Draft:Funeral of Carter Harrison III

Illustration of a crowd along Clark Street outside of Chicago City Hall waiting to pay respects to Harrison as he lay in state

Illustration of Harrison's funeral procession departing the city hall

The funeral of Carter Harrison III took place on October 31 and November 1, 1893 in Chicago. Harrison, the mayor of Chicago, had been assassinated on October 28. Following a private ceremony at Harrison's residence on the morning of October 31, his remains were brought to Chicago City Hall, where Harrison laid in state until the following morning. On November 1, Harrison's remains were transported from in a massive and elaborate hours-long two-leg procession. During the first leg, his remains were transported to the Church of the Epiphany where a brief Episcopal service was conducted. During the second leg, his remains were transported from the church to Graceland Cemetery, where they were interred. More than 100,000 mourners were estimated to have waited to view his open casket when it was laid in state at City Hall. The funeral procession was estimated to have featured 60,000 participants, and to have been attended by crowds of between 500,000 and 1 million. It ranks as one of the largest attendances in history for a funeral.

Harison's assassination caused a dramatic scaling-back of the planned closing festivities for the World's Columbian Exposition, as the city entered a period of public mourning. In the days before the funeral, memorial services were held, and his body was displayed for mourners at his private residence.

Assassination

Main article: Assassination of Carter Harrison III

Illustration of Prendergast assassinating Harrison

Cancelation of grand closing festivities for the World's Columbian Exposition

World's Columbian Exposition being declared closed in low-key ceremony held outside of the Administration Building

Minute guns are fired from the USS Michigan to commemorate the closure of the exposition

Front page of the October 31, 1893 edition of the Chicago Inter Ocean, with public mourning of Harrison as the main story and the vastly-downscaled exposition-closing ceremonies relegated to lesser coverage

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Private service at residence

Illustration of Harrison's coffin

Harrison's body initially laid on display for mourners in his residence's downstairs window. On the morning of October 31, a private funeral service was conducted at his residence. The service was presided over by Rev Dr. T. N. Morrison Jr. After the private funeral, the body left the Harrison for public observations to begin.

Laying in state at Chicago City Hall

Harrison's remains leave his residence, in a procession to Chicago City Hall

Illustration of Harrison lying in state at Chicago City Hall

Illustration crowds outside City Hall waiting to pay respects as Harrison lay in state (inset upper right illustration of people viewing the coffin)

Illustration of a crowd outside of Chicago City Hall ahead of the display of Harrison's remains there

Crowd queues outside of the Clark Street entrance to City Hall

Mourners leave flowers near Harrison's coffin at Chicago City Hall

The City Council organized a "Pageant of Grief", which began with the display of Harrison's remains at Chicago City Hall. In the morning of October 31, Harrison's body was transported from his residence at the city hall, where it laid in state for 24 hours of public viewing (from 10am local time on October 31 until 10am November 1). Accompanying the coffin in its trip to City Hall was a honor guard of city officials, including City Controller Oscar D. Wetherell, Commissioner of Public Works Hiram J. Jones, Corporation Counsel Adolph Kraus, Building Commissioner ___ Toolen, Fire Department Chief Dennis J. Swenie, and Police Chief Michael Brennan, Health Commissioner _____ Reynolds, as well as Aldermen John McGillen, E. Marrenner, Eli Smith, Joseph Ernst, Robert L. Martin, A.O. Sexton, and William R. Kerr.

Upon arrival at the city hall, ___________

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Pallbearers during the transport of Harrison's remains City Hall included former Illinois governor Richard J. Oglesby, Judge Lyman Trumbull, Major General Nelson Miles, along with eight fire captains and seven police captains. Before a crowd of approximately 300 gathered outside the house, the remains were carried from the home and placed in a hearse. A parade of carriages, military guards, and police guards accompanied the hearse en route to Chicago City Hall. Many city officials took part in this procession.

Crowd enters through the LaSalle Street entrance to City Hall

Crowd queuing inside of the City Hall to view the mayor's remains

At the city hall remains were displayed in a heavy red cedar "state coffin", which featured a glass viewing window. A space was created for Harrison to be displayed at Chicago City Hall by partitioning off a section of a ground floor hallway. Harrison's coffin was placed in a black catafalque surrounded by flowers and black draping. The coffin was placed at the center of the catafalque, which was a raised carpeted platform that was walled-in on its sides. A temporary black arched roof was erected over the space. The space was filled by the sound of music, with intervals of the hymn "Lead, Kindly Light" being sung by quartets that stood in an adjacent space that was obscured from mourners' view by curtains .

