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MRS. ETTA DURYEA JOHNSON.IChampion Jack’s Beautiful and Talented Wife—A Woman of Culture and Refinement—Suicided While III and Mentally Unbalanced.So very many miserable lies, relative to the principles in the tragedy, have been told by the daily newspapers and the white press generally, that The Gazette takes this opportunity to impress upon its readers the truth of the lines in the head of this article, and what, follows: Sept. 14,the day of Mrs. Johnson’s funeral, in Chicago, thousands congregated in the streets around the Johnson residence, at the church and at the cemetery. The police estimated the crowds at 20,000, and great difficulty was experienced by squads of mounted policeclearing a path for the cortege. Atthe residence a brief prayer was said by Rev. John W. Robinson, of St. Mark’s A. M. E. fliureh. The coffin reposed in a greac bed of lilies of the valley. There were roses everywhere, four automobiles being required to carry the floral tributes alone. As the cortege started from the residence, the police fought with the throng to make a path for the hearse and 50 automobiles conveying relatives and friends. Colored and white. Women fainted and had to be lifted out of the dense crowd. It was a remarkable scene. Many whites were there who were genuinely distressed at the pitiful grief of Jack Johnson, for he has many friends among the prominent residents of Chicago. There were mingled in the crowded throng thousands of white men and women. Strains of “Nearer, My God, to Thee” seldom reach the ear of the fighter of the prize ring, the bell and shouts of the their music. Yet when the song rose from the throats of the choir of girls at St. Mark’s church tears unrestrained coursed down the cheeks of the widower and scores of others, some battle-scarred pugilists. The church was densely packed and the heavy odor of the great masses of flowers caused women to faint. On the grey casket, in the midst of thehardened Clang of crowd isbanks of flowers, there shone one tiny white candle. Rev, Mr. Robinson am nounced that the mixed choir would sing the favorite song of Mrs. Johnson, ‘ Take the Name of Jesus With You,” which she learned to fove when a member of the congregation of St. James Methodist church, of Brooklyn, N. Y. Mrs. Johnson’s mother and sister, Mrs. David Terry and Miss Elain^ Terry, of Brooklyn, N. Y., appeared in the doorway, the former supported by her son-in-law. She was sobbing bitterly and as she descended the stairs the pugilist half supported, halfcarried her. They entered a limou-sin, its gray curtains drawn. At the close of the services the casket was opened, and an opportunity given those assembled to see the features of Mrs. Johnson for the last time. Johnson himself was the first to pass the bier, and as he did so the crowd became hushed, and the movement in the aisles ceased. Johnson bent dow*i and kissed the pallid clay on the brow and turned away, his great frame shaking with emotion. He sobbed as a child as the lengthy processiou passed in review* before the casket. Others who wept unashamed as they passed, were “Tom” Flanigan, Jack Barry, Barney Furey, Abe Harris, Jack Curley and a score of lesser pugilists. Colored and white. There were many white people in the line. The pallbearers were Johnson’s intimate friends of both races and included his trainers, Afro-American detectives from the city force, and business friends. As the procession came from the church, twenty mounted police found themselves hard put to It to make a path for the cortege, which wormed its way through the thousands. Burial was at Gracelaud cemetery, where brief services were held. The throngs pushed eagerly forward as the casket was carried to the vault by six pallbearers. In the crowd the whites greatly outnumbered the blacks Pushing over each other to get a glimpse, the crowds nearly separated members of the mourning party. It was with difficulty that Jalt;k Curley, formerly Jack’s manager, was able to keep his feet as he helped to support Mrs. David Terry, mother of the dead woman.
Newspaper Details
Cleveland Gazette
Cleveland, Ohio, US
Sat, Oct 12, 1912
Page 1
Full Page
Clipped by
John H.
IL, USA 11 Jun 2018
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