Los Angeles herald., 1909-11-30
PRIEST SCORES
STREET RAILWAY
PATHETIC SCENES AT BURIAL
OF JACOBS FAMILY
PASTOR SAYS 1T is TIME FOR
PUBLIC TO DEMAND SAFETY
Five Members of One Family Brought
to Church-Was Ninth Funeral
from the Same
Cause

Down an avenue of sorrowing friends
who stood with bowed and barred heads,
the remains of the five members of the
Jacobs family of 5219 Compton avenue,
whose lives were crushed out under the
wheels of a Pacific Electric car at Latin
Station Thanksgiving night, were borne
yesterday to their last earthly resting
place i'm Calvary cemetery. 1t was a
sad procession indeed, and as 1t moved
away from st. Patricks church the
hundreds of friends who gathered to
pay their last respects to the dead MIN.
gled their voices in one last tribute OF
grief.
The church was not large enough to
contain all who came, and huhureus
crowded the sidewalk.
Peter, John and Frank Jacobs were
the only surviving members Of the fam
ily who were able to attend the fune-
raj Mrs. Jacobs and her infant daugh-
ter still are at the Crocker street hos
pital in a precarious condition. The
three boys had to be supported by their
friends, and several times were over
come by grief.
shortly before 3 o'clock the bell in
st. Patricks began to toll its sad
message that the bodies of the five
victims were being brought from the
undertaking parlors of Cunningham &
O'Connor to the church for the requiem
mass. A hush fell upon the congrega-
ton, and as the five Caskets were car
ried slowly up the aisle to place just
in front of the altar a sob broke from
the throats of the friends gathered
there.
Eagles Conduct Service
At Cunningham & O'Connors estab-
lishment the Eagles, of which Mr.. ia
a
years, conducted brief services.
TO the words of the sacred requiem
mass, conducted by the Rev. Father Il.
]. O'Reilly assisted by the Rev. p. j.
O'Donohue, assistant rector, and the
Rev. p. j. McGrath of the Indian school
az Arlington. responses were softly
Chanted by feminine voices in the choir
loft Following the mass Father
OReilly delivered a short sermon, say
ing in part:
This is the saddest duty I have been
called upon to perform since L have
been the priest of this parish.
I'm saying farewell to the remains OF
these members of this dutiful family
we see that God Almighty is true to his
creed. We see the words Of Christ YER
iled to the letter.
"Thanksgiving evening these good
people were out innocently enjoying
themselves, and without a moments
warning death reached out and took
them from us.
THE sudden termination of these
lives is warning to us who are left
behind TO be prepared, for we know
not what hour the Son of Man
cometh'
From a religious standpoint all is
well. l am certain that these souls are
happy with God, but from a social
standpoint we are the losers. We are
left behind to mourn their loss; no
body can fill their places.
Time to Demand Safety
"To much liberty Is being taken with the
lives given We are becoming reckless
and careless. When say this / refer par
ticuIarly 20 the railways of Los Angeles that
have guaranteed TO protect the lives of the
people.
1T is time for the people to stand up and
defend themselves. We must demand pro-
lection to insure safety for lives.
IL appeal to the men of this congregation
to urge upon the officials Of the city and the
railway companies the need for better pro-
lection of life. that accidents like that
one OF last Thursday night. which crushed
out the lives Of five innocent people and
made desoiate happy home shall not hap
pen again.
This Is the ninth funeral service have
been called upon 10 conduct for victims of
street ears. May 1 never be called upon to
perform another such sad mission"
Affecting indeed were the scenes at
the caskets when the congregation
passed in front of the altar TO take a
last look at the faces of their friends.
Old men and young, women and chill
dren, friends of the dead, could not
keep back the tears as they said their
farewell with a last look. 1t was a
scene never before equaled in st. Pat
rick's, for its touches of sorrow and
its test of friendship.
caskets Banked with Flowers
The caskets were banked with flow
ers and the atmosphere was heavily
laden with the fragrance. So many
floral offerings had been received that
ii was necessary to send several car
riage loads direct to the cemetery.
AS the church services We're con-
cluded the five caskets were borne to
four hearses waiting outside. In the
first hearse the fathers body was gen.
tly laid. Caskets containing the re-
mains of the two daughters, Kate and
Mamie, were placed in the next two
hearses, and the bodies of Anthony
and Clements were placed in the fourth
hearse. AS the funeral cortege slowly
moved away toward Calvary ceme-
terry, the members of the assemblage
again bowed their heads as last mark
of respect to the departed.
The services at the cemetery were
brief. the five caskets being lowered at
the same time into the five graves that
hpat1 in, bn 70 1oF