The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1907-12-21
KING OSCAR IN TOMB
All Stockholm Is Draped In
Black For Funeral.
A MAN LOVED and HONORED BY ALL
Swedish Nation Truly Mourns For
Great and Good Sovereign Passed
Away-Rcsts In Vault of
Bernadottes.

SlOlNilOLM, Dec. Zo.-Seluou III
ever In Its history has this city wit
messed such grand aud solemn cere-
mony as that which marked the fu-
neral Of Oscar, the venerable and well
beloved king Of Sweden.
Although the weather was bitterly
cold, the entire population of Stock
holm and thousands Of visitors from
the country stood bareheaded, silent
and sorrowful, along the line Of pro-
cesslon to catch last glimpse Of the
casket containing all that remained Of
the dead monarch. Traffic through
out the city and in the harbor had
been prohibited from early morning.
and with the exception of the tOlllng
bells, an occasional hum of voices and
clash of arms as the soldiers lining
the route of the funeral cortege took
up their positions, hardly sound
could be heard. There was not even
the clatter Of horses hoofs or the rum
bic of wheels to disturb the quiet sol
emnity of the occasion. the roadway
from the palace to the Riddarholm
church, the burial place of the kings
of Sweden. having been covered foot
deep with fir twigs.
Every house along the route was
draped from the ground to the caves
with Grape, and even the color Of the
uniforms of the soldiers was deaden-
ed by this universal mark Of mourn
ing. The epaulettes of the officers were
covered with black The half masted
fags likewise were draped with Grape,
and streamers Of the same somber
material hung across the streets at
frequent intervals.
The funeral procession included
some 1000 persons, among them being
Gustave. the new king OF Sweden; the
king of Denmark, the Swedish princes
and princesses and ambassadors rep
resenting foreign monarchs. Charles
II. Graves, the American minister, as
the special representative OF President
Roosevelt, was given place OF honor
Immediately following King Gustave.
The queen of Sweden and the queen
of Denmark drove 10 the church, but
the dowager queen of Sweden, widow
of King Oscar, was prevented by i'll
ness from attending the funeral.
The procession was headed by the
nurses who had attended the king In
his last Illness, and just behind the
hearse, which was drawn by six
horses. was King Oscars favorlte
horse. led by an attendant. King
Gustave was greatly affected, and he
wept bitterly as he passed through
the crowded streets.
As the funeral procession entered
the church the organ and the orches-
ira played Haydns magnificent dirge,
and as the casket was carried up the
grand aisle by number of sailors,
accompanied by the aids-de-camp of
the late sovereign, every eye in the
congregation was filled with tears.
The casket was placed on a rostrum
in the chancel, and over 1t there hung
huge cross forty feet high Of gas
Jets, with triangular sign OF the
Holy Trinity in the center. The church
was tastefully decorated, Prince Eu-
gene. the youngest son of King Oscar
and an artist of some note, having
personally supervised the work. At
the conclusion OF the funeral march
the choir. accompanied by the organ
and the orchestra from the opera, re-
cited two Lutheran songs. The fu-
neral grafton was delivered by Bishop
Lund. vino spoke Of King Oscars
philanthropy and his devotion and af-
lection as father and husband. In
conclusion the bishop said.
HE was man whose soul was
filed with charity, whose life was
governed by keen feeling of equity
and fear Of God, man who loved the
poor and the oppressed, the widow
and the orphan. and who was loved
and honored by all"
The members of the royal family
broke out into convulsive sobs as a
salute of forty-two guns was fired by
the forts and the ships in the harbor.
Volleys of musketry burst forth as the
coffin was placed in the vault of the
Bernadottes. The queens Of Sweden
and Denmark left the church immedi-
ately. but King Gustave and the
princes remained for short time re-
celving the sympathy Of the ambassa-