During the time that Harrison lay in state, entrances to City Hall and most of the offices within the building were adorned by black drapes. Most work spaces within the building were closed for business except for offices whose uninterrupted operation was deemed absolutely necessary.

Vast numbers lined up outside the City Hall for hours to see Harrison's open casket. Over 100,000 waited to view Harrison's remains.

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Funeral procession and services

The following day, Harrison's remains were given what Donald L. Miller later described as, "the most impressive funeral in the young city's history." Harrison's funeral was described as being, "of such proportions [never] before seen" for any previous funeral in Chicago's history. Schools were closed on the day of the funeral, and most places of business also voluntarily closed (including banks and the Chicago Board of Trade). Flags at major buildings in the city were flown at half-staff.

Harrison was given a massive and grand funeral procession, carrying his remains first to the Church of the Epiphany where a funeral service was held, and next to Graceland Cemetery where they were interred. It took two hours for the entire procession to pass by any one location. The great duration of the procession came even as an effort was made to keep its formation as compact as possible (with military marching eight abreast, carriages being driven tightly three abreast, and society members being arranged to walk tightly together. The route that the procession took was intentionally meandering to accommodate viewing by vast crowds. The procession was met by thousands of spectating mourners dressed in black. Some estimates were that more than 500,000 spectators met the procession. Other estimates were that 1 million onlookers viewed the procession, while 60,000 participants marched in the procession. Many mourners wore buttons reading "Our Carter". The procession elicited strong emotional reactions from many Chicagoans in attendance. It was the described to be the "largest and most impressive" funeral in the city's history, with perhaps the largest procession to have ever passed through the city's streets. https://www.newspapers.com/image/11207314

_______ by some newspaper accounts, the funeral was the largest in United States history. ____ https://www.newspapers.com/image/64079611

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1,500 policemen were distributed throughout the proccession route to handle crowd control. Despite these efforts, the immense size of the crowds led to some crowd crushes causing a number of women to faint, and a number of people to incur serious injury (with one being taken to the Cook County Hospital.

Procession to church

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Illustration of the funeral procession leaving Chicago City Hall en route to the church

Illustration of the procession traveling down Michigan Avenue, with the (then-new) Art Institute of Chicago Building at the left and the Auditorium Building visible in the far back

The procession was led by a 150 member band. Several other bands were placed further back in the procession. Behind the black-draped hearse carriage that carried the catafalque with Harrison's remains was his personal thoroughbred horse, with her stirrups crossed over her empty saddle. One of Harrison's sons would later remark that nobody would ever again ride the horse after Harrison's death. Following behind the hearse were sixteen active pallbearers (eight police captains and eight fire captains).

The grand procession that followed behind the hearse included 600 carriages carrying family members, honorary pallbearers, distinguished current and former government officials, and members of various civic organizations. Among those in these carriages were prominent Chicagoans such Marshall Field, Daniel Burnham, and George Pullman. Further mourners marched behind the carriages, Among them were 1,500 uniformed men marched in the procession representing many social groups, military units, militias, municipal government agencies, trade unions, social fraternities, and other organizations. Among those following the hearse (either in carriage or on foot) were Governor Altgeld, city council members, current and former city officials, members of the Chicago Board of Education, members of the literary boards, Cook County officials, judges, representatives of the Chicago Bar Association, trustees of the Chicago Sanitary District, park commissioners,, Illinois state officials, members of the World's Columbian Exposition board of commissioners, federal government officials, representatives of typographical unions, representatives from various civic societies, representatives from the Chicago Press Club and Chicago Newspaper Club; members of the Democratic and Republican party central committees; 2,000 city employees; representatives of various political clubs (affiliates of both the Democratic and Republican parties); representatives of German societies; representatives of singing societies; 2,000 representatives of Bohemian societies; 800 members of Catholic uniformed societies and other catholic organizations; Clan na Gael guard; members of the Ancient Order of Hibernians; representatives of Irish literary clubs; representatives of French Canadian society organizations; representatives of Norwegian society organizations; members of Italian society organizations; and general citizens.

