The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1901-10-02

3cOnicS of the houses along the line
$wcrc packed with women with tear
$sta:ned faces. Man, little children in
Ethe crowd were holding handkerchiefs
&to their eyes.
i Symbols Of mourning were every
where in the crowd. Many wore
bands of crepe around their arms.
Mothers had pictures Of the dead Presi-
&dent with mourning borders, and m:ny
8of the poorer people wore old cam
8paign badges and buttons with Mr..
: RMcKinley's profile on them.
The movement Of the procession to
&the Capitol was very slow. 1t took
one hour and half to march n mile.
GAt 10.40 the strains of Nearer, My
I9God. to Thee" blown on bugles, were
Bileard at the Capitol. They heralded
&the approach Of the procession.
n The rotunda was very simply ar
arranged for so great and historic an
Sevent There were, of course. no dec.
Horations, and the great dome, bare of
! funeral drapery, covered the cata-
&falque like an inverted oven. There
was an abundance Of flowers, but they
awere held for covering the coffin, and
were not used as decoration.
The catafalque upon which the cof-
fin was placed was the historic one
upon which had rested the bodies of
Lincoln and Garfield. It was raised
but q few inches from the floor. and
was in position directly in the CEN
tire of the rotunda.
For hours before the arrival of the
funeral cortege at the east front of
the Capitol an impenetrable Gordon of
people had massed along the walk
and areas fronting the plaza.
The entrances to the Senate and
House wings Of the Capitol and the
&great marble staircases ascending from
the plaza to the respective entrances
of the House and Senate were jammed
with people.
The main entrance to the rotunda of
the Capitol in which the religious ex-
ercises were held was reserved for
distinguished guests and for the en-
trance of the funeral party.
Shortly after 8 o'clock prominent
Officers of the Army and Navy in full
dress uniform began to arrive in car
riages. They did not enter the TO-
tunda at once, but remained on the
portico to form, in accordance with
Hgeneral orders. a part of the guard of
honor of the Presidents remains.
Admiral Dewey was an early arriv-
al. He was attired in the brilliant
uniform of the admiral of the navy,
but wore the regulation service sword,
with its knot Of Grape at the hilt.
At 1912 o'clock the head of the pro-
cession arrived. The military contin-
8gent passed eastward on B street,
thence south on First street sast.
Headed by Maior-General John R.
Brooke and staff and the Fifth Artil-
lery Corps band, the troops swept
: Haround to the south end of the plaza,
and then marched to position fronting
2 the main entrance to the Capitol.
AS soon as they had been formed at
3rest the Artillery Band on the left and
the Marine Band on the right of the
entrance, the funeral cortege with its
8guard of honor entered the plaza from
1.-THE north. AS the hearse halted in
front of the main staircase the troops
presented arms.
The guard Of honor ascended the
steps, the naval officers on the right
and the army officers on the left, form
ing q Gordon on each side, just within
the ranks Of the artillerymen, seamen
and marines.
AS the eight body-bearers drew the
fag-draped casket from the hearse the
bands again played Nearer, My God,
to Thee" and every head in the vast
5attendant throng was barred.
: With careful and solemn tread the
body-bearers began the ascent Of the
staircase with their precious burden
ard tenderly bore it to the catafalque
In the rotunda.
: The only sign of mourning in the 70
tunda was the Grape on the hilts of the
Iofficers' swords. Senators and Repre-
asentatives occupied seats on the east
side. The family of the late President
had seats reserved on the north and
Immediately next to the catafalque.
1.-THE choir was to the west. and behind
= it were members Of the Supreme
Court. The foreign Ministers were
seated to the east, and all were in full
uniform. There was also a large num-
ber of military and naval officers.
Admiral Dewey sat close to the fam
lily, though not with them. General
Brooke, who has had charge Of all
military arrangements since the Presi-
dents death. was present, and a NUM-
Der of general officers.
Grover Cleveland, the only living
4former President. sat between his two
friends. Rear-Admiral Evars and Gen
deral John NJ. Wilson. near the foot Of
the casket, just across the aisle from
1.-THE man who was the centre of all
eyes, Theodore Roosevelt, the new
President Of the republic.
A sad feature of the oc sion was
: the empty chair intended for Mrs.
mckinley. A comfortable uphol'
stored armchair had been set close to
the catafalque for the better ease OF
the tired and grief-stricken woman.
But it was not occupied. Mrs. Nc
Kinley was too weak and worn out
Ito attend the services. She remained
: at the White House.
The services were brief After the
coffin had been brought in and laid
on the catafalque the choir, led by
s. the marvelously sweet voice Of Mrs.
FThomas c. Noyes, sang Lead. Kindly
Light" The singers came from tn"
church that Mr.. Mckinley had at
tended in Washington. Then Rev. II.
r. Naylor read 4 prayer tie words Of
= which were not distinguislahle at 4
distance of Il few steps. Mrs. Noyes
Sang alone Some Time Weil Under
stand" Her voice alone seemed to
have power sufficient to fill the space
: of the dome.
Bishop Edward c.. Andrews Geliv-
1ered q formal address after reading
the psalm. The Lori Il My Shep:
herd" The services were ConcluGcd
by singing Nearer. Ny God. to Thee
Ihr tho choir and J ncneLictiOl BIZ Rev.