The evening times., 1899-07-28
NOVEL BURIAL FEATURES.
A Woman Inferred Sitting in Her
Favorite Rocking Chair.


Favorite Rocking Chair.
Pawling. n. Y, July 2S.-Mrs. George S.
Norton was inferred yesterday afternoon in
the Pawling Cemetery in strict accord with
her strange dying wishes. The body,
seated in her favcrite rocking chair and
enclosed in a great square box of white
chestnut, resembling a large family ice
chest. was borne from the house to the
grave in one of Mr. Norton wagons. The
vehicle had anything but funeral aspect.
for the body was OF a rich green hue and
the wheels a brilliant yellow, and there
was stripping of the same bright color all
over the wagon.
Stub" Bennett, one of Mr.. Norton's en-
ployes. who had been chosen to drive the
wagon, appeared in everyday working
clothes, and the only sombre touch TO the
whole was furnished by ]. H. Pearce the
undertaken, who sat beside Bennett clad in
the regulation dress of his Office. Hun
dreds of residents of the section came from
long distances 10 attend the strange fu-
neral. news Of which had been widely
spread abroad since Mrs. Norton's death
on Monday.
The house was filled to its utmost ca
pacity and scores stood on the lawn before
the door during the services, which were
conducted by the Rev. William A. Mackey
pastor Of the Methodist Episcopal Church.
The body rested just inside the front door.
1t sat in the lower half CT its strange coffin,
which came up to a little below the shoul-
ders.
The chair was draped with white silk
coverlet with blue figures, which had been
worked by Mrs Norton's grandmother.
and which she desired to have buried with
her In her lap was strawberry shrub,
the only flower displayed, and a heavy
white cloth was draped over the head and
bust during the service.
A choir, composed OF Mrs. B. c. Troy
bridge. Mrs. William T. Chapman, and
Miss Cadie Pugsley, sang. and the minis
ter spoke with one hand resting on the
edge of the box in which the body rested.
He made no references to any OF the un-
usual features of the funeral, but praise ]
Mrs Norton for her home life and ior her
many charities. After he had conc -udei i
the cloth was withdrawn from the face.
and nearly all present filed through the
house TO look at it. sadly drawn as it was
by months of suffering
Then the upper half OF the box whicl
had lain out on the veTanda was carrie
in and reyeTently deposited over the head
of the dead woman. The clasps were snap
ped and Bennett backed his team through
the shubbesy up to the edge OF the We
| randa, two p!anks were laid ard the cas-
ket, which was on casters, was trundIel
over them to the wagon
An inky blackness had been spreading
over the western sky for some time, and
as the men seized the ropes to lower thg
box there came a loud gsowl OF thunder.
Mr.. Norton himself superintended the
| interment of the box. and asked the min
| lister TO hurry the closing prayer, so tha
| those present could make for shelter be
| fore the storm broke. The box sank int.
| the brick receptacle which had been bui
for it. and which it fitted exactly.
| The ropes became entangled, and Mr.
| Norton cut them to save time. Then a lc
of earth displaced by the workmens fee
| had to be shoveled out of the grave L
allow the bluestone slab with which tn
vault was to be sealed to be lowered TO it
level, three feet below the soil. and ee
mented on, and then, as another era.l
came from the sky, the spectators bag a
to hurry to the town, half a mile away
and before the stones were finally fixed il
place one of the most furio-s thunder
storms which has broken over Dutehes
county this summer was raging.