The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-10-22
DRAMATIC SCENE
At vOSS FUNERAL
Mother of Murdered Man
Comes From Tennessee
to See Dead Son.
MANY PATHETIC INCIDENTS
WHITE AND cOLoRED POPULA-
TON ATTEND SERVICES.

Inc FUNERAL services of IL H. Voss in
the First Methodist church Yesterday was
tUli OF dramatic scenes. The climax came
just as they We're being concluded. Rev.
j {. Bell had just finished his sermon
Nhen there came a pause. The crowded
! cEurch became as still as a tomb No
enc could explain the sudden stiffness. a
c"ioted man hurried down the aisle to-
ware the pulpit He whispered to another
10lofed friend sitting i'm one of the seats.
cen two men hurried up the aisle and
INTO the outside corridor Everyone in
me church rose TO his feet and looked
towards the closed doors of the church
broken.
My child, Let me see NV child, oh.
God! Let me see my SOM These words
came IN a wild Shrek. AS the sound
MdS hedIu. Inc TWO men who had hur-
RED up The aisle reappeared in the door
way supporting between them an aged
colcfed woman, who staggered towards
the pulpit and the casket before it, with
hef hahds and tear stained face turned
tqWards the heavens. The old woman
SHAKING and shTiekiDg. was escorted TO d
'front.' seat where members of the dead
man family were sitting. She struggled
I" get nearer the casket, but strong arms
relatives OF the dead man threw their
al ms around the gray-haired, little old
woman ana the church was filled with
WAVING and sOboing.
Scene a Pathetic One.
The scene was too much for those pres
ent A cOlored woman tainted anu was
carried out. White men and women turned
tLelL races from the scene being enacted
IN the mourners bench and Sobbed aloud.
women. both colored and white put their
hands over their ears and hurried from
the building. The meeting was thrown
INTO confusion. The choir, upon sign
from the pastor, started singing, but the
sound of music was drowned by the walls
and Sobs of the little, old woman and
these who sat with her. Two strong col
ored men who held her. broke down COM
pietely and cried like children. Not until
j. L. Eldredge, jr., stepped onto the plat
form and started speaking. was a sem
blance of order restored. While he talked
IN an even. distinct voice, quiet prevailed.
Dut as soon aS he finished the sobs from
The mourner'S bench We're renewed, grow
ms IN intensity with the second outburst
). ID. Evans. the undertaken in charge of
the funeral, walked down the aisle and
with hand raised succeeded in restoring
order once more. The audience resumed
their seats and the services Were con-
Cluded.
Mothers Last View of Son.
This climax came just when it could
be most dramatic. Rev. Mr.. Bell who
was delivering the funeral sermon had
mother was hurrying to the side of her
dead and only son from far-Off Tennessee.
He prayed that she might see his face for
the last time on this earth before the
grave closed forever over his mortal re-
mains. He had just finished these words
when the pause came. II was at this
juncture that the little old woman. Voss
mother, entered the auditorium with her
hands extended toward heaven.
During the entire services the church
was filled with the sobbing of those who
knew and loved the man over whom the
last sad rites were being performed The
wife with other relatives sat in a front
seat. When references We're made to the
dead man Mrs. Voss shrieked aloud and
beat the pew in front of her with her
knuckles until the auditorium was filled
with the echo of the tattoo. At times
the words of the speaker could not be
heard. being drowned by the sobbne and
knocking Strong men burst into sobs
Women, giving way to their emotion adj
oed TO the confusion. Many white men
and women were scattered throughout the
congregation and they hid tear-st aimed
faces in their handkerchiefs. Incident
pathetic in the extreme. crowded upon
the heels of incident. Sorrow poignant
grief. flooding: unrestrained grief. kept
every face stained with tears and every
body quivering with emotion. The speak
ers at times stopped their discourse to
wipe tears from their eyes. Their voices
became so husky at other times that their
words could not be heard.
Services Are Impressive
The funeral of II. H. Voss was not dra
iiidkic aiODe. II was Impressive. Shortly
after 2:30 o clock the hearse containing the
casket preceded by the military band of
the Twenty-ninth infantry. United States
army, and followed by members of the To-
cal colored Odd Fellows and carriages
holding relatives, reached the First Meth
odist church at the corner of Second
South and Second East streets The lodge
members in full Tegalia. formed in double
file across the walk to the church en-
trance. Six pall-bearers Thomas Taylor
@. Henderson. Henry McThomas. Russell
Atkinson. Thomas Redick and r. G Coun-
sci. carried the casket through this file
and into the church. A large crowd had
gathered around the church and all heads
were hatless while the casket passed The
crowd followed the lodge members and
the casket into the church silently and
found seats. Many found il necessary to
go into the gallery. Members of the col
ored lodge of Odd Fellows and Household
of Ruth occupied the seats near the front !
reserved for them
At o'clock the services began. A choir |
COMPOSED of Mrs. L. a. Ridley, Mrs. j. |
w. Dallas. Mrs. r. NJ. Johnson. Mrs. A. !
Smith. Fred Andrews and A B. Brown |
sang Nearer Nv God to Thee" Prayer |
was offered by j. III. Allen, pastor of the |
local Calvary Baptist church (coIored) !
/ residing Elder James Hubbard, Rev. j. |
G. Bell and w Taylor were seated on !
the pulpit platform.
Many Floral Offerings.
The caSIref noe co,,,nIatoI--