Los Angeles herald., 1908-04-08
SOLEMN SERVICES AT
BIER OF DEAD KNIGHT
MASONS GATHER IN DEATH
CHAMBER
First Service of Its Kind Held in Los
Angeles for Thirteen Years
Takes Place at
Midnight

"The hour Of midnight is nearing,
the grave awaits!'
1t was in the time of knighthood.
The time had turned back more than
sixteen hundred years and the knights
of Kodash had gathered to hold a SOL
emn tribunal of the soul, according to
the solemn rites of the house of the
Temple of Solomon.
Last night at the Scottish Rite ca
thedral, Hope street, near Ninth, the
solemn Office of midnight burial of a
knight of the thirty-third degree, Free
and Accepted Masons, was held for
Sir Knight 1. S. Montgomery, the serv-
ice being attended by prominent Ma
sons and members of their families.
The doors of the cathedral were
opened at 10:30 o'clock, the throng en-
tering and turning to the right to enter
the death chamber where the body OF
the dead knight was laid in state, with
brother knights standing guard.
The black casket was relieved by a
single wreath of waXen roses, the
sword and helmet of the deceased.
On the brow of Sir Knight Montgom-
cry was placed chaplet of laurel; a
bunch of violets was placed over his
heart, stilled forever in the icy clasp
of death, while on his breast was a
glittering> cross Of flashing jewels and
about the folded hands cords.
The funeral chamber where the rites
were held was lighted by a few sub
dued tapers, while from the organ loft
soft tones of the funeral march floated.
At the hour of II the lights were ex-
tinguished, the funeral march sounded
forth. a bell tolled in it's death knell
and the funeral cortege entered, pre-
ceded by group of torch bearers at
tired in long, black robes, carrying
torches and six bearing the casket.
The casket was deposited before the
cross of iron, three trinities of lighted
tapers furnishing softened light and
lighting up the flashing uniforms of the
knights of Kodash, who followed.
These knights took their stand facing
the casket, which position they MAIN
tanned throughout the service.
Officials at Service
The service was opened by William
Rhodes Hervey, who presided at the Of
flee of the dead, assisted by Perry
Weidner.
The ceremony proceeded, the iron
cross being struck three times with an
iron hammer the tribunal of the soul
being pronounced and the acts of the
dead reviewed. The orator high priest
delivered an grafton, dwelling on the
virtues of the dead Knight, after which
the Knight was solernnly declared dead
to this world by his brother Knights.
The chaplet of laurel was taken away
as a sign of the vine that withers; the
jeweled cross was removed as a vain
bauble: the cords hiuding the hands
were unloosed as a sign that earthly
ties were brokn; only the bunch of
violets remaining as fragrant remind
ers of good deeds
After this the assembled knights,
each with a snowy white rose, sprin-
killed. the casket with holy water, asking
the mercy of the Most High. The
tapers fiickered and one by one went
out, the trinity of groups of lights
were subdued, all was quiet in the
darkened chamber with the exception
of the clinking of the mail uniforms as
the knights slowly retired to the sane
tuary-like background, the eastern
star which had been radiating with
light disappeared and the casket was
borne off amid hushed silence at the
hour of midnight. Utter darkness last
ed but a minute, and when the lights
were turned on the lighted sanctuary
had disappeared, the high priest offered
a final benediction and the body was