TWO GRAVES FOR ONE MAN

Hawera Star, Volume L, 14 February 1931, Page 16

TWO GRAVES FOR ONE MAN

JJERE is the true story of an Irish funeral, as telegraphed to the “Sunday Express” by a correspondent at Strabane, on the frontier between Northern Ireland and tho Irish Free State: — William McCay was a wealthy old farmer—and a Protestant. With him lived his nephew, Sam McClintock, also a Protestant. Some years ago Sam became a Roman Catholic. A short, time ago his uncle followed suit. And the other day old William McCay died. _ Young Sam McClintock told all the neighbours that his uncle would be buried in a Catholic grave. Other relatives declared the i.urial would be Protestant in form. And there were equal grounds for believing both, for a j grave was dug for the old man in the. Catholic churchyard, and another in the) Protestant one. ! A coffin was ordered by tho Catholic nephew—and another by the Protestant! relatives. j On the day of the funeral there was; great excitement. The same road led from the dead man’s house to both 1 cemeteries. The road was packed with people.

Two Parsons and Two Coffins

The Protestant clergyman arrived at. the Protestant, churchyard with his prayer-book. Tho Catholic priest arrived at the Catholic churchyard with his surplice. The last journey was, indeed, beset with doubts. Bo ugly was the situation that a large force of police ,drawn from several towns, guarded the dead man’s' house, the funeral route, and both graveyards. Aceompaied by two solicitors, two. brothers of the dead man arrived at his house. In a few moments, they emerged, carrying the coffin—Sam McClintock’*' Catholic coffin. They carried it up the road toward two churchyards, followed by the , police and a great, crowd. i ! They came to the entrance of the 1 Protestant churchyard. They had an-1 other mile and a half to walk to the Catholic churchyard. What would they do? They entered the Protestant churchyard; they heard the Protestant burial service spoken; they lowered the cof-j fin into a Protestant grave. j And everybody went home.