Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-10-04
SIMPLICITY MARKS
FUNERAL OF Crane
Townspeople Throng Lawn
at Dalton Home of For
mer Senator.

DALTON. Mass, October 4 (by the
Associated Press).-A simplicity in
keeping with his way of life marked
the funeral today of W. Murray
Crane, former United States senator,
Ex-Governor of Massachusetts and
millionaire manufacturer.
The body, in a flower-bsnked cas-
ket, lay in the hall of the great house
on the hill while neighbors. mill
workers, leaders of industry, politics
and finance and other friends streamed
past for a farewell view.
There followed a service of Scrip
ture reading. hymn recital and prayer,
after which church bells tolled and the
family, assembling in private in the viii
lage cemetery. a short distance from
the Crane residence, listened to the
burial ritual. There was no hint of
eulogy. except possibly in the prayer,
and no music of any kind.
Throng Fills Approaches.
A throng largely made up of towns
people, who hailed the senator as
friend, filled the approaches to the
residence and invaded the lawns. As
many as could find room were ad-
mitted to the house for the funeral.
of Mr.. Crane. holiday had been
declared for most of the workers OF
Dalton and Pittsfield.
Gov. Coolidge came across country
in an automobile while Lieut.. Coy.
Cox, members of the governors stan,
arrived by train from Boston. For
mer Coy. Bates. who was one OF the
honorary pallbearers, accompanied them
List Of PaIlbearers.
The other pallbearers were Frank
w. Anderson, former chairman OF the
republican national committee; H. B.
Thayer, president of the American
Telephone and Telegraph Company,
and Daniel M. woodruff. all of New
York; Solomon Buckley Griffin. for
merly managing editor of the Spring
field Republican; Arthur w. Eaton
and Irving D. Ferrey of Pittsfield and
former Senator John W. Weeks.
nounced Saturday as heading the list
of pallbearers. is travelling in Can
ada, and it was found impossible to
convey to him word of the senator's
death in season for his attendance at
the funeral.
The Rev. Ralph M. Timberlake con-
Quoted the service in conformity with
a program arranged in part by Mr.
Crane.
The service was concluded with a
prayer in which Mr.. Timberlake who
is pastor of the Congregational
Church in Dalton, where Mr.. Crane
Worshiped, touch on the relations of
the former senator to the community
and the country at large, pointing out
that the influence of the works CT
good man did not lapse with his
death.
Body Taken to Rest.
At the close of the prayer the mem
bers of the family, headed by Mrs.
Crane and Winthrop Murray Crane,
jr.. entered automobiles, and, accom-
panied by the pallbearers, honorary
and active, followed the hearse to the
burial place. The cemetery is on the
main street and close to the center OF
the village. 1t is Enclosed by a wall
of gray stone and shaded by great
naples which form . part of the long
lines of similar trees along the entire
The Crane lot is near one Of the
entrances. In it lie the bodies Of the
parents, his first wife.
Mary Benner of Astoria, L. l., who
died in 1884 at the age of twenty
seven: his brother. Zenas, and other
relatives.
The exercises at the grave were an
nounced as private and only members OF
the family and immediate relatives gath
cred about the casket while Pastor
read the commital serv-
ic,, which was of the Episcopal form.
In the distance beyond the cemetery
wall the crowd stood in silence with
heads barred until the casket had been
lowered into the brick walled grave
and the funeral party had driven
away.