The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1914-08-12
President Weeps
AS Body of Wife
Is Laid to Rest
INTERMENT AT ROME, GA. WAS
MARKED BY NO ELABORATE
DISPLAY OR CEREMONY.

Rome, Ca, Aug. 12.-Mrs. Woodrow
Wilson, wife of the nation President,
was buried at Myrtle Hill Cemetery
yesterday. Her grave is beside the
graves of her father and mother, al
most within sight of the house in
which she lived as a girl. Last night
the President was speeding eastward
on his return to Washington.
Although thousands of visitors came
to Rome to do honor to the memory
of Mrs. Wilson, Sabbath-like quiet
prevailed. The special force of DO.
lice, augmented by members Of the
Georgia National Guard, found little
to do beyond warning traffic from the
streets through which the procession
moved.
1t was $3.50 p. m. when the Presi-
dents special arrived and few min
utes later the casket, covered by gray
broadcloth and surmounted by a sin
gle wreath of flowers, was lifted from
the funeral car by eight of Mrs. Will
sons cousins and borne to the hearse.
AS the train steamed into the station
church bells throughout the city were
tolled. A wide space had been cleared
about the station and the thousands
of persons assembled there stood back
respectfully.
Go To Church.
The President followed by Secretary
and Mrs. McAdoo, Mr.. and Mrs. Sayre.
Miss Wilson, Prof. Axson and other
near relatives and members of the
party quietly left the train and entered
their carriages. The procession then
moved through black-draped streets to
the First Presbyterian Church.
More than 800 relatives and friends
of the Wilson and Arson families al
ready were gathered in the qaint little
church which Mrs. Wilson used to at
tend when her father Rev. Edward S.
Axson, was pastor there.
The church was draped in black.
with intertwined wreaths of white
flowers. On one wall was a white
marble tablet to the memory of Mrs.
Wilson's father. Banks of flowers
were piled high about the catafalque
upon which the casket was placed.
AS the President entered, following
the casket, Chopin's funeral march was
played softly upon the organ. A sim
pie short service was conducted by
Rev, G. G, Snydor, the local pastor.
The President, his daughters, Secre-
tary McAdoo and Mr.. Sayre occupied
the front pew in the center, and back
Of them were other members of the
family, DR.. Grayson and Secretary Tu-
multy. Two old-fashioned hymns,
girlh6od favorites of Mrs. Wilson,
were sung by the church choir. Rev.
Dr.. Snyder then read briefly from the
scriptures and spoke of the beauty
and charity of Mrs. Wilson's life.
Thousands Bare Heads.
AS soon as the church service was
ended the casket was carried to the
waiting hearse and the short journey
to Myrtle Hill Cemetery was begun.
School girls, dressed in white and
holding aloft laurel branches, stood in
lime along either side of the streets
through which the procession passed.
Behind them were thousands of per-
sons with barred heads bowed, silent
and sorrowful. The entire city was
draped in funeral black.
| The cortege was close to the ceme-
terry when rain began to fall. The
storm rapidly grew worse, the down
pour soon becoming torrential. A
tent erected over the grave gave par
tial shelter to the family group, but
the thousands of people who came to
witness the burial were without pro-
| lection
| Services at the grave were brief
and marked by impressive simplicity.
The President stood with head bowed
as the final rites were performed. As
he stood there with his daughters, Mr.
Wilson made no effort to control his
grief. AS the hushed voice of the
preacher read the burial service, the
Presidents form was visibly shaken
by his strong emotion, and the tears
streamed unchecked down his cheeks
Others of the party wept silently, soft
ly. When the final benediction wa.
: pronounced the President slowly re
, turned to his carriage. His eyes were
as those Of one dazed, but his step wa.
/ firm and his face was stern and set.
: After the casket was lowered anS
(Continued on Page Four.)