Smyrna times., 1908-01-22
FUNERALS OF
FIRE VICTIMS
BoyertoWn to Havs Memorial For
Unidentified Dead.
PEOPLE BOWED WITH GRIEF

turned out to pay their last respects
TO the victims of the RhOads Opera
House disaster. 1t was one long pro-
cessiOn of carriages. In every street
funeral cOrteges, moving toward Fair
view and Union cemeteries, were to
be seen.
At the burial grounds the stream of
carriages and mOurners waited for
hours to get in. The grave diggers
did not get their work done, and it
was necessary in many cases to halt
the funeral until the graves could be
made ready. There were not hearses
enough to go around nor undertakers
enough to care for the dead.
It was a common sight at the ceme-
teries to see corteges standing in the
various avenues waiting for the men
to finish graves or waiting for the
minister. Twenty-Five funerals were
held Friday and sixty Saturday.
The bodies of twenty-four unidenti-
fed dead were buried in the Fairview
cemetery in this place.
Upwards of 10000 persons attended
the services that marked the interment
Of the fire victims, who were buried
in one long trench, dug in circular
shape. No eulOgy was delivered at
the grave. the ceremonies being of
the simplest sort Four ministers rep
resenting as many denominations, read
the plain burial service of their respec-
tive churches. Each body was encased
in plain coffin and they lie separated
in the ditch by brick walls. In time a
monument, marked with the names of
those reported missing since the fire,
and who are supposed to have been
burned to death, will be erected in the
centre of the circular mound which
marks the one big grave
The garments and other wearing ap-
parel taken from the bodies of the
victims were piled in one large heap
in front of the ruined opera house
The people were then allowed TO
search the remnants in the hope of
finding pieces which might help them
to identify those bodies not yet known
Later all the clothing remaining was
taken to Fairview cemetery, where it
was buried.
The ashes in the ruined building are
sacred to the people of the town and
they cannot bear to see them thrown
any old place fearing there may still
be parts of bodies in them. A grave
will be dug in a remote corner of the
cemetery, and all the ashes dropped
in it, A layer of mortar will be poured
over them.
Miss Lizzie Ziegler, aged sixty-five
years, and her adopted daughter, Miss
Annie Stauffer, whose deaths were an
nounced in connection with the theatre
fire, are both alive and not injured in
the least. The formers brother, Sam
uel K. Ziegler, of OakbroOk, and his
family hastened to BOyertOwn when
they read the announcement of the
death of the two women. When they
reached the home of Mr.. Ziegler's sister
the latter was doing her household
work. Sheriff NJ. T. Ziegler, of Ian
caster, is also a brother of Miss ZieG-
le-.
In connection with the missing, il
developed that one more person has
been reported lost to Coroner Strasser
than has been indicated by the bodies
found, so that it is apparent some per.
sons may have been entirely consumed
in the flames that swept the ill-fateC
opera house.
The mystery surrounding the fndius
Of the body of a woman dressed il
mans clothing in the fire has beef
solved
Mrs. Rebecca Diamond. coming her,
from Philadelphia in answer to a tele
gram from Coroner Strasser, pOsi
lively identified the body of the SUI
posed stranger as that of her daughte
Rose, and announced that the core
ners dispatch had reached her just il
time to prevent the burial of anOthe
as her daughter.
Frank England. a cousin of Ros
Diamond, came here from Philade
phia and declared that the signe
ring, bearing the initial letter "R," tn
diamond earrings, necklace and tn
bracelet found on the body were thos
of his cousin. Even in the case of thi
the authorities would have been il
clined to believe that the Jewels ha
been stolen from Miss Diamond in tn
course of the evening by the strange
but for the fact that the earrings wer
fastened in the ears.
Then the question arose, why. il tn
body were really that of Miss damon
she should have been attired in tro
sers. A number of men who had gatI
cred about the door of the hall I'll
night of the entertainment were inte
viewed, and each declared that /
well remembered the arrival of IL
pretty girl, and that there certain
was nothing about her to suggest
disguise.
Coroner Strasser then wired to MI
Diamond, in Philadelphia, where 81
was about to inter the supposed bot
of her daughter The funeral was il
mediately halted and Mrs Diamol
boarded the first train for Boyertow
Immediately on examining the Jewel
she announced that it was undouI
edly that OF her daughter. and