Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-08-09

12:15 she once more passed inside |
the tall doors that never more were
to receive the man she had loved, |
consoled, encouraged and nursed fl
nally to the very end of his last ill
ness.
President Coolidge Departs
A few minutes later President
Coolidge departed for his suite in
the Willard and Chief Justice Taft
while about the stone structure |
within which a soldier guard was
taking it's place to watch beside the
dead while tens of thousands Of his !
people walked by. with solemn step
and bowed heads.
Former President Wilson, whose il
ness prevented his attendance at the
funeral ceremony in the rotunda,
had left the cortege at the capitol
plaza and had reached his home on
South street again while the serY-
ice was in progress.
Even after the funeral was over,
however and all Of its central fig
ures had dropped, the last of the
long procession still was passing
through the plaza. The end did not
come until 1920 p. m.
Funeral Train Arrives
President Harding's funeral train,
fret GIFTED with the sorrow of the ma.
ton, reached washington at 1922
o'clock last night.
Although the train was 8 hours
late, thousands damned the station
concourSe, waiting 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 it's flag
draped casket rolled in first, to stop
where the little group, headed by
President Coolidge, waited.
! Mrs. Harding stepped off the car
| leaning on Secretary Christians arm,
and with Dr. Sawyer on her other
side. The band in the concourse be-
gan playing Nearer My God to
| Thee"
Mrs. Harding walked erect but
slowly along the station platform.
| While her hand was on Secretary
Christians arm she apparently need
ed no support.
AS the solemn strains of the COM
forting old hymn filled the station,
the casket was tenderly lifted down
i through the special door cut in the
side of the car 1t was placed on
rolling platform.
A single wreath that had been
waiting at the station was laid on
the great flag spread over the casket.
The military guard resumed it's
place about the casket. The uni
formed men raised their burden and
i cir y1xr toxu nd he
BILE rank of non-commissioned Off
GERS who formed corridor to the
presidents room.
Meantime, Mrs. Harding had enter
ed an automobile and had been
whisked away through a side street
to the White House. Her appearance
and the reports of those who had
made the trip with her from SaH
Francisco set at rest widespread rG-
mors that she had suffered physical
collapse. 1t was said she had borne
up bravely from the first and had
shown no sign of breaking under the
strain.
Greeted BY Old Friends
Secretaries Hoover, Wallace and
Work and Attorney General Daugh
erty and General Pershing walked
slowly behind the casllet as it was
carried down the living corridor.
Speaker Gillett also walked with
the party that alighted from the fu
neral train. The double rank of sol
diers forming the aisle came to
present arms" as the casket was
carried by, their bayonets flashing
in the bright light.
Mrs. Harding reached the While
Hn1Gn i've %
husbands body was beings taken
into the presidents room at the sta.
ton. She walked into the house urL-
aided.
Inside the executive mansion
which she had left six weeks ago
as the first lady in the land, the
widow was greeted only by old
friends and members of the family.
A plan to have Mrs. Coolidge and
the ladies Of the cabinet present to
greet her was cancelled at her own
request.
The little group that was to con
sole her while her dead lay in the
east room consisted of Mrs. George
II. Harding, Jr., wife of the presi
dents brother; DR.. Herbert VotaW,
the presidents brother-in-law, and
Mrs. Votaw; Clifford King, Mrs.
Harding's brother, and Mrs. King:
Governor Crissinger, of the reserve
board, and Mrs. Crissinger, and d.
rector Scobey. of the mint, ana
Mrs. Scobey.
President Coolidge gave his for.
NAL greeting to his dead chief as The
casket reache dthe head of the aisle
of soldiers. He stood hat in hand
as it passed, then Turned to. foIloN
slowly with bent head.
Behind President Coolidge rode
Chief Justice Taft and Secretary
Hughes in a second car, then Secre.
tary Weeks and DENLY riding to-
gether. The newspapermen of Pres
ident Harding's party walked beside
President Coolidge's car and the So
cret service men thanked it on the
other side. A picked guard of honor
from the headquarters company CT
the District of Columbia walked BE-.
side the caisson.
1t was few minutes before IL
o'clock when the sad procession he
gan moving toward the capitol
grounds where it would swing into
Pennsylvania avenue.
Guard Takes Up Vigil
Mrs. Harding did not see the
funeral cortege arrive. She went
at once to her room when she
reached the White House long before
the procession had turned into Penn
sylvania avenue a mile away. Her
hand rested on the arm of her broth
er-in-law, DR.. George Harding, Jr.,
as she stepped again within the old
doorway.
After the last Of the official party
had turned back from the east room,
the guard of honor took up its vigil
for the night, motionless, silent, with
heads bent to watch with sleeping
comrade. Silence and the heavy
scent Of the flowers surrounded War
L..