Connecticut western news., 1901-03-21
HARRISON'S FUNERAL
BODY OF THE DEAD STATESMAN
LAID TO REST.


Present-Church. Streets and Gem
etery Packed with Citi.ens.
The funeral of former President
Benjamin Harrison, who died on
Wednesday. March Is, was held on
Sunday In Indianapolis. There was no
military demonstration on Sunday, but
the national guard of Indiana on Sat
urday paraded In Indianapolis in honor
of the dead statesman. Fully $4,000
persons attended the services at the
tomb, among those present both there
and In the First Presbyterian church
being President Mckinley, nearly all
the members of the Harrison cabinet
and many senators and representatives.
The services In the church, following
brief exercises at the Harrison home,
were very simple. The Rev. M. l..
Haines, Mr.. Harrison's pastor, and DR..
Sampel j. Niccols of st. Louis offici-
ated.
The honorary pallbearers were Gen
eral- Benjamin r. Tracy of New York,
John Wanamaker of Philadelphia,
William H. II. Miller Of indianapolis,
John w. Noble of st. Louis, Charles
Foster Of Fostoria, o.; General Lew
Wallace of Indianapolis, Judson Har-
mon of Cincinnati and William A.
Woods of Indianapolis. The active
pallbearers were A. l.. Mason, James
Whitcomb Riley, Evans Woollen, Hen
ry J. Milligan, Clifford Arrick, William
G.. Bobbs, Harry s. New, Howard
Gale, John T. Griffiths, N. Booth Tark-
ington, Hilton U. Brown and Samuel
Reid.
Mr.. Haines opened the services by
reading the following Scriptural quota
ton:
81 am the resurrection and the life.
He that believeth In me, though he
were dead, yet shall he live, and he
that liveth and believeth in me shall
never die"
DR.. Niccols then read from 1 Corinthi-
ans, Nv, 1888, inclusive, after which
Mr.. Haines offered prayer.
After the prayer the choir sang the
hymn Rock of Ages" This was Gen.
eral Harrison's favorite hymn, and II Is
said 1t is the only one he ever attempt
ed to sing.
Following the hymn DR.. Niccols read
chapter Of st. John and the twenty
first chapter of Revelations, after
which DR.. Haines delivered the funeral
address.
After the address DR.. Niccols offered
prayer. The services were closed with
a barytone solo, "Hark, Hark, My
Soul" sung by Edward Nell, in which
the entire choir Joined in the chorus.
The burial service was simple and
brief. The Rev. DIR. Niccols read the
short committal and burial service,
and the Rev. Mr.. Haines followed with
prayer. Instead of following the usu-
a handful of dust on the coffin, three
white carnations were placed upon the
lid.
When the last word had been said
and the service was over, the attend
ants lowered the coffin to its place.
To the last 1t bore the wreath from
Mrs. Harrison and the bouquet of lilies
Of the valley from little Elizabeth.
On the coffin was placed heavy wal.
nut cover, and the granite roof Of the
tomb was lowered and closed.
General Harrison died at As o'clock
Wednesday afternoon without regain
ing consciousness. His death was quiet
and painless, there being a gradual
sinking until the end came, which was
marked by a single gasp for breath as
life departed from the body of the
! great statesman. The relatives, with a
| few exceptions, and several of his old
| and tried friends were at the former
| presidents bedside when he passed
away.
| Benjamin Harrison was born In the
house of his grandfather, William Hen
| ry Harrison, on Aug. 20, 1888, at North
Bend, o. He was just years old when
his distinguished grandfather was
| elected president after the famous old
'hard cider and log cabin" and "Tippe-
canoe and Tyler, too" campaign.
He married Miss Lavinia Scott be-
| fore he was 81 years old and moved to
| elected president after the famous old
Indianapolis, where he was elected SUI
| preme court reporter. After the civil
war broke out he raised regiment and
advanced step by step. This is his Of
/ fetal war record:
Commissioned In July, 1852, as sec
ond lieutenant Of Indiana volunteers;
raised Company A of the Seventeen
Indiana voluntary infantry. commits
| stoned captain and on the organization
! of the regiment commissioned colonel;
| In August went with the regiment to
| Kentucky and served until mustered
out in June, 1895; was brevetted briga,
| der general in February, 1886"
In 1876 he ran for governor of Indi-
ana, but was defeated by the historic
"Blue Jeans Williams. In 1879 he
| was appointed a member of the Missis-
sippi river commission. In 1880 the
Indiana legislature elected him to the
| United States senate. On March 3,
1887, his term of office expired, and he
made an unsuccessful attempt at re-
election. David Turpie was chosen his
successor.
Nominated For President.
| When the Republican national con-
rention met in 1888 at Chicago, Gener-
| al Harrison's name was more talked
about. Blaine was still in the running,
rs were Sherman, Mckinley, Allison,
| Alger and other Republicans. Harrison
stood only fifth on the first ballot, but
en- the eighth he secured the nomina-
ton. Levi p. Morton was named for
| vice president. The Democrats renom-
mated Grover Cleveland, with Allen G..
Thurman as his running mate.
Though he did not secure a majority
Of the popular vote, General Harrison
secured 233 electoral votes to les for
Cleveland. The state of New York
elected David d. Hill, q Democrat, as
governor, but gave Harrison 10000 plu-
rality. Had that state given its cleo
toral vote to Cleveland Harrison would
have been defeated. President Harri-
son was inaugurated on March 4, 1889,
amid drizzling rain.
The chief event in Benjamin Harri-
sons administration was the passage
of the Mckinley bill, a high tariff meas