Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1900-12-26
A MIDNIGHT BURIAL.
TRUE STORY OF THE FIRST MASONIC
FUNERAL IN ARIZONA.

Owing TO Sequence of Peculiar In
cidents the Ceremony Was Delayed
and Was Not Completed Jnti1 the
Sun Peeped over the Hills.
The following true narrative Of the
first Masonic burial in Arizona, as re-
lated to me by my old friend, Colonel
w. NJ. Williams of Cairo Ills, will
doubtless interest your readers. | give
it, as nearly as possible, in his own
words:
In 1860 I was in Arizona as super
intendent of the st. Louis Mining COM
pany, located OH the San Pedro river,
short distance west Of what is now
known as Tombstone and 40 miles east
of Fort Buchanan.
On one occasion / made visit to the
Santa Rita mines, located in another
part of the territory. These were man.
aged by Cincinnati parties and were
known as the Heintzleman mines.
When | arrived there and introduced
myself, as none of us had ever met be-
fore, was greeted with that cordial
hospitality known only to those who
have lived on the frontier or in mining
camps by Mr.. II. G. Grosvenor of Gin
cinnati, the superintendent, with two
others who occupied positions at the
mines.
One of these, Mr.. J. T. Mason,
found seriously indisp)sed; the other
sent to Fort Buchanan to bring DR.. j.
b. ID. Irwin, surgeon at the post.
then devoted my time to the sick man,
who was growing more feeble each
hour. He told me II he died he wanted
to be bred with Masonic honors.
had tried" him and found him to
be bright third degree Mason. I
promised to do all could to carry out
his request. He died before morning,
and the messenger sent for the doctor
had not returned, and 1t was uncertain
as to when, If ever, he might return.
As in those days there were not over
65 Americans In the territory outside
Of the troops, the taking Of life by the
Indians was daily expected. In this
emergency it devolved upon me to ar
range for the burial of our friend. I
sent peon messengers to Tubac and
other places where Americans were
known to be 10 come to my aid.
During the day selected beautiful
spot overshadowed by large mesquite
tree and there had very deep grave
dug as In that country the coyote Is n
kind of hyena, that will unearth any
corpse IL not laid deep in the ground.
This work was done by poems, while |
stood guard to keep the Indians from
surprising us.
BY midnight the messengers l had
sent out commenced returning with
the few who could come with them. l
found among those who arrived two
or three Masons, who, like myself
were rusty" in the Masonic burial
ritual We opened the trunk of the
deceased, hoping to find something tc
guide us in fulfilling his last request
The only thing we discovered was an
Episcopal ritual The following per
sons composed the funeral cortege: DR.
G. B. Hughes, j. Howard Wells, VIII
liam s. Curry, II. G. Grosvenor Colo
mel Titus, S. Warner and myself.
We had determined to bury the body
at night, in the darkness, having nc
light except candle in one of the olt
time perforated tin lanterns by which
could read the servcc.,3
After lowering the body into tn,
grave I commenced to read the serv
Ice | stood close TO the head Of thu
grave, and Mr.. Howard Wells held tn,
lantern behind me. A rustling soun(
was heard. 1t was supposed to come
looked out for himself. The man hold
ing the lantern dropped 1t into thu
grave, and fell In after II.
There | was with the corpse In {
deep grave. had my pistols ant
Sharp's carbine with me, and | real
ized that If the Indians peered into tn,
grave could fill 1t with dead bodies.
listened. Not n sound was heard. NJ.
companions had suppose, secretet
themselves and no doubt thought
had done the same.
After the lapse of about four hours
day began to dawn, and as l stoot
upon the corpse (no collins were In us
In Arizona at the time Of this occur
renee, the dead being simply wrapped
In their blankets) and cautiously look
ell over the brink of the grave to tax,
In the surroundings.
| soon saw my comrades one by one
emerging from behind rocks, wher,
they had hastily secreted themselves
no one knowing where the others were
l called aloud for help and was sool
assisted from the prison In which
had been confined for fully four hours
and as this IL the first Masonic funera
that was ever held in Arizona / thnl
II deserves a record.
After comparing notes we discovere,
that the mesquite tree under which w
were holding our solemn service wa
the roosting place of n colony of crows
our intrusion having disturbed then
and thereby causing us to stampede.
AS the sun rose above the mountain
tops we returned TO the grave an,
completed the reading of the ritua
and covered our friend with the clod
of the valley and left him sleeping
where he will rest until the resurreC