By CLAUDINE HOUSEN, Staff ReporterWestern Bureau:
A GROUP OF IRATE Seba United football club fans converged on the Madden's Funeral Home on Union Street in Montego Bay, St. James yesterday to demonstrate their anger at what they perceived as a great disrespect shown to the dead.
Reports are that the anger of the crowd erupted while they were gathered at the Seventh Day Adventist Church, on Church Street, for the funeral service of Kingsley Samuels, a past Seba United employee.
"The yute deh wid dem (Seba United) from 1974 and the Seba big shot man dem shoulda come together fi bury the yute," said one member of the mob, Ms. Pauline Brown. "A man say that the casket did not catch $30,000 and dem bruck him han and him foot fi fit inna di box. It betta dem have a meeting to raise money everybody woulda put a money."
It is alleged that the funeral was proceeding as planned until the crowd saw Mr. Samuel's casket and became enraged at the lack of respect shown him. They argued that the casket was too cheap and did not reflect the long service Mr. Samuels gave to the team in his capacity as water boy and field assistant to the injured.
The mob's anger rose and could not be quelled until after they marched on the funeral home to demand justice. Comments such as "That a no casket that a ten dollar box" were among the many angry shouts that could be heard on the busy Union Street.
Madden's representative, Junior Madden, was quick to point out that the funeral home was not at fault for the problem.
"Seba came and made some arrangements for a funeral," he said. "They paid for a casket they could afford. But the relatives, friends and supporters didn't agree with the casket. Mr. (Tom) Chambers came and paid for a different casket, so we just switched it. It had nothing to do with our service at all."
After the exchange of the caskets the fury of the mob subsided to be replaced by cheers of joy as the hearse pulled out to complete the journey to the burial ground.
