Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-01-05
FUNERAL OF Or. STAFFORD.
PREPARATION FOR oBSEQUIES
NEAR COMPLETION.
Body to Rest in State in st. Pat
rick's Church-Guard of
Honor.

Preparations for the funeral of Rev.
DR.. D. ]. Stafford, late pastor of St.
Patricks Chuch, corner OF 10th and G
streets, who died at Providence Hospital
last Friday, ollfwing a surgical opera
ton, are nearing completion. The serv-
ice promises to be one of the most notable
and impressive ever held over the body
of churchman in this city. Thousands
of persons have already viewed the body
which is in one of the north parlors of
the rectory, and thousands more will
journey to the church this afternoon and
tomorrow to see the remains lying in
state before the altar, where the de-
ceased SO often ofticated in life. DR.. Stat
ford's body will be taken into the church
Immediately after the II o'clock mass this
morning.
Commodious as is st. Patricks Church,
its seating capacity could be exhausted
many times over and then not afford ac-
commodation to the great, host of parish
toner's and friends of the deceased who de-
sire to pay their last respects to him
Tuesday morning. In the selection of
the active and honorary pallbearers. the
clergy and laity who have the matter in
charge, nave been considering many
names, but the lists will not be COM
pleted until today.
1t has been determined to limit the
honorary pallbearers to twenty-eight, and
in the list Will be included representa-
tives of the board of directors of the
st. Vincent and the st. Joseph Orphan
asylums and representatives of each of
the Catholic societies of the District Of
Columbia
Meeting to Arrange Details.
A general meeting of all members of
local Catholic societies to arrange details
in connection with f1Da nf Dr.
Stafford will be held at O'Clock this af-
between 9th and 10th. The meeting is
called by order of Judge William H. De
Lacy, district president of the st. Vim
cent de Paul Society; E. j.. Hannah, dis
trict president of the Catholic knights of
America; Francis P. Sheehy, district
president of the Ancient Order of Hi
bernians; James F. Shea president of the
Carroll Institute, and Patrick J. Haltigan,
state deputy of the Knights of Columbus.
All members OF Catholic societies here
have been urgently requested to be
present.
Between the hours of II o'clock tonight
and - o clock tomorrow morning and II
O'Clock tomorrow night and 5 o'clock
Tuesday morning one hundred members
OF the societies mentioned will serve as
a guard of hondr about the body as it lies
In the church. Ihe watch will be divided,
so that fifty men will be on guard be
tween IL o'clock pm. and 2 o'clock am
and fifty from the latter hour until 3
o'clock.
Many interesting stories concerning the
life of DR.. Stafford are being told since
his death, but the following which is
illustrative of the character of the man.
is regarded as one of the best. 1t has to
DO with the priests coming into possess
sion of one of his most cherished editions
or Shakespeare-a rare and valuable one
Several years ago a man visited the rec
tory, having with him a Boydal edition
of Shakespeare.
Il am in great want" he said "and 1
have come to beg you to buy this book
for hundred dollars
swered:
My friend do You know that this edi-
ton is worth several thousand dollars?'
The man admitted that he knew its
value, but that he was in such immediate
need that he would be glad to sell it for
even half the sum he had asked if only
the doctor would want it.
'Oh. yes, | want it. l want it like a
starving man wants generous food /
have for many years: longed for just this
Boydal, and | expect to long for it until
1 die, but l should be a thief to take it on
your terms. If l were rich 1 would buy
it, but it is utterly beyond my means
The man insisted that he must sell his
book that night, no matter who was the
purchaser.
In which case the priest said; Il
should be mean thief indeed, to take
advantage of your stress of mind"
DR.. Stafford loaned the man the money
for his immediate wants. and told him to
take his book to two friends of his one a
bishop of the Episcopal church, and the
other a senator from the west Both, he
explained, were wealthy men, and each
loved the bard well enough to want so
rare an edition of his works.
1t happened that the man took his book
first to the senator-Cushman K. Davis
and told him of DIR. Stafford's refusal to
buy the book at the offered terms.
The senator considered it good story,
and that night at large dinner party he
repeated it to a group of ellow-senators
and a justice of the Supreme Court.
They, too, considered it a good story and,
as a result a few nights afterward DR..
Stafford was amazed to receive the book
bearing the names of the senators and
the justice, all of whom had subscribed
and made him a gift of his longed-fOr