Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1900-12-04
"a MIDNIGHT BURIAL.
TRUE STORY or THE FIRST MASONIC
FUNERAL in ARIZONA.


FUNERAL IN ARIZONA.
Owing to a Sequence of Peculiar In
cidents the Ceremony WAS Delayed
and Was Net Completed Until the
Sum Peeped over the Hills.
The following true narrative of the
hrst 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. l give
Il, as nearly as possible, in his own
words:
In 1860 / vas in Arizona as super
intendent Of the St. Louis Mining COM
pany. located on the San Pedro river, a
short distance west of what is now
known as Tombstone and 40 miles east.
Of Fort Buchanan.
On one occasion / made a 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 Lone Of us had eyer met Ne
fore, Twas greeted with that cordial
hospitality known only to those who
have lived on the frontier or in mining
camps by Mr.. H. G. Grosyenor of Gin
einnati, the superintendent. with two
others who occupied positions at the
mines.
One of these, Mr. j.. Mason. Il
fo,,rd Aearsny,cyr spdi cporals&fh Nofha,.E Z
sent to Fort Buchanan to bring Dr.. j.
B. D. Irwin. surgeon at the post. !
then devoted my time to the sick man.
who was growing more feeble each
hour. He told me if he died he wanted
to be buried with Masonic honors.
/ had tried him and found him to
be a bright third degree Mason. I
promised to do all I could to carry out
his request. He died before morning,
and the messenger sent for the doctor
had not returned, and it was uncertain
as to when. if ever, he might return.
As insthose 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 deyolyed upon me to ar
range for the burial of our friend. l
sent peon messengers to Tubac and
other places where Americans were
known 10 be to come. to my aid.
During the day | selected a beautiful
spot overshadowed bya large mesquite
tree and there had a very deep grave
dug, as in that country the coyote is a
kind Of hyena. that win #unearth any
corpse If not laid deep in the ground.
This work was done by poems. while !
stood guard to keep the Indians from
surprising us. S
By midnight the messengers had
sent out commenced returning with
the few who could ZONE with them.
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 to
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..
@. b. Hughes. j.. Howard Wells. VIII
liam S.44Gu EE.4G Gresvenor. Colo
mel Titus. S. Warner and myself.
We had determined to bury the body
at night, in the darkness, having no
light except a candle in one Of the old
time perforated tin lanterns by which
7 could read the service.
After lowering the body into the
grave 4 commenced to read the sery-
ice. | stood close to the head of the
grave, and Mr.. Howard Wells held the
lantern behind me. a rustIing sound
heard. It was supposed to come
from lGrking Indians, and every one
looked out for himself. The man hold
ing the lantern dropped it into the
grave, and I fell In after it.
There ! was with the corpse in a
deep grave. I had my pistols and
Sharp's carbine with me, and I real
lied that IL the Indians peered into the
grave I could fill it with dead bodies. /
listened. Not a sound was heard. Ny
companions had, suppose, seereted
themselves and no doubt thought
had done the same.
After the lapse Of about four hours
day began t dawn, and as stood
upon the corpse ono collins were in use
iii Arizona at the time OF this occur
renee, the dead being simply wrapped
in their Blankets and cautiously look
ed over the brink of the grave to take
in the surroundings.
I soon saw my comrades, one by one,
emerging from behind rocks, where
they had hastily secreted themselves,
40 one knowing where the others were.
4 called aloud for help and was o
assisted from the prison In which /
had been confined for fully four hours,
and as this Is the first Masonic funeral
that was ever held In Arizona I think
Ii deserves a record.
After comparing notes we discovered
that the mesquite tree under which we
were holding our solemn service was
the roosting place Of colony OF crows.
our intrusion having disturbed them
and thereby causing us to stampede.
AS the sun rose above the mountain
tops we returned to the grave and
completed the reading Of the ritual
and covered our friend with the clods