The Kansas City sun. (Kansas City, Mo.) 1908-1924, 1917-05-26

Daughters of Jerusalem, a trusted me-
chanic Of the Wyandotte Furniture
Co. % years, the entire firm number
ing rs turned out headed by Mr.. J. A.
Huppie and Gen. Sec'y p. A. Sherman
who delivered an Grafton on Austin
Pitts as one Of their best employees.
Austin Pitts was born in 1S46 and
died Friday, May 18, 1917, in this city
leaving a host of friends to mourn his
loss. The funeral was held from the
Vine Street Baptist Church under the
auspices of King Solomon Council No.
l Sunday, May 20, Daughter Rosa Ca.
vens, M. e. Q. and Col. T. Benton ].
Robinson, NJ. N. X, were the officers
in charge of the council ceremonies.
The funeral Grafton was delivered by
DR.. T. W. Ewing and several papers
were reading giving short biographical
sketches of Son Pitts life. Col. Robin
son said among other things, in intro
ducing the General Secretary of the
Wyandotte Furniture Co. that To-day
marks a new epoch in u order from
liz A"NN NhbN W. oSS uAAd bpAS ~
thing this afternoon that no other Col
ored fraternal organization can say
because we have before us the firm
of the Wyandotte Furniture Co. with
the head of that firm together with
all of their house forces, field agents
and of their lady clerks and stenog-
raphers who marched from the home
of the lamented Austin Pitts and are
now seated to hear the last sad unc-
ton pronounced over his body. | now
have the pleasure to introduce Nh.
p. A. Sherman, their General Secre-
tary, Mr.. Sherman said while we
have met here on one of the saddest
occasions of our life and l bespeak the
sentiments of those employed by our
firm, yet it is a source of pleasure to
say something about Austin Pitts who
was in III employ for % years. Mr..
Pitts was an honorable employe and
if he ever told anyone in orr firm an
untruth we never knew it, and that Is
something all of us should emulate.
Mr.. Master of Ceremonies, our firm
did not steal away in the dark hours
of the night TO take a look at Pitts
but we are here this afternoon with
the officers and members of King
Solomon Council to pay the last trib-
ute of respect this side of the Great
Divide. Mr.. Austin Pitts was an hon
orable man not because he was a
cOlored man but because he was a
man and we recognized him as a man.
Our people are the same and we feel
proud to be here this afternoon to pay
tribute to our brother and c%olaborer
whom l know, every member of our
firm will miss and we feel that place
cannot be filled though he be black.
We are here to snow to these people
that u Lord and God is no respecter
of persons. Austin Pitts our servant
for % years set an example worthy to
be emulated by all races and classes.
My dear hearers | know you are dis
eliminated against in this world on ac-
count of your color but thank God we
are all striving not for two heavens
but for II and the same place when
our mission on earth is ended. In con-
CluSlOu Will say THAI L uOp6 dllSE al
our meanderings in this world have
been accomplished we will be able to
say to Pitts somehow and somewhere
Good morning.
King Solomon's Council No. l of the
Order of Ancient Sons and Daughters
of Jerusalem assembled as per order
did take charge of Austin Pitts as he
lay in State to perform the last sad
rites. Austin Pitts, without a rela-
tive, without a force of any kind aside
of King Solomon Council No l; no.
body to follow him to the grave but
he had lived such a life that civiliza-
ton and intelligence in the Commun-
ity. save his organization gave him
at the end credit for being a man. Thus
the Wyandotte Furniture Co. with all
it's employees and families in automo'
biles followed the Order of Ancient
Sons and Daughters Of Jerusalem and
our deceased brother to his last rest
ing place,
Sorrowfully submitted,
Col. T. Benton ]. Robinson, S. G. S
Sa.T H,,,,o, . ~ n