Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1921-06-27
FATHER LAWTON
GIVES GRAFTON
OVER GALLEG0S
Military HOnOrS Accorded
Soldier Who Fell in France
Funeral Was Held Sum-
day Afternoon.

=
Father D. P. Lawton, the soldier.
priest. at the grave Of Herminis
Gallegos who was buried with mil,
itary honors yesterday. was the eli
max of the impressive services held
over the body of the soldier whose
body was just returned from
France.
Services were held in the San
Felipe church in Old Town at 8
o'clock with Father Week presid
ing. In the procession to the ceme-
terry were the Old Town band, the
color guard. firing squad, members
of Troop A. N. NJ. n. c., former
service men, G. A. r. members and
the War Mothers.
Father LawtOn spoke in sub
stance as follows: For it is better
for US to die in battle than to see
the evils Of our nation."-1 Mach
abees, III chapter, 59th verse.
| Thus spoke that intrepid leader of
Gods chosen people, Judas Mace.
abeus, when danger and dishonor
threatened the nations life, and
may we not Gull those words from
the garden Of Holy Writ and place
them on the silent lips of the dear.
dead hero whose mortal tenement
we are now about to consign to its
earthly resting place. For are they
not a fitting epitaph for him as
| well as for his myriad comrades
who died in the transport of their
Country's cause?"
We stand. my friends in the
presence Of death today. And what
| is death? | ask the materialst,
and he replies that 1t is the disin-
tegration of a complex organism,
and its chemical resolution into its
| constituent parts. l ask the ra-
tionalist and he answers that it is
the violent separation of soul and
body, the first yielding up it's tene-
ment, and the last resolving itself
to dust. l ask the philosopher and
he tells me that it is the plunderer
of all we possess of health and
strength, grace and beauty. life
and friendship. ask the poet
and he eXclaims that it is a sleep
of mortality that never wakes. All!
But I ask of faith and it reveals
the fact that it is Gods earthly
punishment for mans revolt.
But the death Of him who is Cof-
fined here is not an ordinary death.
He fell a victim of cruel war. And
standing here in a Christian ceme-
terry in a Christian land the gift to
the world of a Christian and a
Catholic, is it not sad. sad in the
extreme, to reflect that we should
be called upon to be the witnesses
of so melancholy a spectacle? For
when the re-hallowed lips OF
Isaias heralded the coming Of the
Founder Of Christianity did he not
announce Him to the world as the
prince of Peace
The history of the church
throughout her checquered career
is a glorious record of the heroic
efforts Of popes and prelates. saints
and sages, to render permanent
among men that peace of Christ.
And yet, despite nearly 1000 years
of tireless teaching, despite the
blood of countless martyrs in its
cause, despite the toll of mission
aries and the zeal Of Christian men
Christ's doctrine of peace is dis
IS cIl utl III inc "ol III III NlIIo Jul
age. For four fateful years has
the Prince of Peace looked down
from His heaven and beheld His
own people, His own chosen broth
ers, locked in conflict dire and
deadly. He has Seen the repulsive
sight of millions in battle array for
the known and determined purpose
of killing each other. He beheld
them dashed to pieces by shell and
shrapnel He heard their cries and
groans their curses and bias
phemies mingled with the wailings
of moaning mothers, widowed
wives and orphaned children. and
all this for the qualification of mad
unbridled ambition, wounded pride,
commercial jealousy and sordid
self Interest
But the young hero whose ashes
we are consigning to his native
soil today was not forgetful of his
duty to his God. He visualized in
the voice Of his country the voice
of God, who said: Render to |
Caesar the things which are
Caesars and to God the things that
are Gods" Promptly he answered |
his country's call. Hight hearted |
and hopeful he babe adieu to all |
he held dear and in the glory Of
his manhood he fell inundated on
the altar OF duty.
When the news was flashed |
across the Atlantic that with chill
ing hand the angel Of death had |
touched his brow. sorrow seized the
hearts Of all that knew him and |
from lip to ear tho word went out:
Terminus is dead Yes he is dead,
dead in the freshness of his early
manhood, dead in the turmoil OF
bloody scenes, dead in a far, for
eign land, dead without a relative
to fold the faithful hands that now
lie lifeless above his pulseless heart.
But hush Hark; A voice comes
waited across the centuries, from
the foot of wooded Olivet, emanat-
ing from the graveside Of Bethany.
and that voice pours In upon dis
consulate hearts: "He is not dead
but sleepeth."
No, dear comrade, thou art not
dead to us: thy voice is bearing us
a message today. That message Is
one of high devotation to purposed
duty, Of noble yielding Of self for
the common good of unfaltering
and unquestioning self
sacrifice for the preservation OF
those principles which are the
of society
Sleep thou serelely on! Peace be
to thy gentle spirit! May the earth
lie lightly on thy honest. upright
heart!
Sleep in peace with kindred ashes,
OF the noble and the true.
Soul that never failed its duty.
Heart that never faltering knew.
Sleen uptil the angels trumpet
Wakes the brave Ger earth and
sea,
Never shall we find a stauncher
Friend than we have found in
thee"
s7.250,000 RAISED TO
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