Los Angeles herald., 1906-02-24
KADOSH SERVICE
SAID FOR KNIGHT
STRANGE RITUAL PERFORMED
FOR FIRST TIME
San Francisco Lodge Burles Dead
Member With Weird Rites and
Chant Solemn Latin Hymns
In Requiem
s>secial to The Herald.

Special TO The Herald.
SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 23.-As the
clock was tolling the hour of midnight
without the spectral figures of ten Sir
knights, heavily draped in black,
Rite temple on Geary street, where the
body of Maj A. G. Hammond, thirty
third degree Mason, lay in state in the
impressive cathedral setting, to carry
out the strange Kadosh service over
the dead-a ritual that has never. until
last night. been said in the state of
California.
One by one, silently as shadows, the
ten figures, bearing lighted tapers, took
their positions on the platform in
semicircle in front of the catafalque.
Then the plaintive cry of a trumpet.
heard in the distance, broke the hush
in which the midnight service for the
dead began.
The hushed voice of the preceptor
began the recital Of the ritual:
First of all we are to hold judg-
ment on the knight whose mortal re-
mains lie before us. 1t is midnight and
the grave is ready. If any one who
the knight now dead let him stand
forth and so declare" There was a
moments pause. One of the black
figures moved forward from the semi
circle and pronounced these words:
God His Only Judge
'It belongs not unto man but unto
God to judge the dead" Again the
preceptor called for the accuser to
come forth, and in the silence that fol-
lowed his call he waited.
There was no other movement in the
ghostly scene than in the fickering
candles and the smoke from the flames
that drifted upward
"Since there is no accuser there can
be no judgment. Does no man accuse
the dead?"
The dark figures knelt and together
repeated the words:
"God is his judge and ours"
"I.et the grave then be ready to re-
ceive the body. Prepare the body Of
our dead brother for it's last resting
place."
While the strains of low music came
from the choir in the curtained distance
two of the knights moved in silence to
the coffin, from which they removed
the black lid.
were seen to be bound with cords. On
the temple was wreath of laurel and
vine.' over the heart was a bunch of
freshly culled vioets and on the breast
lay richly jeweled golden cross.
Remove EmbIems
One after another these emblems
were removed by the ten knights who
as draped ministers of DEATH success
4 I,
it the symbols of life and silently re-
turned to his place in the half circle
before the bier.
The chaplet Of green leaves was
taken away as a sign of honor and en-
joyment that were alone for the living
"Better things await the good and
the wise in a better life. Relieve the
dead of these vain distinctions"
Then the golden cross was taken
from the breast of the dead, as "a gilt
tering bauble for which he no longer
cares" a token of the vanishing dig
mites and splendors of the living. The
cords were unfastened from the arms
and feet of the body as sign that
death had now loosed him from his
bondage. But the violets, as the fading
symbol of affection, remained.
"Iow looketh the grave"
1t was the voice of the master of the
Kadosh that asked the ominous ques-
ton, and the answer came from the
dark figures around the bier:
Deep, dark, narrow and cold"
"Miserere" Breaks Silence
Into the somber stiffness of the ritual
came the wall of the "Miserere,"
chanted by the unseen choir in the cur
tained organ loft. Then followed the
most solemn of all Latin hymns, the
"De Profundis," as each of the ten
black knights again approached the
coffin and laid his hand in blessing on
the brow of the dead knight.
The master of the Kadosh advanced
and struck the iron cross of the pas
sion with his hammer and the unusual
ritual was done.
Each of the ten, save only the mas
ter of the Kadosh, then extinguished
the taper he bore and all knelt in ST.
lent prayer, which was only interrupt
ed by the familiar hymn, Nearer, My
God, to Thee" as it was sung by the
choir.
None of the family of the deceased
attended the service. deeming the or
deal greater than they could bear.