New-York tribune., 1911-12-18
FIVE THOUSAND ATTEND
FUNERALS OF MORNERS
Farmers Make Holiday, Many
Arriving at Daybreak with
Picnic Baskets.
FIGHT TO VIEW THE BODIES
Sheriff and Twelve Deputies
Keep Crowd in Check-Many
Women Faint-Another
Suspect Arrested.
Suspect Arrested.

Troy. y V. Dec 1.-THE last scene i'm
the Bloomingrove tragedy was enacted
this afternoon when the bodies of Mrs.
Mary Morner. her son Arthur and two
daughters, Edith and Blanche, who were
murdered Tuesday noon presumably by
an Italian farm hand employed by them,
were laid at rest side by side i'm the lit
tie cemetery at De Freestvile.
Although the hour for the funeral was
10 o'clock. it was scarcely daylight when
the people began TO arrive AT the farm
house. and by 10 o'clock every road lead
ing to the scene of the murder was con
gested with automobiles and vehicles Of
all kinds and pedestrians AT ll'oo
o'clock there were more than five thou
sand persons congregsted about the
house or morbidly exploring the barn
where the bodies were found on Wednes-
day night Many OF the crowd brought
baskets filed with food with them, and
the scene took on the appearance of
farmers picnic.
Shortly before 1870 o'clock the under
front door Of the house, which had been
kept securely locked, and announced
that all who wished might view the
bodies. There was a wild rush but
Sheriff Cottrel was there with several
deputies and compelled the eager spec
tators TO line up I'm an orderly manner
pass by the coffins and out through the
rear door. The bodies were laid out IN
the parlor. that # the son, Arthur IN
an oak coffin and those of his mother
and two sisters in white ones. There
was profusion of flowers sent by
neighbors and friends for miles around
Crowd Files by Coffins.
.nr two hours the crowd filed through
the rooms and then the doors were or
dered closed. but It required the COM
bined efforts of the Sheriff and his
twelve men. assisted by number OF
sturdy farmers, To keep back those VINO
had not viewed the bodies and were de-
tcrmined to do 50. despite the stern COM
mand of the Sheriff to keep back. In the
crush women tainted and had TO he car
u.
Tho services began AT go o'clock, and
we're conducted by the Rev. John Bulnes'
nastor Of the Bloomingrove Reformed
church. If which the four mem
hers of the Morner family had been
momhcrs. \ quartet rendered apir"-
pirate selections. and the minister lli ms
remarks drew a lesson from the traStu.,
urging his hearers To he ready for sud
don death Al the close 81 th" services
thc pastor and many of the fricnGs ass
somblcd rccitcd the Christian Endeavor
bonodictiou. the two girls having Joined
that organization just a week ago to-
day.
Tour hcarses bore the bodies To the
cemetery. followed 10y crowd. mo
services at the grave were simple. The
quartet sang Lead, Kindly Light and
the minister read the ritual AS the
bodies were lowered into the graves men
au1 women sobbed aloud, and 10"
suolfcn threats against the murderer
were heard.
During the funeral services Sheriff
eject SnCl. WIFI w lilldlh - = Nv - ''''
ger print expert from the state Prison
Dauartment. rc-examined the COW stable.
underneath the floor of which the four
bndios were found Mr. Powers found
niece of board ON which was what IS
believed to he the print of a bloody mn
Ger From an examination OF thus ana
ths handle of the hatchet with which
tho murders were committed MI. Pow
crs homes 10 evolve a perfect hnger llne
Gasciintion that can he used positively
To identify the guilty person or persons
North Adams. Mass. Dec. l1.-His ap-
peararcc indicating that he had walked
a long distance and his clothes soaked
NV the rain Of the last few days, an
Italian whose description tallies with
that ~ Edward Donate, the farmhand
sought in connection with The murder of
ro,,r members of the Morner family In
De Frcestvillc, y. Y. last TUESDAY was
arrested to-day, asleep AT the Williams
town railroad station.
ON being questioned Dy the police the
n said that he had walked from Me
cbanicsville. ~ Y At first he said his
nam. was Charles Ali, hut later de
cl.red il was Antonio Cerato. Although
adm,ttir that he had been in Troy.
y Y recently. he denied that he was IN
Albany During the questioning he IS
said f. have Ilide several conflicting
statements.