A FORESTER'S FUNERAL.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume VII, Issue 147, 21 June 1872, Page 4

A FORESTER'S FUNERAL.

I On Sunday afternoon the remains of iGeorge Merritt, who was murdered at rßelvidere - road, Lambeth, were interred in . Tooting Cemetery.' The fact that deceased was a member of the Foresters' Society, and that at the time he met his death was proceeding to the Lion Brewery, to do the work of a brother Forester who lay sick, induced the Foresters' Society to give Merritt a public funeral. This was carried out on Sunday. Shortly after one o'clock a large number of Foresters assembled in the Cornwallroad, close to Cornwall-place — a narrow dingy lane — where the ill-fated man lived. Cornwall-road and Stamford-street became shortly afterwards blocked with people, who by their silence. and orderly conduct, appeared to be duly impressed with the solemnity of the occasion. A considera-

ble body of police from Tower-street station were on the spot, with the double purpose of keeping the line of the funeral and taking part in it as well. The stalwart brewery men from the establishment where the deceased worked — the Lion brewery — assembled in great force. Shortly before two o'clock the funeral procession started. The excellent band of the Foresters' Society led the way, playing .he Dead March in Saul, and was followed by some couple of hundred Foresters, most ot whom wore the scarves and other insignia of the Order. Then came the hearse, containing tbe body of the deceased, and immediately after, fojr mourning coaches, in (he first of which was the widow of the deceased, holding in her arms her youngest child. Tbe other children were also in the coach, and the deepest sympathy was evinced by the crowd as the widow and the orphans came out of the miserable Jane and entered the mourning coach. Waggonettes and cabs to a large number followed, and then came the brewery men and the general public, many of whom wore crape bands either round their hats or arms Id this way the procession crossed Stamford-street, and entered Belvidereroad by Coromerrial-road, passed the spot whew George Merritt was shot down, and the Lion Brewery, where he was employed. Proceeding (hen '.y Sution-sireet, Yorkroad, and Westminster-bridge-road, the cortege went along Kenningt.on-road, and here the processiou could b_ estimated at about half-a-mile long. On the Clapbam-road vehicles were in readiness to convey the band and a certain number of Foresters to the Cemetery; aud then the funeral was conducted at a quicker pace to Totting, where ihe Chaplain of the Cemetery read the Burial Service impressively previous to the remains of Merritt being consigned to his untimely grave. It should be statt.l that a body of police marched in front of the procession, and constables occupied equi-distant places at its side to keep its order undisturbed. On Kennington-voad there were literally thousands of people following the funeral, and a large quota of them went oh to Totting.