Democratic Sentinel, Volume 14, Number 14, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 25 April 1890 — RANDALL’S OBSEQUIES. [ARTICLE]

RANDALL’S OBSEQUIES.

IMPRESSIVE CEREMONIES OVER THE DEAD STATESMAN. * On* of the Most Distinguished Assemblages Ever Gathered at Washington Listens to a Touching Sermon by Rev. Dr. Chester—The Interment at Laurel Hill, Philadelphia. Washington dispatch: The funeral of the late Samuel J. Randal! took place Thursday (17th Inst.) at the Metropolitan Presbyterian church, l)r. Chester, pastor. officiating. Previous to'the funeral the body lay in state in the church, and hundreds visited the place to look for the last time on the face of the dead statesman. There was an immense attendance at tlio funeral, the assemblage being perhaps one of the most distinguished ever gathered here. The President, members of the Cabinet, Senators, Congressmen, and men eminent in every rang of life were present. The ceremonies were simple but extremely impressive. The honorary pall-bearers were George W. Childs, A. J. Drexci, Alex K. MeClure, John Wanamaker, William McMullen, Charles A. Dana, ox-Gov. Andrew G. Curtin, Senator Gorman, exCongressman William 11. Sowden, Congressman Blount, Senator Barbour and Dallas Sanders. The House, after reading the journal, adjourned in respect to the momory of Mr. Randall. Just before noon the remains were taken to the Pennsylvania railroad depot to bo conveyed to Philadelphia for interment. In his sermon the Rev. Dr. Chester said: “In this solemn hour, in this house of God, now gather the representatives of a great nation around the earthly remains of one of its most honored citizens. Here men of different political faiths, of various religious creeds, unite in a tribute of respect to one whom the nation delighted to honor. “But It is not to his public career that our thoughts are turned in this solemn hour. For it was a wish expressed by Mr. Randall that his funeral services should be devoid of all earthly pomp; that they should be held in the sanctuary, whore tho heart instinctively bends in reverential adoration before its God; that tho chief rocognition of himself should bo his testimony to the grace of Jesus Christ as the Blessed Savior. Tho expression of such a desire affords one of tho eulogios on his character. It reveals the honest simplicity of his nature. It fitly crowns a life of service to man by a death of testimony to tho grace of God. “To the great men gathered horn today comes that voice whoso utterances carried such weight in our legislative halls, tho magic of whoso influence was felt by a whole nation, and it speaks not of itself, but of the grace and comfort which comes to a soul through tho crucified One of Calvary. ‘He though dead, yet speaketh,’ reminds us of the faithful saying, and worthy of ail acceptation by the greatest ruler and the humblest subject, by tho most cultured intellect and the humblest mind, a saying worthy of all acceptation, that ‘Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.’ It was tho appreciation of this simple yet grand proposition which gave Mr. Randall such comfort when he faced the most trying of ordeals —the passage of a soul to the presence of its God.” A train from Washington bearing tho remains arrived at Philadelphia at 2:30 o’clock, stopping at Ridge avenue station, near Laurel Hill cemetery. The Samuel J. Randall association, Meade Post, G. A. R., and the James Page Literary association wore in waiting and tho body was escorted to the Randall vault, which already contains the bodies of tho father, mother, and brother of the dead Congressman. Simple funeral services at the vault were conducted by the Rev. Dr. Henry C. McCook and tho Rev. Dr. Chester, pastor of Mr. Randall’s church in Washington, and they were assisted by other clergymen. A quartet of members of the Meade post sang “Nearer, My God to Thee” as part of the exercises. A special train from tho city brought thousands to the cemetery who watched with silent respect and many tokens of sorrow the final scene at the dead Congressman’s resting place.