The New York herald., 1922-04-13

Pure And UNWASHED
alike MOURN CERTIE
Bowery in Its Own Way
Bids Good-by to a Soul
Gone Away.
LAUGHS BRING TEARS
Pals of Mission Worker Tell
of Her Salvation From
Gutter and Rum.
HYMNS ON STRANGE LIPS
Little Doyers Street Chapel
Holds Funeral Like City
Never Saw.
HYMNS ON STRANGE LIPS

Funeral services for Chinatown
Gertie Merritt were held last night il
the Midnight Mission of the Rescue
Society in Doyers street. Four hun
dred men and women-w white, black
yellow and brown, rich. poor, exalted
depressed. cold sober and soddenly
drunk-were there. The chances are
that even New York has seen no such
funeral as this.
Sometimes they laughed wildly wher
Black Jubal Burr, Bismarck. Baror
Mike O'Keefe. Blond Katie Welch
Hi Yeng Fat and Armenian Mary
thought OF tales about Gertie wher
she used to sing in Chinatown gir
mills for the piclSpocket privilege.
Now and then they clapped Their
hands because some one had taker
the floor and assured them that Gertis
Merritt was at tie moment occupy.
ing a room in the Doyers street Of
heaven. And then some unkempt in.
dividual would go down to the coffir
the pulpit and bid Gertie good night.
Good Night From ssSnow."
-Chinatown Gertie.' cried Snow Pc.
tcrs, leaning over the flower covered bos
and speaking to the dead woman. u
met you at Coney Island when you were
20 stewed you fell down in the sand
and the cops picked you up and wiped
nd orft ,f
see to walk to the wagon. You and
me was buns together and then you
found Jesus and came and got me and
took me to him.
"Chinatown Gertie it's Snow Peters
saying good night. Good night Gertie-
good night, good night"
The services lasted more than two
hours. II you would have something
of a picture of what 1t looked like
YOU must see Snow Peters standing
rigidly against the wall near the coffir
with his hands clenchcd in prayer ano
his eyes tightly shut. HTc hardly re-
laxed for a moment. Now and ther
he would begin praying fervently ane
again he would sing single lines OF I
hymg-all Independent of the others.
And think of hue Black Jubal will
his head thrown back and his gorillalik'
arms thrust out In front Of him. stand
ing with his legs far apart and singing
in his rich negro barytone. Holy. Holy
Holy Lord God Almighty" And Mother
Clarke. one of Chinatown Gerties res
cues. becoming hysterical and faintine
during the singing OF Down and Out
by Joe the Jew. Imagine six sleepy
looking Chinese entering the place witt
all their native dignity and carrying ar
enormous robe of roses, which ne,
placed on Gertie's coffin. bowling low
before it as they left. shuffling back
ward.
story TeIlers Mt Home.
Some one would decide to alter tn,
complexion OF things and tell funn.
story about Gertic. a roughnecl
stopped Gertic on tho Bowery one nigh
--so the story ran--and said
Look here. Gertie. you don't bcliev'
that stuff about Jonah and the whale
do yon?"
"Ah. gawan." replied Gertie for sh,
was very tired and knew the roughneci
was just looking for trouble. when
get to heaven I'll ask old Jonah him
self"
.'Yeh?' smeered the tough boy. "Ant
suppose the old guy aint there
Then you can ask him." snappet
Certic.
laughter at that and more stories wer,
told and more produced until some olt
timer would demand that they sin,
abide With Me- and the mission
crowd was wcltcr OF woe again.
This is going TO be different
funcral.' said Tom Noonan. superin
tcndent of the Mission. I'VE hav,
coEe here TO rejoice. This is a corona
tion ceremony. Our Gertie is bein,
crowned in glory. Laugh II you fee
like laughing Weep IL you want "a
Sing, pray. tell a story. tell your stor,
---do what God prompts you to do, 70
Gcrtie Is listening and smiling. Cert,
as not dead.
Reformed Eleven Years Ago.
Eleven years ago Gertie came int,
this very room---drunk. suffering from
the devils. dirty. hungry. only hal
clothed. She had become SO drunke,
that she couldn't pick pockets any longer
Her hand was too snalky DO YOU Sc
where her coffin is tonight. right her
a. ~ feet?
veil. Gcrtic staggered right dowr
y - where her coffin is resting TO
rig rnd asked US to help her. She fel
.l"|o there on the floor while we prayed
r. nexs day she helped us pray. Sine
tire .inc--wcll. ask you boys and girl
OF there. YOU knew her what about II?
can't VIC sing ono of the hymns sh
sarr7'' yelled Mother Clarke.
They sang when the Roll Is Calle,
Up Yondcr." with Jubal Burr urging tn
lads In the back rows to greater effor,
and Joe Justice, who has become a pros
porous iaundryman and writes his ow,
gospel songs. singing a strong tenor. see
Ing to Il that nobody shirked down from,
A tall thin man. recognized as Honey
demanded that he tell what he kner
about Geertie. He faced the flower GOV
cred coffin and with smile on his fac
began talking about old days in Mot
street.
''Sho says 70 me one night" he cried
Honey. got fat one Tonight An,
] say. What did YOU grab?' And sh
snas 7 copied . watch and a walIc
fro.u q lush IN Sing r'ov's. so the drink
a. me. Honey
~ we 20 down tho lirc with he
Shrinking hoptoad whisky drink for drinl
With me ana lot OF buns we pick ii
on the way. for we was soused 10 tn
sille. and Gertie hooks the watch will
a bartender who was getting marrie
and was making his bride a present. w,
gets into a fight in the last place ant
Sertic falls against the stove and tn,
next hear OF her she's In the alcohol,
ward in Bellevue taking her chances OF
gctting we'll.
Il get six months on the island. and