Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1923-08-08

east room Of the White House.
| Mrs. Harding was heavily veiled as
she came down the White House steps
to take her place in the funeral pro-
cession. On one side of her walked
Secretary Christian, and on the other
Brigadier General Sawyer. As the
body of the president reached the
capitol the troops presented arms as
the caisson reached the east front Of
the rotunda. General PershinR joineu
| in the salute
| The long line OF automobiles came
TO stop, and non-commissioned off
GERS stepped up and loosened the straps
that bound the casket to the funeral
car They then lifted down the casket,
and with the band playing Lead Kind
ly Light, the body Of the president
was carried up the stairs, across the
| spot where two and a half years be-
fore he stood to take the oath Of
duty.
Senator Lodge walked up the steps
beside the casket, and the ministers
followed. Fourteen soldiers, sailors
and marines helped to lift the casket
| up the long steps.
President Coolidge, Chief Justice
Taft, and former Vice President Mar
shall reached the rotunda just behsnI
the casket. Mrs. Hardings car had
been driven to the entrance below the
steps so she could be taken to the
floor above by elevator.
Tenderly the president was carried
for the last time from the portals or
the White House, and placed again on
the artillery caisson that had borne
him last night from the funeral train
to the east room of the White House.
Before the casket, as it was carried
! from the White House, walked two
ministers selected to officiate later at
the funeral in the rctunda of the cap
itol. They were Doctor Freeman An
| derson, pastor of Mrs. Harding's
church here, and Doctor James Mont
gomery, chaplain Of the house Of rep
resentatives.
In Pennsylvania Avenue the long sill
ence. which had hitherto been disturb
ed only by tie champing Of the rest
less mounts Of the troopers, was brok-
!, en- by the strains Of Chopin's funeral
march, played by the army band. There
was only a brief delay, and then the
last journey OF Warren e. Harding be-
gan along the historic thoroughfare
between the dense crowds that formed
an aisle Of grief from the White House
to the capitol
After the body of President Harding
| reached the capitol IL was placed on .
cantafalque. which was first built for
Abraham Lincoln. At 11:40 Doctor
Anderson began the invocation. and
with the amen the quartette Of the Cav
airy Baptist church. Mrs. Harding's
place of worship, sang Lead Kindly
Light" This was followed by n sim
pie prayer by Doctor Montgomery, and
the singing Of "Nearer My God To
Thee" by the quartette. DR.. Ander-
son then pronounced the benediction
and the national government had con-
cluded its last rites for It's presidet.
The religious ceremony took twenty
minutes. After the religious cere-
mony, the doors were opened, and
thousands of persons outside began to
pass slowly by the casket. Immediate
ly after the official funeral services,
Mrs. Harding, accompanied by Mr..
Christian. and Doctor Sawyer. departed
for the White House, and a few min
utes later president Coolidge departed
for his suite at the willard Hotel.
Chief Justice Taft and others fingered
for but a short while at the capitol.
Former President Wilson, whose ill.,
ness prevented his attendance nc the
funeral ceremony in the rotunda, left
the cortege at the Capitol plaza.
WASHINGTON, ID. g.. Aug. g.
President Harding's funeral train.
freighted with the sorrow OF the na-
ton. reached Washington at 1922
o'clock last night.
Although the train was nine hours
late, thousands jammed the station
concourse, watching for hours packed
against the iron fence that shuts off
the train platform, to be first to give
their silent tribute to the dead chief
tain.
The train backed into the station so
that the funeral car with its flag-drap-
ed casket rolled in first. to stop where
the little group headed by President
Coolidge, waited.
The lights in the funeral car cast q
brilliant glow in the big train shed.
Secretary Christian and DR.. Sawyer
were on the back platform. There was
no noise in the station. but the throb-
bing Of the air pump on distant en-
gine.
Mr.. Harding stepped off the car
leaning on Secretary Christians arm
and with DR.. Sawyer on her other side.
The band in the concourse began play
ing "Nearer. My God. To Thee"
Mrs. Harding Walks Alone
Mrs. Harding walked erect but slow
ly along the station platform. While
her hand was on Secretary Christians
arm she apparently needed no sup
port.
The military guard Of honor that
had stood about the casket all the way
from San Francisco also alighted.
Members of the party who came NIL
the way said Mrs. Harding had stood
the trip well.
As the solemn strains OF the COM
forting old hymn filled the station
the casket was tenderly lifted down
through the special door cut In the
side Of the car. II was placed on
rolling platform.
A single wreath that had been wait
ing at the station was placed on the