Evening journal., 1902-04-15

grave.
Baby Called for Mother
The scene in the church was harrow
ing and heartrending, and why it wac
an attraction for the thousands or |
more people is hard to understand.
The hev. T. r. Cochran was in
charge. The Rev. d. S. Willis, of
Bethel, offered prayer, and the Scrip |
tural lesson was read by the Rev. II. |
G. Turner. of Laurel Mr. Cochran |
preached the sermon. He took his text |
from Isaiah. third chapter, tenth verse. |
He did not refer to the murder until |
he was about to end the sermon.
During the course of the sermon |
baby Catherine kept up a continued !
wall of Mamma. mamma" This was
audible to most of those in the church |
After the sermon it was announced
that the congregation would be allow
ed to file by the casket and take a last
look at the body.
After forty minutes had elapsed and
half the people had not seen the body, |
James Collins. the father of the muir
dered woman. arose and asked that
the casKet be closed and interment
made Several persons pushed for
ward and tried to get a look at the
dead woman. but they were restrained. |
The family then was allowed to take
last look. Little Hazel was lifted
uD to the coffin and allowed to kiss her
mother. Collins then came forward
and gazed long upon the face of his
WIFE He moaned and sobbed aloud.
This caused the child to cry for
Mamma"
Collins shuffled up to it and picking
her up in her arms, carried it to the
head of the casket. Leaning over the
bier Collins showered kisses on the ice
cold face. He moaned aloud:
"Oh. Lord. why did you spare me
and take her? She never said good
bye"
AS the lid was being screwed down
for the last time. Collins raised his
arms above his head and cried: Let
me see her once more before she goes
to the grave" There was hardly a dry
eve in the church.
The march for the grave was then
taken up. It was but a few yards from
the church. On the top of the casket
rested several floral offerings, a pillow,
cross and a wreath of white and pur-
pie flowers. There was no scene att
the grave.
Work Was Suspended
Little work was done in Sussex
county yesterday Farmers left their
fields. mechanics their shops and clerks
the stores and books and attended the
funeral. It is safe TO say there were
more houses in the county on which
the shutters were up and the doors
bolted and locked than ever before.
Married men took their wives and chill
dren first to the Collins house and
then TO the church, where the services
were held. Young men took their
sweethearts. and those who did not
have any went went alone. There were
at least GOO teams hitched in the Vi
cinity of the church. One man counted
300 passing over a certain road. They
came from as far as forty miles away.
Between 1900 and 1000 people were
/ on the grounds surrounding the
church. Those who could not get in
side sat in their carriages or on the
ground outside. Many were perched
on tombstones in the graveyard.
The funeral of Governor Marvil was
said TO have been the largest in the
history Of Sussex county. The funeral
yesterday surpassed that of the late
governor. Those who came from dis
tance brought their lunch in baskets
and boxes. About o'clock the body
was lowered in the grave and there
was a rush for carriages and home.
Crowd at Collins
Strangers took charge of the Collins
farm yesterday and every nook and
corner Of the building was ransacked
by the curious crowd. Sitting calmly
on her nest inside the carriage house
| door where the woman was killed was
seen the same chicken on which Mrs.
| Collins was bestowing her care when
she was killed. The little chicks
peclzed their way through the shells
Yesterday and peered out from under
their mothers wing at the crowd.
Time and time again the bloody
marks on the stable wall were point
ed out. and men and women struggled
to get into the stable to get a look
at the spot where the body was found.
There was a noticeable absence of SOU
venir or relic fiends. When the detec-
tives did not leave the house after the
funeral. hundreds of people sat on the
ground and prepared to camp there
to await developments. They were
ordered off.