Evening star., 1924-03-25
SObS AND SMILES
At GYPSY BURIAL
Girls Joke With Laborers
While Subjects" Exhibit
Dead Queen.

queen EIednOfds the SypSy enl-
press. whose funeral was twice in
terrupted because her grave had not
been prepared strictly according to
tribal custom was buried with an
cient rites in Mount Olivet cemetery
at noon today.
Never has more strange
internent taken place in Mount Olivet
Cemetery. Tragedy smiled at comedy
and about 500 spectators gathered
around the sepulcher as though they
had come to witness theatrical
revue.
Vantage Points Occupied
Points. OF vantage were occupied
an hour before the time set for the
interment Young girls dressed in
their finest spring styles sat upon
canvas bags and joked with the
work. Children made mud pies in
the roadway few feet from the
yawning tomb, and matronly women
gossiped incessaatly about the un-
certainties of life.
Whatever may have been the feel
ing of the crowd, however the
gypsies were oyerjoyed at their pres
enee and insisted upon bringing the
silver casket in which the queen lay
from the public vault and opening it
that all might look upon the face of
their sleeping empress. The Superin
tendent of the cemetery protested
that such a thing had never before
been done in the history of Mount
oliyet.
Gypxies Were Obdurate.
The gypsies were obdurate, however,
and argued loudly in the vault with
the superintendent, gesticulating
wildly toward the crowd.
Finally, after more than an hour of
wrangling, the official surrendered, the
crowd was kept in line by half a dozen
policemen and the casket was brought
from the tomb. There. beneath the
br light spring sun. Queen Eleanora
once more lay in state, while the crowd
filed slowly past.
King Johns stood at the head of the
ca asket, while the princes and princesses
or the tribe lined up behind it. all bow
ing selennly to- the spectators as they
sleeping queen, her breast still laden
with the gifts of gold and precious
stones that were later buried with her.
The gypsies even insisted upon waiting
until three women who were seen run
ming through the gate had climbed the
bill to the vault,
Gypsy Custom Prevails.
Finally the lid was closed forever
and the march to the grave began.
Solid cement had replaced the brick
tomb and loose cement was even
poured around the cracks of the box
that received the casket At the
grave gypsy custom again crossed
modern custom--and the gypsies won.
The grave had been prepared for
the queen to be placed in such q
manner that she would face the set
King johns insisted that she face the
east-the source of Highland the
road along which her faithful sub
!eets" will travel on their annual
Journeys toward the southland every
fall "She will want to watch us as
we pass" the king explained. and
again the superintendent surrendered. a.
Moaned solemn Requiem.
The moment of interment finally ar
rived. Mournfully the tribal prin-
cesses moaned q requiem farewell
the professional mourners took up
their heart-rending wall A bottle
OF q. sseramental Wine was poured into
the waiting grave and the king took
his place at it's head, holding 4 pan
ful OF incense he had prepared with
his own hands: Slowly the easket
was lowered, the gypsy princes In
hands.
The ceremony was brief. Two
days before the whole tribe had bade
Queen Eleanora farewell and all that
slabs were rolled in place over the
body in the ground. Heavy. slate
slabe Were rolled in place over the
grave and these filled around with
concrete.
A last mourpful gypsy song echoe d
IN waiilng tones over the hills of
Mount olivet. the king tossed his
handful of incense upon the slabs and
the grave diggeFs began the last
part OF their work. In a few minutes
the grave had been filled.
Will Erect Monument.
A handsome monument is to be
raised over the grave as soon as the
stonecutter can finish it. And every
time the gypsy tribe of King Johns
passes along the Bladensbarg road in
its nomadic wandering the caravan will
not fail to halt and do homage befere
the grave of It's most beloved queen---
the best loved monarch the tribe had
ever known