Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1912-06-01
Thousands of Ottumwans
Pay Their Need of Honor
to Union Defenders To-
day; Kirkpatrick Speaker
DECORATE GRAVES
AT ALL CEMETERIES
Green Mounds Strewn With
Floral Garlands in Local
Cemeteries by G. A. R.,
w. R. G.. and Children.

The soldier dead of Ottumwa were
honored today and their memories
revered by thousands Of citizens who
testified their love and veneration for
the departed heroes by visiting their
graves and strewing garlands upon
their last resting places. Eulogy, pray
er, song and music went to make up
the service held to honor the memory
of the departed saviors of the nation,
at the Ottumwa cemetery this after
noon. Willing hands carried flowers
to the graves In Calvary cemetery this
morning where a number of the SOL
der dead are buried. These we're re-.
membered by having bouquets OF
flowers strewn alongside the G. A. K.
marker which held the flag for which
the departed had fought
Working with the G. A. R. and Sons
of Veterans to fittingly honor the de-
parted, the members of the Relief
Corps have been busily engaged. Be-
ginning yesterday with the decoration
of the departed members of their
own corps, these good women have
since been giving their time to the
arrangement of the bouquets for the
soldiers graves and some 245 bou-
quets have been made up for this
purpose.
DR.. Montgomery who was to have
delivered the invocation during the
exercises was unable to act owing to
illness which would not permit him
to speak above whisper. Rev. j..
F. Robertson, pastor of the Willard
Street M. E. church, was selected to
serve as minister Of the occasion.
Major Hamilton Hurt.
An accident that for a time was
thought would interfere with the pro.
gram as planned happened this morn.
ing about o'clock at the corner OF
Court and Fourth streets. Major A:
H. Hamilton, the president of the day,
was bringing bouquet of flowers to
the court house where the women OF
the Relief Corps were engaged in ty-
ing up the bouquets, and stepping of
the curb he alighted on a hose and
fell. AS he struck the paving, his
face came in contact with the bricks
and an ugly cut resulted which Dled
profusely. The aged veteran was as
sisted into the janitor's room where
his wound was washed off and the
spirit that carried the well known
character through his escape from
FIT. Tyler and the subsequent trip
through the wilderness, asserted itself
and he was soon upon the street, ap-
parently little worse for his fall. The
hose on which he stepped is Sec
ton Of large hose being used by a
firm laying mains in the street and
had been attached to the water n.y.
drant at the court house corner. He
was able to take his place astride a
charger in the line.
Visit Calvary.
T. R. Buckley, L. Glenn and John
Feehan who for several years have
looked after the graves of the Cath
Ollie old soldiers buried in Calvary,
were again in charge of the work this
morning and were assisted by the
members Of the W. R. c. who always
assist in this work, Mrs. Mary Dough
erty, Mrs. Anna Fleming and Mrs.
Anna Evens. Master John Feehan,
also assisted.
While this committee was busy
decorating the twenty graves in Cal
vary, a committee consisting of Com
rades H. G. Nosler and W. H. H. AS
bury of the G. A. r. and e. H. Emery
and George Haw Of the Sons of Vet
Grams. placed the flags in the mark
ers of the 225 dead soldiers buried in
the Ottumwa cemetery. futile post
took care of the dead In Shaul and
McIntire cemeteries. TIE W. R. C..
remembered the departed of the corps
last evening when ten bouquets were
placed in Ottumwa Gem etery, two In
Calvary and two in Agency cemetery
upon the graves of sister members.
Children Bring Flowers.
A large number of school children
accompanied by the janitors from the
several schools brought the flowers to
the court house this morning. The
amount of flowers brought was said
by the ladies to be less than last year
although the variety and quality OF
the flowers were good. The school
children left their several schools
early in charge of the janitors and
took pride in the part they played in
honoring the memory of the Unions
defenders.
Big Crowd Present.
The formal program of observance
began with the formation of the line
of march at the court house this at
ternoon at 1870 o'clock. The parade
formed in front and at the side of the
court house and was led by the Fifty
fourth regiment band. Carriages con-
tanning the speaker, the minister,
president of the day and singers fol-
lowed. The w. R. c. and old soldiers
who were unable to make the trip on
foot were also in carriages followed