Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-06-20
WITH MILITARYHON0RS
FUNERAL OF COL. ARTHUR L.
WAGNER TODAY.
The Secretary of War and General
Staff Present-Interment Was
at Arlington.

Full military honors were paid the late
Col. Arthur l.. Wagner. whose funeral took
place this morning from st. Thomas
Church. The body arrived this morning
from Ashevile N. c., and was taken at
once to the church. where it was enveloped
with the flag. The family Of the deceased
was met by Lieut.. Col. Benjamin Alvord
and escorted to the home Of a friend, where
they remained until the ceremonies.
At 10 o'clock the general staff arrived
headed by Maj. Gen. Bates, assistant chief
of STAFF. who is the ranking officer of the
army In the absence of Gen. Chaffee. They
were shown to seats upon the left of the
church. Brig. Gen. Harries OF the District
National Guard. accompanied by two mem
bers of his staff in full uniform. was also
present. Many heads of departments in the
war office. with their families, were also
present and by 10 o'clock the church was
well filed. The ushers included Capts.
Ramsay, McRae, Nolan and Rhodes.
Distinguished Officials Present.
The Secretary of War was present and
the military attache of the Russian lega-
ton. Col. Raspopoff. The floral tributes
We're numerous and elaborate. The general
staff sent a mammoth standing wreath of
orchids, lilies of the valley and American
Beauty roses.
The members of the family of the de-
ceased and their immediate friends were es-
corted to seats on the right of the church.
They were accompanied by Capt Richtman,
an intimate friend of the family.
Chaplain c. c. Pierce, L. S. A, conducted
the ceremonies. He read from the first
Epistle of the Corinthians. The choir sang
"a bide with Me- and, as the body was
leaving the church, Nearer, My God, to
Thee"
The active pail bearers were selected from
among the troopers of the 18th Cavalry,
while Brig. Gen. Charles F. Humphrey.
quartermaster general of the army; Brig.
Gen. William L. Hall. military secretary;
Lieut.. Col James T. Kerr of the military
secretary department; Col. William w.
WitherspGon. and Majors Beach. Duval,
Reber and Mallory were the honorary pail
bearers.
Preceded by two companies of the 18th
Cavalry, and followed by a score of car
riages of sorrowing friends. the body resting
upon a gun carriage. was escorted to Ar
ington where the intcrment took place.
Fails of Promotion.
A sad feature of the case of Col. Wagner
was the failure of the plan of President
Roosevelt and Secretary Taft to promote
him to the grade of brigadier general. All
arrangements to that end had been perfect
ed and would have been successfully car
ried into effect but for his sudden and I'M
expected death last Saturday. His appoint
ment as a brigadier general was included
in the promotions to result from the
vacancy in the list of major generals caused
by the retirement of Gen. Gillespie. AS
originally planned that retirement was to
have occurred on the 18th instant, but be-
cause of the absence of Secretary Taft
from the city on that date 1t was deferred
until the 18th instant When the change
was made there was no idea that Col. Wag
ner was so near his end, or, in fact, that he
was fatally afflicted. Then, again. at the
last moment change was made in the gen
eral scheme of promotions in order to per-
NIT of the retirement of Gen. Story, chief
of artillery, as a major general. The eff
feet of these changes was to make 1t inn
possible to have carried out the entire
scheme, including the appointment of Col.
Wagner as a brigadier general. until the
latter part of the present week.
AS a matter of fact the commission OF
Gen. Randall, who succeeded Gen. Story as
a major general, has not yet been issued by
the President. When that is done Col.
Thomas c. Lebo will be commissioned as
brigadier general and Immediately retired,
and ii was to that vacancy that Col.
Wagner was to be appointed.
Secretary Taft keenly regrets the failure
of the plan to promote Col. Wagner before
his death, and 1t is likely that he will ask
Congress to enact special legislation which
will remedy the deficiency.