Red Lodge picket. [volume] (Red Lodge, Mont.) 1889-1907, 1902-12-19
Paddy Fleming, Dead by His Own
Hand, Sleeps Amid VoiceIess ST.
Ience Of DreamIess Dust.
is SINCERELY MoURNED
His Funeral Was the Largest in His
tory Of City-cause Of Death De
termined by Coroner's Jury.

on MONDAY forenoon over the bier OF
one who in life had enjoyed the re-
spect and esteem of all his fellow citi-
zens and who had so conducted him
self in public office and private life
that when he came to surrender the
burdens and perplexities of existence
upon this earth and seek repose i'll
the life hereafter, where pain, nor
sorrow, nor tribulation shall enter, he
laid down life So vicariously that it
was with heavy hearts and oppressive
sorrow his relatives and friends gath
cred at his bier to say the final fare
we'll Of earth to him.
The funeral services Of Patrick
Fleming were held at st. Agnes Cath
olic church at 10 O'Clock Monday
morning. The esteem in which de-
ceased was held was attested by the
large concourse Of people at the
church. The cortege that wended its
solemn way to the cemetery was fully
mile in length, the Red Lodge Fire
Department heading the procession in
body. The floral tributes came from
friends in the city and county and
were contributed with lavish hand,
but il all who wished to lay flower
on his grave had been enabled to
make reprisals on the greenhouses in
other cities he would have slept be-
meath wilderness of flowers. The
sacred edifice was decorated with a
profusion of lilies and other cut flow
ers and pOtted plants.
The services were conducted by
Father Stack, who celebrated high
the deceased, and who preached a
! funeral oration full of pathos and ten
derness for the one who was about
to be consigned to his last rest. The
church choir rendered in an impress
| i've and beautiful manner selections
appropriate to the occasion. After
the services at the church were over
the pallbearers, who consisted of
Thomas Skelly, William Gebo, Thorn
as Conway, James Mclaughlin, Pat
rick Doran and John O'Rourke, led
the way from the church. Additional
services were said at the grave and
the mortal remains of Patrick Flem-
ing were consigned to the earth until
the resurrection morning shall dawn.
Those who enjoyed the personal ac-
quaintance of the deceased were at
first totally unprepared to accept the
statement that he had taken his own
life, as they could not reconcile an
act OF this character with their pre-
vious conception of the upright char
acter and manly integrity of the man.
It was hard to believe that young
man who had showed admirable self
poss ession under the most trying cir
/ cumstances in the performance OF his
duty as an officer of the law could
go so far as to transgress those high
er laws to which all are amenab1e
| before a supreme power But the
conclusion seems irresistible that he
was driven to the act by a series of
circumsta connected with his life
to which he gave a greater import
ance than they really possessed. In
stead of confding his troubles to
some of his most intimate friends and
receiving their advice and counsel, he
preferred to keep them locked up IN
his own bosom. Much brooding over
the matter no doubt had considerable
to do with his sudden determination
to end all with death. Being man
of determination and quick to act
when this thought gained the mastery
over him he did not delay in putting
into execution the foolish idea.
1t is not within the legitimate prov
ince Of anyone to pass judgment upon
the act. 1t remains only for his neigh
bors' and friends to mourn his un
timely departure from life and hole
in kindly and loving remembrance
his sterling worth as a citizen ant
: the spirit of kindly charity which ht
always exhibited in his mingling witt
mankind in general.
Patrick Fleming was native o
Pennsylvania, having been born a
Fall Creek, Bradford county, Feb.
1874, and consequently was in th'
29th year of his age. He arrived il
Red Lodge thirteen years ago in com
pany With his parents and brother
and sisters. After arriving at man.
estate he worked for several years il
the mines of the Rocky Fork Goa
company. He was appointed city mai
shall two years ago and filled the pos