Perth Amboy evening news., 1923-08-08

but as they entered the sweeping
expanse of the plaza, the bands fell
silent. Amid a hush like the quiet
of the tomb, the infantry of the es-
cort formed It's line across the en-
tire front, the marines took up their
station to the north of the steps of
the rotunda, and the bluejackets de-
filed into a line opposite them to the
south. Only the sharp commands
cut into the oppressive silence
o AS the troops came into position
General Pershing remained on horse
back in the front of the center of the
rotunda, awaiting the coming of the
dead to this new scene of fearful
splendid glory. Senator Henry Cabot
Lodge, designated as marshall of the
! parade by virtue of his many years
of public service under many presi-
; dents, alighted from his car beside
1.-THE rotunda steps and likewise stood
waiting, waiting, solemnly and with
! bowed head, for the coming of the
friend whose desk had been near his
in the senate chamber in the years
when Warren Harding was happy in
the lesser responsibilities of public
life and before the nation called him
to the burdensome duties that crush
ed out his life.
President Coolidge, Chief Justice
Taft and former Vice President Mar
shall, who also had been allotted a
place in the procession, reached the
rotunda just behind the casket. Mrs.
Harding's car had driven to an en-
trance below the big steps so that
she could be taken to the floor above
by elevator.
Then began a new scene In the
great drama of grief. As the body
was placed on the catafalque first
built for Lincoln, even a deeper hush
seemed to fall upon those within the
sacred precincts. At exactly 11:40
A. M. DR.. Anderson began the invo-
cation, and with his Amen" a quar-
tette of the Calvary Baptist church,
Mr.. Harding's place of worship, took
up softly the p~laintive, ~beseeching
strains of LEAD Kindly Light" the
favorite hymn Of Mckinley.
Over the broken body of the lead
err were intoned the solemn words
of assurance of David in the Twenty
third Psalm, a selection from Reve-
l~ations, and the verse from Micah to
which Mr.. Harding had pressed his
lips when he kissed the Bible of
George Washington on inauguration
day two years ago.
1t was a wait Of only a few min
utes. The troops in front of the
capitol presented arms as the cais-
son reached the east front of the
rotunda, and Pershing Joined in the
salute. The long line of automo-
biles came to a stop, and a nom
commissioned officer stepped up and
loosened the wide black straps that
hod hat,7d Tha ooc1raf 70 SIC frtnapo1
car. Then 1t was lifted down, and
with the band playing Lead Kind
ly Light the President was carried,
tenderly and with the loving bene-
diction of a nation upon him, UP the
steps and RI the spot where two
and a half years 6 he stood to
take his oath of duty.
Then the plaza was filled with
cheering humanity. Today it was
once more a picture of reverence
and high respect, but stilled this
time by the hush of tragedy.
Senator Lodge walked up the
steps beside the casket and the
empty caisson moved away. The
dignitaries and the ministers follow
ed along, step by step, for the pro-
gress up the steps was very very
slow, Fourteen soldiers, sailors and
marines helped lift the load of sor-
row up the steep and long ascent to
the chamber where Lincoln and Nc
Kinley rested in grandeur and where
now Harding was to receive the last
pouring out of a great peoples love
and gratitude.
A simple prayer by DR.. Montgom-
cry, the singing of Nearer, My God
to Thee by the quartet, and a ben
ediction by DR.. Anderson, pro-
nounced precisely at noon, and the
national government had concluded
its last rites for it's President.
From that moment he vas to be-
long to the people and to history.
In his majesty on the hallowed bier
under the great dome he was to lie
in state for his fellow men to pass
by and do him reverence in their
own way until the shadows of even
ing should lengthen to announce the
hour when he would take up once
more his long tran to final rest in
his home town of Marion.