A summary of the general order in which the procession was arranged was:

• Platoon of police
• band
• chief marshal and staff
• Military troops, commanded by General Nelson A. Miles
  • First bridgade, commanded by I. N. G. Brigadeer General Wheeler
  • Chicago zouaves
  • Royal Scots
  • Ninth battalion
• Chicago Police Department officers
• Chicago Fire Department officers
• Chicago hussars
• honorary pallbearers (in carriages)
• catafalque (carrying Harrison's remains) and active pallbearers
• relatives of Harrison (in carriages)
• members of the City Council
• former members of the City council
  • current and former members of the Chicago Board of Education, Library Board, and other city officials
• members of the Cook County government and other Cook County officials
• current and former members of the judiciary
• members of the Chicago Bar Association
• members of the drainage board
• federal government officials
• state officials
• committees (in carriages)
• Masonic organization, commanded by Colonel W. Barnard
• Cook County Democratic Party, led by Captain Farrell
• letter carriers
• city employees
• political organizations
• German societies, led by A. Ortelsefer
• Polish Societies, led by Peter Kielbassa
• Bohemian societies, led by J. G. Panoch
• Irish societies, led by T. E. Ryan
• Scandinavian societies, led by Odd Fellows
• Italian societies
• general citizens (on-

In the morning, viewing ended and Harrison's casket was taken outside of the City Hall and placed into an elaborate hearse. The initial procession to the Church of the Epiphany then began, taking several hours along an intentionally-circuitous route before reaching the church. The church was located near the late Harrison's personal residence.

Church service

Illustration of Harrison's funeral arriving at the Church of the Epiphany

Illustration of Harrison's coffin being carried up the center aisle of the Church of the Epiphany during his funeral

Church of the Epiphany (site of the service), photographed in 2010

After arriving at the Church of the Epiphany, the casket was brought into the church for a brief Episcopal service conducted at noon local time by Rev. Dr. T. N. Morrison Jr.

During the service, Annie Howard (who had been engaged to marry Harrison) broke into what was described as a "hysterical" crying fit being described as having "completely broke down". She was ushered out of the service and taken back to the Harrison residence where she was tended to by a physician. Reports described her as remaining "in a state of complete collapse" for the remainder of the day, but having recovered to a "better" state the following day. Additionally, Preston Harrison –son of the late mayor– fainted during the service and required medical attention.

Procession to cemetery and interment

Harrison's tomb at Graceland Cemetery, photographed in 2014

After the service, the funeral procession resumed, traveling from the church to Graceland Cemetery. It took several hours for it to reach Graceland Cemetery.

The second leg of the procession was led by a platoon of police officers. The platoon was respectively followed in the procession by: the Iowa state band, police officer Austin J. Doyle (the "marshal of the day") and mounted aides; General Nelson A. Miles and his personal staff; department staff of army officers who were connected with the World's Fair; Colonel R. E. A. Crofton of Fort Sheridan and his staff; the 15th Infantry Regiment of the United States Army (stationed at Fort Sheridan); a U.S. Army light artillery battery; the First Brigade of the Illinois National Guard; Chicago Police Chief Michael Brennan and four companies of police; a battalion featuring four companies of the Chicago Fire Department; the Chicago Hussars; an aldermanic "guard of honor" featuring seven city council members; the honorary pallbearers; the funeral car and the active pallbearers (eight captains of the police and fire departments); followed by mourners in carriages.

A short service was held at the cemetery before the coffin was interred in a cemetery vault. Nine days later, the body was quietly moved into the Harrison family plot for its final burial.

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Other funeral commemorations

On November 1, the bell of the Scottish Rite of Masons Cathedral in Cincinnati, Ohio was rung in recognition of Harrison's funeral. This made Harrison only the third man for whom the cathedral's bell had rung funeral tolls. The previous two men for whom the church had rung funeral tolls had been Union Army generals: President Ulysses S. Grant and Senator John A. Logan.

See also

• Trial of Patrick Eugene Prendergast
• Insanity proceeding for Patrick Eugene Prendergast

References

Harrison, Carter, III