The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-09-21
Is Taken to Rotunda of the
City Hall in Driz-
zling Rain
PRIVATE SERVICES
ARE HELD AT HOME
Fully Fifty Thousand People Stand
Mute With Barred Heads as the
Funeral Cortege Moved Slow
ly Through the City

New York, September 2o.-In the ro-
tuSda of the city hall. on the scene OF
his years of labor for the municipality
whose executive he was, the body OF
William J. Gaynor lies in state tonight,
his coffin draped in the white silken folds
of the mayors official flag and watched
over by guard of honor from ire city's
police and fremen.
The mayors body. landed mere yester-
day from the liner Lusitania and taken to
his late home in Brooklyn where private
funeral services were held this afternoon.
was brought this evening through a driz-
ziing rain to the city hall, from the steps
of which less than three weeks ago ne
accepted . peoples nomination for re-
election to the mayoralty.
Thousands Pay Silent Tribute
Thousands gathered on that occasion
to attest their confidence in his worth to
the city as man and mayor. Tens Of
thousands crowded about the edifice and
It's approaches tonight and stood mute
heads barred and bowed. paying silent
tribute as his body was borne into the
building.
Tomorrow at o'clock the doors of tho
city hall will be opened. and from that
hour until sunset or later two separate
lines of citizens will have opportunity 10
past from the plaza in front of the build
ing past the coffin on its bier In this
sombrely draped rotunda and on OUT
through the north entrance after gazing
on the dead mayors features on Monday
the public funeral win be held IN Old
Trinity church.
The private services In the Caynor home
were held two hours before the body was
brought to Manhattan, the little gathering
there including only immediate menbers
OF the family and a few ciose frienas.
The service, brief and simple. was Rad
by the Rev. Frank W. Page of culpopper.
| vd, formerly pastor of ST. .Iohns Pro-
tesiant Episeopal church in Rrooliyn, Of
nhieh Mayor Gaynor was ecmmunloant.
Eulogizes Dead Mayor
| The clergyman's tribute was personal
and intimate No one knew the man Cay
nor better than the speaker himself. ssi1
Dl Page, and his eulcgy OF tbs late
mayors character and good deeds was =
heartfelt message OF consolation 10 this
mourning family and friends. The city
had lost it's best servant when Mayor
Gaynor died, Dr. Page concluded. and
later its people probably would realize
this and do IN his memory what the beo-
Pc of Cleveland had done in Tom John
son s-erect monument to him.
Promptly at 4 o'cloek 300 mounted pc
liceman stood at attention outside as the
coffin containing the body OF the mayor
was carried from the house by firen en-
aud policemen and placed in the hearse.
willie departmental heads and members
Of the board o. estimate, acting as es-
cort, stood with barred heads. fhs funeral
cortege then made its slow way to New
York across the Brooklyn bridge.
At aast $1,000 persons stood Uncovered
in the drizzing rain as the solemn process
sion, headed by mounted police. marched
to the city hall. Eight automobiles fol-
lowing the hearse carried members of the
board of estimate Mayor Ar1olph Kline,
Robert Adamson, the late mayors sec
retary; r. A. c. Smith. commissioners OF
docks and ferries, and Police Commits
sioner Waldo. No member OF the nayur'
family accompanied the body
| All curing tile day vehicles Drove up
to the Gaynor home with floral offerings.
and 1t was necessary to employ two arto-
mobiles to carry the flowers When tso pro-
cession started. Conspicuous among the
tributes was wreath OF white roses four
| feet in diameter sent by Col. Theodcrs
Roosevelt
Children Mourn for Him
| Children of the Eastside offered hoin-
age In their own way tonight to the
memory of the man they had recognized
as always their friend when nearly 50o
| pupils from the schools In the district.
their ages ranging from $ to 10 years.
marched through the misty rain from
| Hamilton F'i5h park and were allowed
TO pass through the city hall, where the
mayors coffin rested.
| Their clothes We're dripping wet for they
| had walked all the way without protec-
tion, marching to the strains of Nearer,
| My God, to Thee played by a boy scout
| fife and drum corps.
| 1t took just eight minutes for them to
pass through the hall. One of them laid
on the coffin a small bouquet of asters
and through the night 1t divided honors
with the offering of the Gaynor family
that lay there.