Funeral Is Held for Bonner At Home as Cops Stand Guard

Funeral Is Held for Bonner At Home as Cops Stand Guard Slain Racketeer Buried in New Camden Cemetery After Brief Service—No Mass Said at Church William "Shooey" Bonner, murdered North Camden racketeer, was buried today after simple funeral rites were held at his home, 916 North Front street. While about 400 morbidly curious persons crowded in front of the small dwelling, Carroll P. Stanton, funeral director, read services over the bier at 11 a. m. Bonner's widow and five children, and about 50 friends and relatives of the family, attended the services. Interment was in New Camden Cemetery. An hour before the services, a Courier-Post reporter and a photographer were informed that Bonner's friends did not want any photos taken of the funeral. They issued a warning that if pictures were taken, they would break the camera and beat the two newspapermen. The police were asked to prevent the taking of a picture. Although four detectives and five patrolmen had been stationed at and near the house this morning, Sergeant Walter Rowand, of the First Police District, asked headquarters for more men. Five motorcycle cops under Sergeant James Wilson arrived in response to the call. A Pennsylvania car repeatedly circled the block in which the Bonner home is situated, and once parked directly in front of the newspapermen's car. However, the pictures were taken without event. Cops Escort Cortege Two motorcycle policemen led the funeral cortege to the cemetery at 11.15 a. m. Another motorcycle cop and a bandit-chaser brought up the van. Mrs. Bonner was pale but composed as the cortege left the house, but she broke down and cried at the grave. Rev. Father Thomas J. Whelan, rector of the Holy Name Roman Catholic Church, Fifth and Vine streets, today emphatically stated that no mass was said for Bonner in his church. Father Whelan said no arrangements ever had been made for any mass. In today's Morning Post it was stated that mass was to be said in Holy Name church, while the burial was taking place. This was printed on information given a Post reporter by a woman at the door of the Bonner home last night. The Courier hereby makes the correction in fairness to Father Whelan and the Holy Name church. 2000 Visit Home More than 2000 persons visited the Bonner home last night to pay last respects to the slain racketeer and to offer their condolences to his family. At midnight the last of the crowd departed. Two patrolmen, however, remained on guard at the front of the house, in the faint hope that some person wanted by police in connection with "Shooey's" death might seek to enter. But known figures of the underworld were scarce at the Bonner home last night. Aside from a few neighbors and relatives the greater portion of the crowd had never seen in life the man that was Bonner. Thoroughness Shown Mute evidence of the thoroughness of the killers who murdered "Shooey" near his home, late Sunday, could be seen as the body lay in its flower-banked casket. Bonner's closest personal friends expressed the thought that "they would never have known it was 'Shooey' lying there" if they hadn't known what had happened. Efforts of undertakers to cover the scars of more than 20 machine-gun slugs were successful, but in "making over" the face they left not the slightest resemblance of Bonner's real countenance. Those who called to pay respects—or to satisfy curiosity—were greeted at the foot of the bier by James "Jimmy" Rodgers, former pugilist, and William Pernier, both of whom are under bail as material witnesses in the slaying. The two kept the long line constantly moving. They were among the pallbearers today. 'Sin Sermon' Opposite As a strange coincidence of the sombre scene at the Bonner home, special services were held in Gospel Hall, directly across the street, where Herbert Genz, a missionary worker, had as his text the sixth chapter, twenty-third verse, the book of Romans: "The Wages of Sin is Death." A large electrified sign bearing that scripture was displayed on the front of the hall. Acting Sergeant of Detectives John Opfer and Sergeant Albert York were in charge of the police details at the home last night.