The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1914-08-14
BURY MRS. WILSON
~ G3RiE0DD HOME
Tender Hands Lay Her to Rest->or-
row in tie South.


ter here today. Her grave is be-
side those of her father and moth
er. almost within sight Of the house
in which she lived as a girl. Tonight
the president was speeding eastward
on mis- return to Washington.
Thousands of visitors came TO
Rome today to dot honor to the
memory CT Mrs. wilson A Sabbath
like quiet prevailed The special
force of police, augmented by mem
bers of the Georgia National Guard,
found little to do beyond warning
traffic from the streets through which
the procession moved.
II was exactly 2:3O p. m, when
the presidents special arrived and
a few minutes later the casket, cover
ed with gray broadcloth and sur
mounted by single wreath of flow
ers, was lifted from the funeral car
by eight OF Mrs Wilson's cousins and
borne to the hearse.
As the train steamed slowly into
the station, church bells throughout
the city were tolled solemnly. A wide
space mad been cleared about the
station and the thousands Of people
assembled there stood back respect
fully. Those who bore the casket
were: Edward T. Brown, Atlanta;
Robert NJ. Hcyt, Wade c. Hoyt and
Nathan Hoyt, Rome; B. P. Axson,
Savannah; Randolph Axson and Ed
ward T. Brown, Jr., and Frank q.
Gebreath, Atlanta.
Through Black Draped Streets.
The president, followed by Secre-
tary and Mrs. McAdoo, Mr.. and Mrs.
Sayre, Miss Wilson, Prof. Axson and
oTher near relatives and members OF
the party quickly left the train and
entered their carriages. The pro-
cession then moved through black
draped streets to the First Presbyte-
rian church.
More than 800 relatives and friends
Of the Wilson and Axson families
were already gathered in the quaint
little church which Mrs. Wilson used
to attend when her father, the Rev.
Edward S. Axson, was pastor there.
The church was draped in black with
infertwined wreaths of white flowers.
On one wall was white marble
tablet to the memonry of Mrs. Wilson's
father. Banks of flowers were piled
high about the catasaque on which
the easket was placed.
AS the president entered follow
ing the casket, Chopin's funeral
march was played softly upon the Or
gan. A simple, short service was
conducted by Rev. G. G. Sydnor, the,
local pastor. The president and his
daughters, with Secretary McAdoo
and Mr.. Sayre, occupied the front
pew in the centre and back OF them
were other members Of the family
and DR.. Grayson and Secretary
Tumulty. Two old-fashioned hymns
girlhood favorites Of Mrs. Wilson,
were sung by the church cdoir. Rev.
DIR. Sydnor then read briefly from
the Scriptures and spoke Of the beau
tv and charity of Mrs. Wilson'S life
and character.
Borne to Cemetery.
AS soon as tie church service was
ended the casket was carried to the
waiting nearse and the short pourney
to Myrtle Hill cemetery was begun.
School girls, dressed in Waite and
holding aloft laurel branches, stood in
line along each side of the streets
through which the procession passed
Behind them were thousands Of peo-
ple With heads bowed, silent and sor-
rowful. The entire city was draped
in funeral black in honor Of the sad
occasion.
The cortege was close to tae ceme-
terry when rain began to fall. TIE
storm rapidly grew worse. the down
pour soon becoming torrential. A
tent erected over the grave gave par
tail shelter to the little family group,
but the thousands OF people VINO came
to witness the burial were without
protection.
Service at the grave were brief and
marked by impressive simplicity. The
president stood with head bowed as
the final rites were performed. He
made no effort to control his grief. AS
the preacher read the burial service,
the presidents form was visibly