock into the
. undertaker'5 shop to-. View Buchanan
:. body @Betyeen the hours Of p and
: O'Clock, when business in the factories in
.the.vicinity. was suspended, the employees
!. fairl y.eanie- In droyeS. =
;: During thexentire hour there was not a
: gingle. break IN 1.-The fine, and frequently
:thecroWd. became so great that the doors
:. ..had@:to be. closed that the room mightnot
:. become. too jafnmed. ?.
:: scI1ool children also came in: crowds,
J: and : there was more than one instance
!: where children. who codld not have been
:: oveT4 years old: We're led in toyiew the
corpse. Many mothers brought their babies
!. :iirl.theIr arms. Itwas. estimated that by /
! O'Clock: fully 1000 persons must. have
l.. viewed, the body=sfnce It's arrival. Some Of
!: the mere@ impatient ones made desperate
attempts to. satisfy. their curiosity before
their turn arriyed. Not few attempted
! to climb il. the windows, whileothers clam
- bered over fences. and tried: to make their
!. way in : tllr9ugh:the rear. of the house
Most of these. attempts were frustrated.
- As the hour forthe funeral approached,
: and men, women and children bore upon
:. tie little shop. the scene lost the compara-
.tiye#quiet of early morning. 1t became
: almost a show. Men were pushing and
showing their:way through the line despite
:. all the efforts Of those in charge to hold
them back: Women were talking and
chattering and children were snickering
: and making remarks, which they IN
.doubtedly considered amusing.
Undertaken Hanna finally took up his
position by the door, and whenever. the
crowd became too great he shouted out,
Take. your time, take your time; every
:. body will have chance to see the body"
: His shouts were frequently interrupted
J.. by remarks from the visitors, such as:
:. "Why don't you charge a quarter admis-
sion and retire on the proceeds?" This
will cost you a. new carpet, sure" you
: never were so popular before and other
ordinations of a similar character
:. Steadily the. jam increased until the
:. line;. which passed around the coffin was
TWO. and sometimes three deep. Special
policemen were on. hand for the funeral,
). as if was expected that the number OF spec
.:.tators would. be enormous.
: The coffin, which contained the body
rested on two stools in the front room of
the shop. It was a plain black coffin. lined
with. white satin. On the lid was a silver
:. plate: bearing the. inscriptions; Robert
Buchanan, died July l, 1895, aged 81
:: years. :: H.:
- No flowers were in the room this morn
ing. Fhe face of the executed man looked
!. true to nature. Aside from slight scar
ON: the right temple caused by the cleo
:. :tricfty and the presence of "a little more
than. its usualpallor, there was no change
noticeable in the features.