Alice Veronica Cashion

People Buried Here

Epitaph

Description

NZ Mail, 27 April 1894

CONSTABLE CASHION - A telegram received by Inspector Pender from Masterton records the sad news of the Sudden death there of Constable Cashion, which occurred at 6 o'clock on Sunday (April 22) from heart disease. The deceased had been a member of the police force since 1865, when he was sworn in by Inspector Pender himself at Christchurch.

He was located for some years in the early days on the West Coast, where he made a large circle of friends and was universally liked and respected for his sterling qualities.

Constable Cashion was for some time past stationed at Masterton, where he gained the esteem and goodwill of the community generally. He was a most energetic and efficient officer and the news of his death will be received with great regret by all who knew him. Deceased hailed from Ireland. He was nearly 60 years of age at the time of hid death and leaves a widow and family to mourn their loss.

NZ Times, 25 April 1894

The funeral of the late Constable Martin Cashion took place this afternoon and was very largely attended. The funeral cortege left St Joseph's Church for the Masterton Cemetery, headed by a detachment of police under Inspector Pender, among those being present being Sergeant O'Malley and other comrades of the deceased on the West Coast. As a mark of respect nearly all the shops had the shutters up along the route. The service at the grave was performed by the Rev Father J. McKenna assisted by the Rev T. McKenna. There were nearly 300 persons present.

The funeral of Constable Cashion which took place this afternoon, was attended by many friends and sympathizers. The handsome coffin on which was inscribed the name of the deceased, his age and the date of his death, was covered with beautiful wreaths of flowers. Amongst the sympathizers who forwarded these floral tributes were Mrs Donovan, Mr and Mrs Elkins, Mrs Dixon, Mrs R. G. Williams, Me Geo J. Gray and many others. One "from his loving children" was especially noticeable.

After the impressive service in St Patrick's Church, conducted by the Rev Father McKenna, the procession wended its mournful way along Queen Street towards the cemetery. The mourners included, besides the relatives and friends of the deceased, several of his old comrades in the force who had come to pay their last respects. From Wellington had come Inspector Pender, Sergeant O'Malley and Constable Quirk; the Masterton contingent consisted of Sergeant McArdle and Constable Stewart May and Murdoch and the Wairarapa was also represented.