The Mikado.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 102, 16 September 1912, Page 5

The Mikado.

FUNERAL CEREMONIES. B3- Cable—Prc-.~ .Validation—Copyright. Loudon, September 13. The flags of l!riti;h warships were flown half-mast high, on the occasion of tin- late .Mikado's funeral. Tokiu. September 13. The funeral ceremonies have opened in the presence of eqormons crowd:?. The Emperor has decreed an amnesty •nd granted a million yen to charities, assigning two hundred thousand to Korea. 'A DOUBLE SUICIDE. Tokio, September 13. General Nogi and his wife committed •uicide concurrent with the Emperor's burial. . A MAGNIFICENT PAGEANT. PICTURESQUE CEREMONIES. A NATION TX MOURNING. XOGI'S SUICIDE. MAGNIFICENT ACT OF DEVOTION. Received 15, 5.5 p.m. Tokio, September 15. A car drawn by five oxen carried the Mikado's coffin from the palace to the Aoyanui parade grounds. In the evening hundreds of retainers bearing ancient symbols paraded. The •treets were ablaze with funeral torches «nd lanterns. There was a dense and silent crowd, including 500 British olucjackets. The Empress, with dishevelled hair, aaluted the car. The service culminated at midnight with the Emperor's lamentation, the Empress and members of the Imperial family paying homage to the dead. A gun announced the supreme moment to the nation. All work was suspended for three minutes. Later the coffin was entrained, for Kyoto. Nogi occupied a modest home at Aka•aki. He cut his throat with a short sword, and his wife similarly stabbed herself in the stomach the moment the gun announced the departure of the funeral procession from the palace. Both were dressed in full Japanese costume and drank a farewell draught of saki from cups presented by the late Emperor, whose draped portrait hung on the wall. A letter addressed to the Emperor was found beside the bodies. A student resident with Nogi found both breathing their last. Everywhere the deepest sensation and profoundest grief was expressed. Foreign sailors participated in the procession, which was a mile in length. The ball at Aoyama accommodated ten thousand soldiers, saibrs and civilians. The hew Emperor was in the uniform of a general. The Duke of Connaught. Prince Henrv of Prussia and other envoys had prominent positions in the hall. The Empress Dowager, the Empress and Court ladies wore hemp clothes. The coffin, consisting of several inner and outer caskets, was ten feet long by five feet, weighing a ton and a half. It was covered with white cloth. The ear wheels emitted seven melancholy sounds as they revolved. When the coffin was placed on the car the Imperial sword was laid at the head. torches were lit, and a military guard of £5,000 men and 10,000 naval men escorted it There were many attendants bearing white and yellow tenners, bows and arrows, shields, halberds, sun and moon banners, musicians playing ancient instruments, and eight hundred torchi bearers. The decoration of the streets cost £25,000. Through the grounds the procession passed between giant mourning trees ; hung with black and white streamers. with torches between and arc lights every sixty feet. The Venetian masts were swathed with black and yellow. Every house displayed mourning lanterns, which were distributed to the poorest free. The pall-bearers included Generals Koroki, Oku and Togo, Baron Saito. and Admiral Iguin. The fact that Baron Katsura rode in the same carriage as the Emperor was much commented on. There was a striking moment in the ceremony hall when the Emperor, kneeling alone, prayed silently and then read an addYess of lamentation. The Empress next advanced and offered a prayer and the princes and princesses paid their respects. Then long patriotic addresses were read and all the notabilities' wives paid homage successively. The members of the Imperial family then retired. The squadron in Tokio Bay saluted the departure of the procession towards Kyoto. The officials, peers and other notables met the train on its arrival at' the Imperial estate at Momontaraa. 1 General Nogi yesterday had himself and his wife photographed. They attended the ceremony at the palaek and viewed the body lying in state. The general wrote letters explaining their action, including one particularly apologising to the Duke of Connaught. His countrymen regard the suicide as a magnificent act of devotion.