The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-08-24
Corporal San FARRELL Tells of
Funeral of r. ]. Shipley.
First Death in Headquarters
Company, Organized Here.
SOLDIERS TO ATTENTION
Men of Allied Nations Paid Re.
Spect to Their "COmrade."
"Ship" Volunteered When His
Country First Called.

A military funeral in the war zone
is an impressive ceremony, and one
not soon to be forgotten.
According to a letter from. Corp.
Sanford FARRELL, 1870 field artillery, this
statement is borne out and vouched to
be true. The letter from Corporal
FARRELL, who was formerly a reporter
on the State Journal staff, gives an &C
count of the funeral of Corp. Roderick
J. Shipley, 100 field artillery, who was
a resident of Topeka and Rossyille be-
fore the war.
The following account of the funeral
is all direct quotation from Corporal
JarrelPs letter, and is thought to be
the first account OF a soldiers death
in France printed in a Topeka news
paper exactly as written by a brother
in arms.
Corporal JarrelTs tribute to Corporal
Shipley follows:
The Headquarters company suffer-
ed it's first death in France recently
when Corp. Roderick J. Shipley, an
original member of the company, died
in a base hospital. He had lived
practically all of his life in Rossville,
Kan, except for a few years residence
in Topeka
CORPORATE Ship1ey enlisted under
Captain Mills at Topeka in the sum-
mer of 1917, and was with the Head
QudIleTS COHlpdHy at camp DOnlphan.
He crossed the Atlantic with his or
ganization, and was not taken i'll until
after he was billeted near a large
French city, where the regiment was
stationed until recently.
His comrades watched his case with
a great deal of interest, but no one
believed him seriously i'll until the
day of his death. Many had called at
the hospital to see him, and he was
cheerfully predicting the day when he
could get out and help the boys can
the kaiser.
Corporal Shipley's funeral was
most impressive one. The funeral
procession marched from the hospital
to the American graveyard. headed by
the $50 Artillery band. The casket,
covered by the American flag, was
carried on a caisson. Eight corporals.
all friends of the deceased, acted as
palibearers, and the entire company
served as the guard of honor
A rifle squad, under Sergeant An
drew Brown, fired the salutes at the
grave. and Chaplain Blackman made
a few appropriate remarks Like all
military funerals, martial simplicity
relgned turnout the services The band
played Nearer My God to Thee" ond
bugier sounded taps" and that was
Attic France is land of death. the
funeral of Corporal Shipley created a
iastlng impression among his COM
rades who had known and loved him
curing the many months that the
headquarters company had been in the
service Others may follow on the
IieId or battle, but none will forget
the first of the headquarters COMPANY
TO give up his life for his country in
France. Corporal Shipley was the
second to die overseas, Private CLYDE
Goodsell having passed away in an
English hospital.
Ship" as he was Familiarity known.
volunteered when his country called.
lie didn't wait" He sacrificed his life
Tor Americas cause just as noblx as
II he had been killed by German
smell An example of his popularity
In3sht be stated here. Captain Hughes
tol*i his men that they could attend
the funeral if they desired. but that II
was not compulsory. Every member
of the company who could POSSIBLY
do so, with the exception of the guard.
attended.
French civilians bowed their heads
that day when the caisson passed. Of
ncers and soldiers of all the allied
armies came rigidly to attention and
saIuted- Such is the respect accord
ed over here to a man who gives I'D
all for his native country
In quiet graveyard Somewhere in
france" Corporal Shipley lies buried.
Every evening the sun sets over the
prettily wooded hill and its passing
glow reflects upon a snow white cross
over his grave, and upon the crosses
over the resting places of the comrades
who sleeD beside him.