SUICIDE’S BURIAL SCENE.

Evening Star, Issue 12964, 8 November 1906, Page 8

SUICIDE’S BURIAL SCENE.

At night, in Boaconshela churcnyam, the body of Frederick Child, who committed suicide.under peculiarly unhappy circumstances, was consigned to the gr«ve bv the fitful light oi a single lantern. The sister of the dead man followed the coffin, weeping quietly. Suddenly she raised her head, and with a passionate gesture exclaimed : “ May God have mercy on his soul, more mercy than he has had from men.” Then followed a remarkable dialogue between the officiating curate and a gentleman who witnessed the interment. The latter said, “ Are" you a priest of the Church ? ” “I am,” was the reply. “ Hava you not said one prayer over this man ? ” “Not one.” “Tnen it is a .shame,’ said the gentleman. “By what right do you ask this question ?” inquired too curate. “ By the threefold right of an Eng ishm in, a professing Christian, and a member of the Church of England,” was the answer. “ But, the law of England has been kept to-night,” tho curate remarked. “ Then God help the law of England,” replied his interlocutor. A large crowd had gathered round tho grave, and some misguided persons gave vent to offensive remarks, and amidst tho general indignation a woman narrowly escaped being thrown into tho grave. In an interview, tho curate, the Rev. W. D. Hawken, said that in >1 p gone by such persons wore buried at < oe cross-roads and a stake run through the r bodies. Nothing was done to vi date 'h« feelings of the mourners in this case, except that no prayers were said. The Rev. Canon Newbolt, in an interview with a representative of the ‘ Tribun V said that although it did not appear to be known, there an alternative service to be read over the bodies of people who had destroyed themselves. “ The bish -ps issued it to the various dioceses, and if the relatives were com-mon-sense people it could not bo offonive to them.” Canon N wbolt did not think there was any likelihood of the present liw of the English Church towards cases of suicide being altered.