New-York tribune., 1922-04-03
lone Coffin Is
Altar at Tribute
TO Dead i'll War
Fate. i'm Hands of Veteran
Regular. Picks Body of
] Charley W. Graves to Re-
ceive Homage of Throng
Tvpifies Is, ,459 Buddies
Harding Sends Message and
Wreath to Last Rites at
BROOKLYN Army Base Pier

s,.e,yed prayefto' "e'NV''' "''S
~. army base in Brooklyn. There
y, g;sss were still being splashed by
H., waves left by the throbbing
..rsxs w. OF the mighty Olympic, out
s,,ra bound and having as her most
s,,;nruished passenger the United
CO., Ambassador to Germany
single coffin had been selected
.ror the rows and rows of flag-shroud-
a hoxes thai made Up this silent COM
..,y II was taken to represent all of
-. 4s 40 known dead OF the American
r-,sdi,ionsry Forces that. since the
ended. have been brought back to
20 ITuited States Tor TIC comfort OF
- ~ tnfolk. The selection Of that
roff;n .of was left to chance.
Veteran Chief Figure in Lottery
eergeant Paul 7. Kranz, Company NJ,
,s,b Infantry, lean and grizzled
ocular who has been thirty years in
,hn servicc vas designated to make the
avsw;n, in thu sad lottery. Lists CON
.,.n;ng the names Of sll the dead re
snrnsd on the Cambrai were placed on
.oble IN room at Tie army base,
S.n,a,n r. Shannon, Of the quarter
.oas,er corns. then caused the sergeant
- he hlindfolded, gave him a pencil
.rd directed him to place the point
ear,ewhere on the list. The soldier
Aid so and the mark OF his pencil was
h.s,de the name Of Charley w. Graves,
~
ords as a first class private, Company
N. l17th Infantry, goth Division, who
was killed in action October 5, 1915.
His residence at the time Of enlist
ment was Raleigh ". Va, but his
hody is to be shipped to his brother,
Robert W. Graves, OF 507 East Fifth
Street. Rome Ga.
So Il was that the coffin containing
The body Of Charley Graves was placed
nm gun caisson and ridden through
4he streets of Brooklyn from Thirty
eighth Street and Fort Hamilton Park
vsv back to the army base at the foot
Of fifty-eighth Street. 1t was a brave
procession. from the polise escort, all
mcunted, to the last doughboy in
wrinkled uniform.
C. A. r. in Memorial Parade
Lieutenant Colonel Edward A. Sim
mons, United States Reserve, was grand
marshal and master of ceremonies. A
list Of the organizations that marched
zion posts Of the city and of the other
military organizations, not forgetting
for single second the Grand Army of
the Republic, which was represented by
its commander in chief, Colonel Lewis
S. Pitcher.
column had entered the army base a
great throng had grouped itself about
aplaform before the flag hung concrete
structure that during the war shell
tered the guns, food shovels and cloth
Ing required by those boys whose
bodies we're there yesterday.
There WAS reserved seat section,
tragicaliy commodious in the face of
the fact that it was set aside for the
relatives Of the dead men on the docks.
Behind that were thousands of other
chairs and beyond those were thou
sands standing, waiting. A group of
sllk-hatted men arrived and were ush-
cred to places on the platform. Arch
Rabbi Joseph Silverman and Bishop
Thomas F. Gailor, Senator Calder and
asyor Hylan and score of others
equally we'll known
A band was approaching. AS it came
nearer and nearer some of the
watchers in the throng sang with it,
Onward Christian Soldiers" Then a
whistled command brought silence.
af
each standard borne by soldier, were
carried into place beside the stand and
they continued to walk to their places
until forest of flags hid the harsh
background Of the concrete wall.
Eight Soldiers Bear Body
Presently the band, or one Of halz
dozen bands, began TO play Chopin's fu-
neral march. The thousands there un-
\ covered and as they did so eight SOL
diefs, stepping in cadence with the
somoer music, came into view. On
'aelr swaying shoulders was the coffin
" charley Graves. But those people in
'ae reserved section did not know it
was Charley Graves's body. 1t was
Welr own soldier and their feeling was
tsolced by an old mother of Italian
sood' who rocked her shawl-covered
head from side to side and cried "Giu-
sseipe as the coffin bearers passed hex
iont-row chair
lhose soldiers placed their burden or
sssss standards resting on green car
pes oefore the stand. Archbishop Hayes
n.,ed nn,oked blessing and then Lieutenant
sVlohei Simmons read from bit of pa
Per IN his hand:
!, iou ana your associates are going
.s voice the last testimony Of love and
.t'ion erection from living comrades fol-
,s a,ei oead. You may be very sure that
~ e "hoie nation will echo your senti.
ro. r.nss and feel with you the thrill of g
.anon s.;.n pride and a common sorrow
..ae .a,;" IN the glorious service and his.
~; w achievement of these our brothers
ilieeiy gave all exacted from them
s,s nave set for all of us the perfect
'n'pe OF service and sacrifice and il
+s.men well that their associates should
,ins ,iosn this tribute. remind the ma
wor,S Vi its eternal obligation to prov
eyas"y OF the devotion its sons have
liyh. SHOWN for it. Already in the
stor,, u tne morning of hope after tn,
iar ia we descry very real justification
vn,ia iusl that sadder and a wisel
tur. VIII md means to save the fu
sbs,,;I ;I'm repetition of the TRACED,
L., 's,h they played so noble a part
sseb W unite in faith and works 70,
eLs cohsummation. That would b.
n;Hcerest testimony that we full,
nseas nse their suferings and sac
''s"eii Tribute by President
meunt eu'enant Colonel Simmons pauset
isy ;e"t th;e and said: Besides send