The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1906-08-24
THE BODY OF
EDWARDS
The Memphis Commercial Appeal of

The Memphis Commercial Appeal o
August contains the following:
The body of Juan F.. Edwards, ma
tive Hawaiian and member of tn,
Royal Hawaiian band, was yesterda,
rescued from an already prepared grav,
in Elmwood cemetery, and IL now tt
be shipped back to Honolulu for inter
ment. 1t is tradition of the natives
of these islands that the salvation OF
the soul is never assured unless the
mortal remains are laid to rest on ma
tive soil. They must be inferred un.
der the whispering palms of their ma
tive isles.
Yesterday morning while more than
a hundred persons were gathered about
a fresh grave in Elnwood cemetery
expecting to witness the solemn ser
vice characteristic of the native of Ha-
waii, committee of six members of
the Royal band were IN consultation
with Manager j. G. Cohen, pleading
that the body Of their fellow musician
be not inferred in Memphis, but be held
until arrangements could be made for
sending it back to Honolulu. No petit
tion or supplication was ever more sim
cere or appealing than that submitted
by Spokesman w. s. Ellis of the COM
mittee appointed to prevent the burial
of Juan Edwards in Memphis.
The sudden death of Edwards Tues
day had caused CONSERVATION and grief
in the ranks of this band of Hawai-
ians. To them was lost member who
was popular in their circle. They
knew of the wife back in the native
home, whose parting kiss was yet fresh
upon the lips of Edwards. They knew
of the daughter, who had hidden adieu,
expecting in few short. months to
welcome the father home and be en-
thralled with his stories of another
land. They were also acquainted with
a superstition that civilization has not
entirely effaced-a belief that the sal
vation of the soul was eliminated in
the peaceful repose of the body when
laid under the soil of the birthplace.
Throughout Tuesday night members
of this band were in constant attend
auce over the bier of Juan Edwards
in the undertaking establishment,
chanting woefully their sorrow and
sympathy. In their native land this
ceremony would have been gone
Will ny pIOhSSSiohai ShahtSioi
but here it was voluntary tribute. 1t
reflected the fraternal spirit that OBJ
tains in the ranks of the Royal band,
and it proved the popularity in those
ranks of the sweet singer whose voice
was so suddenly stilled on Tuesday.
Yesterday morning these Hawaiians
fully recognized that Juan Edwards
was about to be buried forever on for
eign soil. Impromptu discussions of the
situation We're held at first by little
groups of somber faced men, whose
heads hung low and whose foreign
tongue spoke in whispers. There was
fraternalism among these musicians.
That brotherly interest and affection
revoted at the thought that the body
of Juan Edwards could not be taken
back to the Pacific island home
MESSAGE FROM WIDOW.
AS the thought spread among the
members of the band the small gath
erings were added to, until finally the
corridor of the small hotel that housed
them was confusion of voices. 1t
was then that definite plans were de-
cided on. To convey the remains of
Juan Edwards back to Honolulu for
interment meant that considerable
sum must be raised at once. A mes
sage had been sent the widow on Tues
day conveying the news of Edward s
sudden death. The reply was signed
''wife,' and it asked briefly the price
of shipping the body home. The widow
had small sum of savings, and if this
were adequate she wanted to use it in
the return of her husbands 5 body.
The matter was presented to Mana
ger j. Z. Cohen. Mr.. Cohen believed
that il We're better that the widow be
saved her money for the necessities of
life, now that she was deprived of her
husbands support. He advised the
members of the band to view the stu
alton from practical standpoint and
bury the body here.
II could readily be seen from the ex-l
pressions on the faces of the six stall
wart Hawaiians who formed the chosen
committee to confer with Manager Col
hen that his argument was in vain.
"A strenuous half-hour was spent in
discussion of the situation. The COM
mittee was willing to make liberal
subscription to the expense of shipping
the body home for interment and 1t
pledged subscriptions from the other
members of the band. Manager Cohen
realized the futility of his position as
against the sentiment that was so pre-
valent in the ranks of his band, and
stated to the spokesman of the COM
mittee that he would order the body
embalmed and held until further or