New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-05-07
b. EMMA BUGBEE.

A big man with a child in his arms
bent over and kissed the dead cheeks
of little Charlie Murray. After him
came a woman with o three-year-old
clnging 70 her skirts. As she turned
from the little white coffin the woman
stopped and picked up the child. Gluten
ing it convulsively TO her bosom. So6s
broke the stiffness, and over the crowd
ed room swept the murmur, "God pity
u.s. Who'll be the neXt?"
Children were precious on the East
Side yesterday. Nearly all the women
who attended the funeral Of Charlie
Murray, the -year-old child who
was murdered by a maniac on Monday
night in the back hall of his home at
270 First Avenue, brought their little
ones with them, as if they could not
bear to have them out of sight for
moment. The crowd around the home
and across the street was so great that
twenty policemen were called TO keep
order. More than half the crowd was
under ten years of age. Women or
the house with sleeping babies IN their
arms crowded on the stairways gazing
into the quiet fiower-flled room where
little Charlie lay. Three white doves
futtered in the palms above hun. In
one tiny hand was an Easter lily.
All was peace in that room, but there
was little Of peace in the hearts of the
women on the stairs.
"The beast" they muttered. why
did he pick out the littlest one of the
LOTT"
"If we catch him"
ale ought to be strung up.
"He ought to be cut up alive"
ayes, and every woman on this block
wants a hand in it."
Into this atmosphere, charged with
anger and tears, woman's querulouS
voice sounded:
"T1l choke that kid Of mine"
Down The stairs she pounded bent
on duietinC a little boy who was shout
ing in the back yard A prnIscworthy
act on any other afternoon, and hcf
very words undoubtedly rad been ed
before By the nournors on thc stair:
They Jared yesterday afternoon. The
weeping women glared at the mother.
"She better love il. while she can
not choke it," they murmured. There's
toe many being choked already"
The tears flowed afresh when little
girl and boy, hand in hand, bent down
| and kissed the dead boy.
That's the May King and Queen"
the whisper went round. Poor little
/ Charlie. he was going to be the Queens
soldier and wear a pink paper cap. God
pity him, he'll never go to the May
party now"
They aren't going TO have the party
row
NO. they've put it OF until next
Saturday Maybe by then thcrell be
another dead"
THE children gave up the money
FOR ice cream for the party 70 buy
flowers for Charlie. That's the girls
! piece. the big cross of lilies. The
boys sent a golden heart"
! The departure for the cemetery was
! delayed more than an hour. until Mrs.
! Murray. who was sobbing Historically,
permit the casket TO be closed.
"My little Charlie. my baby" she
wept, bending over him for the last
time. Then came her husband with
the vear-old baby OF the family in his
arms lie leaned down and pressed
the baby face against little Charities
cold lips That was the only funeral
ceremony.
Four httlc boy friends o. the dead
child acted as Ualibearers. The head
one was Bernard Ga.tuey, the boy who
found the mutilated body lying under
the stairway on Monday night. The
others were frankie Neyland. John
Parry. his cousin. and Willie Imire.
They marched beside the white hearse
TO Calvary Cemetery, Brooklyn.
At the grave twenty little girls in
white dresses and wells. who had been
confirmed % the Church Of the I'm