The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1898-06-16

that the request would pc granted.
and altered his arrangements &C.
cordingly.
The remains Of the grand Old
commonor reached here on SUNDAY
August 18th. and we're met At The
depot by a committee OF the most
prominent citizens Of the city.
appointed by Governor McLaurln
and a multitude Of people Of all classes
and degrees, who had turned out 70
do honor to the dead. The easket
was placed ia a heGse and escorted
to the capitol where it was placed ia
the rotunda, and lay in state far
twenty-four hours. The rotunda
was draped in deepest mourning and
profusely decorated with flowers.
The flag on the dome was hung at
half mast, aad the entire front of
the capitol building was festooned
with crepe,
Hundreds and hundreds Of people
gathered at the bier to take a last
look at the man who had done %
much to make Mississippi famous,
and whose name is written SO often
in the states history, A guard Of
honor was detailed from the Capitol
Light Guards to watch the bier at
night.
Next day the body was escorted IN
funeral pomp to the depot, and
special committee Of citizens, ap.
pointed by the governor, and a detail
OF Capital Light Guards took the
train and acted as escort Of honor
to attend theJremains to Carrollton,
where the Senator was buried.
Among the floral decorations
which we're brought to sdorn the
bier while the body lay in state,
was magnificent wreath, inscribed
"Mlssissippi's Honored Dead. The
The daily newspapers we're full Of
accounts Of the funeral and the
honor that was paid to the great
and lamented dead,
The bills which were made to make
this pageant we're as follows:
Hearse, hacks and superintend-
ing the funeral (undertaker). sill 90
Floral wreath and flowers, pur-
chased in Memphis ,.... .35 90
Crepe and draping rotunda Of
capitol ....,................2487
Railway fare and board Capital
Light Guards to Carrolton. 65 90
These bills were all presented 70
Governor McLaurin and made out
against the the State Of Mississippi,
They we're never paid by the State
Of Mississippi, nor were they ever
broughta to the attention Of tine
legislature. The bin FOR the wreath
and flowers bought in Memphis was
paid by private individuals, who
acted on the committee, some weeks
after the funeral The others re-
NAMED unpaid until early last week
when they were iucidentlV brought
to the attention Of MI w. c George.
The undertaker's bill, for hearse,
hacks and experimenting the funeral
was presented to Governor McLaurin
some eight OF ten times. lie put
the collector on from time to time
end had it reduced to Ss7, finally
saying that there was no way to
pay il out Of the states funds.
When Mr.. ". C. George came here
as a soldier ia the second regiment,
he learned off the bills. Mayor
Wharton, Of this city, fearing that
the matter might stand as stigma
upon the city OF Jackson, upon
learning the facts, went to Mr.
George and begged to put the bills
in his (Wharton - hands in order
that he might see them paid. Mr..
George peremptorlaly refused the
Mayors request and paid all Of the
bills except the one for wreath and
flowers which he did not know Of
at that time. Mr.. George subse-
quently got a leave Of absence to 70
home, where he learned Of the bin
for wreath and flowers, ana sent a
check here to pay the parties who
had taken it up.
Painful as must be the exposure
Of this affair to the family Of Senator
George, and to the people who mourn
his loss, and painful as is the duty
Of The faithful press which Is required
to chronicle it, nevertheless the facts
mus be told in order that the re.
sponsibillty for what is being de-
nounced by every one here as shame
less Outrage and an unparalleled dis
grace, should be placed upon the
shoulders Of whomever is to blame.
i Is the talk Of the day, and all
speak Of Il with the indignation and