The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-11-01
THEIR LAST
TRIBUTE.
Hundreds of Thousands of New
York Citizens
Gather About the Bier of Hen
~ George.
iEMAINS LIE IN STATE
No Such Manifestation of Grief
Ever Witnessed
Where the Deceased Was But a
Private Citizen.

New York, Nov. IA mourning city, a
grief-stricken people yesterday showed
honor to the man who had fallen in the
battle for what he believed to be right.
Henry George, apostle of the single tax.
leader of the new Jeffersonian Democ-
racy' stricken on the eve of the election,
was honored as private citizen of
America was ever honored before.
Public griefs have been many in the
great metropolis of the western hemis-
phere; many have been sincerely mourn
ed, but none, save he who went to eter-
nal rest after having served the people
as a leader of soldiers and as chief ex-
ecutlVe of the land. had laid at his bier
such evidences of public grief, widespread
sorrow and sincere grief as was laid at the
bier Of Henry George. No one would per-
init reminder that he had been a can
didate for public office and had been car
rying bitter warfare on those he be-
heved We're enemies of the public veal,
no one recalled the strong words of de-
nunciaton that fell from his lips while
on the political rostrum; he was remem-
bered only man who so loved the
people that he gave his life for them.
From the dawn till far in the night the
outward manifestation of grief lasted,
loved features, cold in death, yet smiling
serenely as in sleep, other thousands
heard stirring oratiOns, magnificent eu-
logies upon the martyr dead. In every
temple of God, wherever men gathered to
worship or gathered to hear lectures and
philosophy taught, garlands of praise
were bestowed upon the memory of the
revered dead.
In the vast auditorium where the dead
rested i0SniT9d m n nf al
Jews. Christians, Catholics and Episco-
palians, with hearts wrung with pain,
spoke words which confessedly fell far
short of the great waves OF emotion that
sought to find utterance.
Not a dissenting voice was heard to the
declaration that Henry George was
lover of the people, whom he believed
We're being oppressed. and. that he gave
his life that humanity might live.
The eulogies uttered, the day gone, the
streets became flled with people who
wished to see the funeral cortege as it
passed in solemn procession down New
York's greatest streets, thence across
Brooklyn bridge and through Brooklyns
streets to the Brooklyn city hall.
There the public gave over the body to
the family and the casket was taken to
the modest home in Fort Hamilton, from
which they v iii be borne to their final
resting place in Greenwood this morning.
At the lowest estimate 125,OOO people saw
the casket as it wendell its way to that
point where the public was compelled to
stand aside in reverence and sympathy
while the family claimed its own.
The body of Henry George lay in state
in the Grand Central Palace and 3O.OOO
people reverently passed the casket and
looked upon the Ease of the dead philoso-
pher. From o'clock in the morning till
3 in the afternoon a stream of men, wo-
men and children poured into the hall
The immense throng was composed of
representatives of all classes, of all shades
of life, and all religious opinion. On every
face was stamped the unmistakable
signs of sincere regret, while hundreds
of faces were drawn with suffering and
pain To thousands of those who passed
by Henry George was personally known,
and it these who fingered for longer mo-
ment to gaze again the face of the
man who died fighting to brighten their
lives.
In the early dawn the body was moved
in a plain hearse from the Union Square
hotel to the Grand Central Palace, unat-
tended save by the guards of honor and
four policemen. Behind the hearse came
a single carriage, carrying Anna George,
the youngest daughter, who insisted upon
accompanying the body to the Grand
Central Palace. No persuasion could
sway her from her purpose.
Weeping bitterly, she stood at the head
of the stairs at the hotel and begged to
be permitted to go. She wished to ar
range the flowers upon the casket in
which her fathers remains reposed- Plead
ings proved in vain; she became impor-
tunate and refused to permit the body
to be taken away unless she accompanied
it. The other members of the family,
their grief emphasized by the child's utter
abandon of anguish yielded, and Richard
George, her brother, accompanied her to
the Palace. There she arranged the
flowers as she would have them, and per-
mitted no one to lend the slightest aid
At o'clock the doors opened and i'm
nediately several hundred persons. who
were in waiting without entered the hall
with bowed heads. They saw at the
head of the hail. in an immense bower of
floral tributes, a plain heavy black cloth
covered casket resting on a dals' Ihrough
the glass they saw the remains OF the
great man reposing calmly his features
unruffed, as if in sleep. Inc leIt arm
rested lightly on the breast, the other py
the side. The remains We're clad IN
black broadcloth, a turn-doWn collar ana
a plain black tie.
For the first half hour the throng ill
ing up the hall in twos passed at the
rate of 800 an hour, but shortly the num-
bers swelled and grew. until at one time
eighty passed each minute. At this rate
5000 an hour, the crowd passed until the
churches emptied their audiences into the
vast concourse which was vending its
vvav down from Forty-sixth street to the
Palace, and filed Forty-sixth street ana
Third avenue for many blocks For the
last two hours the crowd came at the rate
of $3.50 an hour. This is the highest rate
obtainable under such circumstances as