Evening star., 1955-10-29
Thousands Of Friends File
By Bier Of Clark Griffith

u 4
The body OF Clark Grifith
lay In state today as thousands
Of friends from all walks Of life
mourned.
They camethe prominent
men in sports. the family friends
and the plain fans to pay their
respects at the Hines funeral
home, 1901 Fourteenth street
NV. last night.
The body will lie in state there
from 8 am. until 10 pm. today
and tomorrow.
Well dressed, shabbily clothed.
old, young, colored. white, they
filed by the casket. Some said
. prayer. Others stood silent.
5-Foot Gross Of Flowers
A 5-foot-tall cross of white
chrysanthemums stood by one
side of the casket. It was from
the President and Mrs. Eisen-
hover. On the other side was
a spray Of mixed flowers from
Fred Baxter, Senators equip
ment manager.
Other flowers came from the
New York Giants: Spike Briggs,
president of the Detroit Tigers.
and K. Joseph Barstow. a fan
for many years. They were mute
testimony to the affection held
for the .Old Fox" truly a man
who walked with kings and did
not lose the common touch.
Billy Jurges. former Cubs and
Giants shortstop. was there. End
Coach Joe Tereshinski, Equip
ment Manager Kelly Miller and
players Don Boil. Ralph FELTON,,
Harry Ulinski and Leo Welker OF
the Redskins came by. Joe Cam
bria, longtime Senator scout.
few in from Havana. Walter
Masterson. former Washington
pitcher. and Chuck Stobbs, left
handed hurler on the present
squad, were there.
Most Of the members Of Mr..
Grifith's large family were at
the funeral parlor. and officials
of the baseball team. And there,
too. was Hestle Brooks. the
Negro who for more than 80
years has worked in the conces-
sion stands at Griffith Stadium.
Several high school students
came by. A gnarled old man
leaning on his cane hobbled in.
A man brought his 10-year-old
son to see one Of baseballs all
time greats.
Fan Gives Poem
A fan, Ferguson Fague Of 6316
Seventh street NV. gave Calvin
Grifith, Mr.. Grifhth's nephew
and adopted son. poem for his
aunt.
.Gone toArest with God Above:
Baseball'S honored son;
.The Nation Loved, the Nation
rnournS:
His viii on earth be DONE.
From the President came q
message dispatched from Fitz-
sirnons Army Hospital: Mrs
Eisenhower and her mother. Mrs
Doud, join me in deepest SYM
pathy. Clark was a good friend
of ours and we shall personally
miss him greatly"
Former President Truman
wired: "you have the sincerest
sympathies of Mrs. Truman and
me. We were very fond of Mr.,
Grifiith."
Another telegram read: "Mr,
Connie Mack's family wish To
express in his behalf his sin
cerest and deepest sympathies
at the loss of q very, very dear
friend" The ailing Mr.. Mack
has not been told Of Mr.. Crit
fitia's death.
Wire From Ty Cobb
Ty Cobb. whom Griff regarded
as the greatest baseball player Of
them all. teiegraphed:: Please
accept and convey to all my very
sincerest sympathies in your
deep bereavement Of the loss Of
very great person. a man that
I so admired as everyone else
did. Please now bear up and
remember the finest of this man
and let that support you"
Al Shacht, the Clown Of
Baseball wired tto Mrs. Grit.
fith): please accept my deepest
sympathy in your hour OF Sor-
row. / know / lost one of the
greatest friends ever had. Keer
your chin up. That's how Crit
would want it"
From Ellis Clary, Washington
coach, came: MY sincerest SYM
pathy to you. ! share your great
sorrow. To have known Mr.
Grifith was a great privilege in
my life. His passing is base
balls greatest possible loss.
The District Commissioned.
formally extended to his family
''our heartfelt sympathies.. His
passing, they said, is q tire
mendous lost to the District oi
Columbia and the country q,
large"
To Represent Leagues
The list of those who viii
represent the major leagues al
the funeral Monday reads like
a Who's Who" of baseball.
They will be: American League
Tom Yawkey. Boston: Bill De
Witt, New York; Hank Green
berg, Cleveland; Spike Briggs
Muddy Ruel and Bucky Harris
Detroit: Arnold johnson ano
Lou Boudreau. Kansas City;
Chuck Comiskey, Chicago; CIar-
ence Miles, Baltimore. Nationa
League--Walter O'Malley, Brook.
lyn: Horace Stoneham, New
York: Frank Lane. st. Louis
Wild Matthews, Chicago; Cab
Paul, Cincinnati; John Quinn
Milwaukee; Bob Carpenter
Philadelphia and Branch hickey