Omaha daily bee., 1917-10-19
MILITARY RITES
FOR 0MAHAN Who
DIED IN SERVICE
Impressive Army Ceremony
Held for Harry Fearn of
Ambulance Company Who
Died at Camp Taylor.

Omaha has buried the first of its
sons who went forth scarcely month
ago in answer to the country's call to
arms. Private Harry G. Fearn of the
Omaha ambulance company. who died
Sunday at Camp Taylor, at Louisville,
KY, was buried yesterday with full
military honors accorded to a soldier
in the army of the UniSed States.
Eight comrades in army uniform
laid their hats upon the flowers, after
the military custom, and bore the
casket into the St. Philomena church,
past the guard of honor standing at
present arms. Behind,the casket foh
lowed the frail little mother of the
dead soldier, leaning upon his younger
brothers arm. ! ~
Stars and Stripes. -
At the door of the church the little
procession halted. Phe banks>of flow
ers on~the casket were one by one re-
moved, revealing at last the simple
glory Of the stars and stripes over it.
At sight of that banner, under which
her son had gone forth in all the
beautiful enthusiasm of youth and un-
der which he had died, the little moth
er Strengthened with a quick intaking
of breath and then the tears, born of
all the pride and sorrow of patriotic
motherhood, sprang from her heart
and flooded in her eyes. She turned
and leaned upon his brothers arm.
Draped only with the American
flag, the casket, was moved down the
aisle to the altar, where Father STEM
son celebrated solemn high requiem
mass, assisted, by Father Stagno and
Rev. E. J. Flanagan. After the full
.choir's requiem chant Mrs. Leo Hoff-
man sang in solo Forget All Thy
Sorrow" and Father Stenson deliv-
cred the funeral sermon.
Though he did not die upon the
field of battle, in the sight of God he
has died for his country" Father
-Stenson had scarcely uttered these
words in memory of the dead soldier
when suddenly overhead, as BETTING
a soldiers requiem, the, iron bell be-
gan to peal and it was answered BY
other bells and the great sirens of the
city shook the air calling all men to
think of Liberty.
It was 10 o'clock and for FIVE min
utes during the funeral service the
bells and whistles, by order of the
president, called men to make fnan-
-cial sacrifices this day in the nations
cause. But this man had made his
sacrifice and was at peace.
Guard of Honor.
After the ceremony The guard of
honor escorted the body to the Holy,
Sepulcher cemetery, where, after the
casket had been lowered into the
ground, the firing squad stood at at
tention beside the grave, The bronzed
and weather-beaten sergeant in COM
mand stepped one pace forward.
SQUAD. attentionl With blank
cartridges ,oad!' The men filled their
pieces. -
Ready" The chambers Of the ri
hes clicked.
Aim" There was q peculiar still
ness in the little group around the
grave. The mother of the boy-Was
she thinking of him as a soldier in
the splendid army of great repub-
lie? She was not weeping now.
"Fire!' The volley broke the si-
lence. = ~
Three volleys flashed the final sa-
lutte and when their reverberating
echoes had died away Private Harry
Fearn, the FIRST of Omaha's soldier
dead, lay, where he would have wished
to lie, in soldiers grave.