The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-11-23

The way an Undertaken Outwitted n Woman
Professional Funeral Goer.


"The other day. said an undertaken to a
Sun reporter. II was warned against a woman
professional funeral goer. or course j knew
all about her. She is harmless. Having a sufl-
cient income to support herself modestly with
out much work, she has plenty OF timo on her
hands. and for a few years has made 1t e daily
habit to attend ~funerals. OF friend or stranger.
in any part OF the city. She dresses very well,
quietly and modestly. and invariably pushes
herself forward and gets into the carriage Just
back Of the mourners. She coolly walks. I'M
hidden and unlimited, to the carriage and takes
n seat, much to the annoyance OF the others
who enter the carriage. do not know her.
II was instructed carefully that II this wo-
man presented herself. not to make any objec-
tlon nor to allow any policeman or detective to
lead her away. She has q habit Of screaming
very loudly II interfered with. much TO the dis
gust of the people present, This family wanted
no such disturbance. Ihud the drivers Of the
carriages informed properly. When the hearso
was leaving the house. and when the near rela-
tives had left. the fourth carriage drove to the
curb. and az soon as the carriage door was
opened out from the small crowd in front OF the
house smartly walked the young woman. She
got into the carriage and the door was prompt
ly closed. The carriage departed and at the
next corner the driver turned and trotted his
team to the stable. The young woman got out
peaceably. saw she had been .foiled and de-
parted without a word. Tho family paid for
1t is a delicate matter to refuse admittance at
dr nSsss N rpassnl i to b 4 r1sp e sSe!s n l9GklaS; w nnd
where the admission 10 not by card. Some
families do issne cards Of admission TO the
y mourning presents herself at the door say
but we'll known name? In nine cases out OF ten
the professional funeral goer gets n. II she
e sSP ana sh sst t 20 the e e esmsts sfsrs and "a t. ts0 tR Rsase n
ilSTsfs Is thf q sbs i Ssssp S sR t$s r r ssas si d t tss
hospitals. she'll get there early next morning
End have some excuse to see them. The pro,
80 quick wltted and ready for any emergency
S dTfs them rdiii direct se 70 the thefs Stable Her Il rev We s Hno W
them, promises to work well.
cluster Of beautiful lilies Tor every funeral shoo
card simply sn ins a9h ai0 .f From a Ss DEAR fr Tssaae
Sometimes her offering, was refused at the
s dSS5' o but net }s : often sr,,a She g.. was careful sHd not lotto 70
sions she sent lilies to old bachelors who died.
and md their sisters: spspectipg something wrong.
plcIon: Sometimss, She sent, the money BY
see whether her orders had been fully carried
out. She was 9 good woman at heart. and fol;
iiH IL cSar eR 4 ass 19Rsfaif B Sy t Rhrihy oash aSt be &c e ssld
OF. all female professional funeral goers.
was going to speak OF. a professional man
funeral goer who had q delight to ride on tho
hearse, seat, but he's dead. Sc is the young
man who always ran alongside the hearse at
every funeral he saw. He'd keep IL up all the
way to tho grave. poor fellow. But he's dead.
too. / know of two middle-aRed. men who
weep copiously at every funeral they attend
and are absolute strangers to the dead. To
see them shed tears you'd think they were
people will remember the male quar-.
tet that went about singing at every
Sunday funeral In the poor districts where
and. Of course, never charged q cent. It was a
real blessing, because there Is so much poor
singers. took a delight in It. but never made
themselves known. Two were bank clerks. It
was a novel pastime. ! admit. But the male
professional funeral goer Is q rarity. The
women professionals are plentiful"