Evening star., 1941-07-19
Hundreds Of Friends
Attend Last Rites
For Melvin T.. Hazen
Body of Commissioner
Token to Manassas for
Burial Beside Wife

Washington yesterday paid a
solemn tribute to the venerable,
friendly president of the Board of
Commissioners, Melvin c. HaZen,
who dropped dead Tuesday morning
at his desk where he was seeking
to continue a career OF municipal
service that already had exceeded
50 years.
More than 500 friends, acquain-
tances and co-Workers of Mel
Hazen crowded into the Hamline
Methodist Church, Sixteenth and
Allison streets NV, to join in
funeral services conducted there
by the Rev. H. w. Burgan, and
many went later to Manassas, Va,
where Mr.. Hazen'S body was laid
beside that of his wife.
The funeral cortege included
about so cars, the procession being
headed by police from the District,
the White House and park forces
and motorcycle men from Virginia
counties.
Guard Of Honor.
Washington firemen and police.
whose activities he had supervised
since he first became a Commits
sioner, in November, 1888, were
given places of honor at the church
services here. One uniformed po-
lceman and one uniformed fireman
were posted at either end of the
casket Squads of police and fire.
men, the former wearing the color
full red, white and blue dress uni
forms of the Police Drill Team,
formed a guard of honor outside
the church, and as the services were
begun marched down outside aisles
of the church auditorium to take
seats near the pulpit.
The British Ambassador, Lord
Halifax, sent his personal secretary,
Angus c. E. Malcolm, as representa-
tive of the British Embassy. and
President Roosevelt was personally
represented by Stephen Early, his
press secretary.
The audience included persons of
high and low rank, judges, mu-
nicipal officials, liquor dealers. law
yers, humble clerks, men and women
who had followed the hounds with
him in other days in Virginia or had
been his friend in one social group
or another. Honorary pallbearerS
were Commissioners John Russell
Young and Charles w. Kutz and
Former Commissioners George E.
Allen and David McCoach, ir. Two
other former Commissioners, also
named honorary pallbearers, Brig.
Gen. Dan 1. Sultan and Col. John
c. Gotwals, could not attend.
Eulogized in Sermon.
The Rev. Mr.. Burgan, in the fu-
neral sermon, eulogized Mr.. Hazen
as a man and public servant, prais-
ing him for his friendliness, love OF
children, consideration for all citi-
zens, his lack of oStentation and his
demonstrated, unbroken devotion to
duty.
Participating in the service were
Lyman S. McCrary. organiSt; a
quartet consisting of John Mar
vile, bass; Miss Ethel Stickles, So
prano: Miss Mabel Flehr, contralto,
and John Murphy, tenor. which
sang "One SWeetly Solemn Thought" :"
The Rev. Mr.. Burgan read the
Twenty-third Psalm and from First
Corinthians
District officials, many of whom
had served with or under Mr.. Hazen
for many years at the District Build
ing, were given various capacities in
handling or assisting in the services,
in Washington and at Manassas.
Virginia friends were on hand at
the Virginia city, or along the route
taken by the cortege, to pay their
to Mr.. Hazen, a native of
Virginia. At one place along the
road a Virginian had placed his
large American flag at half mast
and stood beside it with his family
or friends. at attention, as the pro-
cession rolled by.