The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1924-03-25
QUEEN IS
To BE BURIED
TODAY
Ceremony Deferred Yester-
day Because of Mud to
Be Completed.

The body OF the gypsy Queen
Eleanor whose burial was halted
yesterday when her tribesmen
looked with disfavor upon the
water.soaked grave that had been
prepared in Mt. Olivet Cemetary
was to be inferred in a specially
constructed vault today.
| The gypsy ceremony that was
postponed from yesterday will DO
carried out today.
From the hour that the caravan
dispersed. When Z: was found that
their queen could not be buried In
accordance with their plans the
! gypsy subjects have passed their
time at feasts Of mourning.
Hold Night Rites.
| Encamped on the outskirts Of the
District. the gypsies held solemn
rites and ceremonies through the
| night.
Today they will repair again to
Mt. Olivet and complete the funeral
rites that were denied them yester-
| day.
Workmen at the cemetary labored
| continuously yesterday afternoon to
/
make Of the resting place for the
gypsy queen a vault which would
| satisfy the customs OF gypsy
royalty.
1t was a tense scene yesterday
when, before a gathering OF more
than 1000 spectators who had come
to witness the strange ceremony,
the gypsies refused to go on with
| the burial.
The spectators had gathered at
Mt. Olivet several hours before the
| funeral train was to arrive.
There was q hush az the caravan
appeared at the bend Of the Bladens-
burg road and then a mad and noisy
rush to the grave as the automo.
biIes filed into the cemetery gates.
King John, husband Of the dead
queen, was the first Of the gypsies
TO look into the grave. He was
unshaven and unwashed in accord
ance with the Romany custom at
the time of death. His eyes flashed
as he called the members OF the
escort to a council.
The decision to postpone the
burial was quickly made and the
! silver casket, which had been I'M
covered. was placed hack in the
hearse and taken to the vault.
Died In Baltimore.
Queen Eleanor died in Baltimore
Friday. 1t was her dying wish that
she be buried as near the Capitol
as possible.
The ceremony that will accompany
the interment today Is one which
has never been changed in thou
sands of years-since the day when
the Romany tribes moved from the
foot Of the Himalayas out to other
lands. trSttng always under the sun
/ and the STAR
Casket Of'~0SsZels.
Queen Eleanor lies in 3~UeT -
jewels in a casket OF precious metal.
Its value is estimated at $40, 900.
All the silks and satins that were
hers in this life will accompany her
on deaths journey of 5000 years 20
another life. Rare wines and costly
foods will lie in her grave to CON-
fort her when she awakes.
More than 5000 persons filed
past the body of the dead queen as
she lay in splendid gypsy state in
a squalid little home in Baltimore.
A week ago the word was passed
to all the members of the tribe. in
Frisco, in Mexico. Canada and
Florida, that their queen was dying.
Nearly all of them have arrived to
pay their last tribute to the de-
parted ruler.
500 Accompany Body.
They accompanied her body to
Washington - travelling along the
roads-and will bury her with all the
ritual and pomp that have been &C.
corded her royal ancestors since the
time Of the Pharaohs.
Since Queen Eleanor died none Of
her tribesmen have washed or
changed their clothing. Their hats
were removed when life passed
from the body Of their ruler and
they will not be replaced until IL
is laid away at rest. The men have
not shaved. The men and women
have only mourned.
The queen died as her husband
and king sought her health.
For two years the royal family
had crossed and recrossed the
United States at q cost Of $50, 900
in search of a cure for the queen.
The country's most eminent ply
Sicians had done what they could
~AAS S~NSA AAeAA PsAccCO klCT dlOuK 10
someone else.
When she died. Queen Eleanor
was being taken to Philadelphia,
where cure was supposed to await
her. But death met her on a road
outside Baltimore and she was
taken to a little home on South
Paca street to sleep. for the frs,
night in her life, indoors. Her hus
band, likewise, who had never
known any other canopy for his
sleep than the sky or the roof of q
tent or van since he slept aboard
the ship that brought him here from
Brazil twenty years ago, remained
by her side. Death came that night.
Pilgrimages 10 Be Made.
The little home will never again
be visited by a gypsy. It is
Romany custom.
But the grave where the royal
woman will be buried today will he.
come shrine, to which pligrimageH
Of the tribe will he made at end OF
nine days, three months, six months.
and a year.
Then will final honor be done.