The Bourbon news. [volume] (Paris, Ky.) 1895-19??, 1919-08-08
STORY OF MASONIC HONORS PAID
CAPT. REUBEN HUTCHCRAFT
(Robert S. Porter, in Lexington
Leader)

In all probability Captain Reuben
Brent Hutchcraft, of Paris, who gave
up his life in France in the heroic
discharge of his duties, was the only
United States soldier buried in
France with Masonic honors.
Captain ]. A. Orr, of Paris, who re-
Gently returned from France and was
mustered out of the service a few
weeks ago at Camp Zachary Taylor,
in an interview tells of the manner
in which he learned of Captain
Hutchcraft's death while in Paris,
and the means he took to hold Ma
sonic services over the body as it
was laid to rest in the National Gem
etery at Beaumont.
Captain Orr, who before enlisting
in the service was a well-knOwn ply
stefan of Paris, and who since his
honorable discharge has again taken
up the practice of his profession here.
says:
Il first heard of the death of Cap
tain Hutchcraft through General
Roger Williams, of Lexington, whom
| met in Paris, and who was in
chrage of one of the departments of
the American Red Cross. General
Williams knew nothing of the partic-
ulars of his death, or where he was
buried, save that it was in the De-
partment of the Argonne, which in
France corresponds to one in the
States of this county. Captain
Hutchcraft was Junior Warden of
Paris Lodge No. 2, of Paris, KY, of
which / had at the time the honor to
be Master, and / deemed it my duty
to his memory as a brother Mason,
to secure what information / could
regarding his death that 1 might be
able on my return to impart it to his
grief-stricken parents.
81 Immediately set to work to ascer-
tain the location of the grave, that l
might visit it and have a photograph
made. / wrote to the Chaplain Of
the 166th Infantry for information !;
every officer / met wearing the in
sigma of the Rainbow Division | in
terviewed on the subject. Finally my
efforts were rewarded by meeting a
number of officers of Captain Hutch
crafts organization, and from them l
gained the information I was seek
ing.
Il found that he was killed above
Cheney, before Sedan; that his body
was not recovered until that night
after darkness had fallen; that i'm
mediately following his death his
replaced by a French company, men,
bers of which recovered the body.
1t was brought to the rear and buri-
ed in the little church yard at La
Melville Marie, Department of Ar
dennes, France. The body was burr
ed with military honors, the religious
services being conducted by the
Chaplain of his organization, a
number of officers being present
Later / learned that the govern
ment was collecting bodies and as
sembling them for re-interment in
the National Cemetery. l went to
Romagne, in the center of the Ar
gonne. Here was located the largest
American cemetery, where most of
bodies of those who had fallen in the
battle of the Argonne were being col
lected and buried. / received the in
formation that Captain Hutchcraft's
body would be taken to Beaumont
Cemetery for interment. l gathered
together ten officials from my camp,
who were Masons, and early next
we started for Beaumont,
which was one hundred miles distant
from our camp. Lieut.. J. w. Waller,
of Paris, KY, who was not a member
of the Masonic order, accompanied
U.S.
Arriving at Beaumont we secured
some white muslin and had an aged
French woman to make us some
aprons. Proceeding to the cemetery
we went to the grave where the re-
VI COuHIl uldh II
nal brother had already arrived, and
when it had been tenderly lowered
into the grave, we conducted the Ma
sonic services for the dead.
LAS a Mason, those services were
most impressive to me. Before me lay
the body of him whom only a few
months before in our home town of
Paris / had listened to in the lodge
room, delivering what proved to be
his farewell address to those he loved
so well, in which he said that he was
going across to do his whole duty,
and that it might be that would be
the last time he would ever address
the brothers of his lodge.
slain by treacherous foe, his
body was buried where it had fallen,
and a sprig of acacia, in the shape
of a cross, placed at the head of his
grave to mark the last spot until it
could be removed to another place
for more decent interment.
And to think that l, the Master of