BULLETS THROUGH COFFIN.

Timaru Herald, Volume XCVIII, Issue 15160, 2 October 1913, Page 9

BULLETS THROUGH COFFIN.

SCENE AT PRESIDENT'S FUNERAL MAKING SURE HE WAS DEAD. It would be difficult to imagine anything more sensational than the part | played by the military at the funeral of the late President Tancrede August© of Hayti. The story is told by Mr Marfield Kemp, a civil engineer in the . employ of the National Railroad of Hayti: "They have various ways of impeaching presidents in Hayti," said Mr Kemp, "and there havo been more presidents in Hayti in a given time than in any other known Republic in the world. ,"The late Tancrede Auguste was impeached by poison delicately adjusted, to his food. As soon as he was dead, most elaborate arrangements were made for his funeral, if, indeed, they had not * been made before his sudden taking off. "As befitting one of his rank, he had a grand funeral in the Cathedral of Port au Prince. It was arranged that--after the church service there should be a great military pageant, and the late president, should be buried wdth full military honours. • The music and the singing were beautiful, the ceremonial most impressivo. The air was heavy with incense, and tho solemn quiet of the big church lent dignity. and awe to the oocasion. The funeral oration was in French, and the late president, received a great'.tribute. .At the conclusion of the oration 'the rites" of ihe'-ChuTchr-wero completed, then the,body.was turned over to tho military for burial. "M j , "Ranged on either-side of the iiandsbrii3 leaden casket were six soldiers. All through the service they stood like statues, their rifle butts resting on the floor. Now from somewhere in the church, where even the slightest commotion disturbed the quiet, there came in a deep voice a sharp military command,, 'Present arms':' There was a slight stir in the church, and then all "was quiet. The soldiers raised their rifles, nob to the present, but to their shoulders, and twelve bullets went tearing into the leaden casket. In a moment everybody stood up. Bub that was not all. In the church were 50 or 60 more soldiers, and as the guard of honour finished peppering the casket their companions raised their guns and turned looso a volley towards the ceiling. They subsequently buried the late president, filled up the grave, fired three. volleys over it, and marched back to town behind a band playing ragtime. The reason given for the strange action of the soldiers was that 'they wanted to make sure Auguste ■ was dead.' "