THE ESSEN VICTIMS.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLIV, Issue 679, 12 April 1923, Page 5

THE ESSEN VICTIMS.

SCENES AT THE FUNERAL.

REMARKABLE DEMONSTRATION

WHOLE TOWN IN MOURNING

PROCESSION POUR MILES LONG

By . Electric Telegraph—Copyright, Received April 12, 9.20 a.m.

ESSEN, April 11

The funeral of the sv\en workmen and live apprentices was the occasion ot an astonishing national demonstration. The funeral*bells began to toll throughout Germany at nine m the morning. Tho floral tribute, including those from the German and Prussian Governments, and one from the Communists of b'rance, numbered many hundreds.

In lissen itself the streets were thronged from daybreak by people dressed in deep mourning, many carrying (lowers and making lor the Attendorferstrasse, which cuts through Krupps' works and the scene ol the tragedy. Here 60.000 Krupp workers assembled' and 250.000 others lined the streets to watch the passage of the coffins, which had been guarded at night by 10 miners in th e uniform of ihe Miners' Guild, each carrying a miner's lamp lighted. 'I he rest ot Krupps employees, inarching in two columns four deep on either side ol ihe road, preceded the coffins to (he cemetery, lon miles From the town. When the van reached the cemetery gales the end ot ihe procession was stiil at Krupps work--. After Ihe coffins had come into the street ihe silence was unbroken except bv the singing of Krupps choir. The musicians we're lollowed by the coffins, four on each ol three hearses, decked with evergreens. The relatives of the dead and representatives of the masters and delegates of the trade unions followed, The latter, carrying gold, silver and multi-coloured banner-. numbered at leant 300. When they reached the cemetery the bai.nermeh formed a great circle around the pulpit, from which the graveside orations were spoken. Many other mourners carried Hags, and as the collins passed the Hag-bearers each dipped his Hag. At the graveside, ihe speaker for the Workers' Council declared thai Krupps Workers were determined not To work under foreign bayonets. After other orations, ihe 12 coffins were'lowered into ihe graves. During the rest of the day every shop in' Essen was shut and the blinds of all the houses drawn. Throughout the funeral ceremonies not a single French or Belgian soldier was to lie seen, the military authorities having confined all io barracks.— A. and N.Z. table.