Murder victims Maxwell (Buckshot) Brangman and Frederick (Freddie) Gilbert were honoured at a fundraising cricket match and wake.

Members of the St. David's community gathered at the local cricket club on Saturday to swap memories of the much-loved men and raise money for their grieving families.

Despite the violent crime that rocked the tight-knit Island the previous weekend, the atmosphere was upbeat rather than sombre.

St. David's captain Lionel Cann explained: "Freddie and Maxie were part of our family at the club. The people in this community love a good time and they loved a good time. They were always an inspiration for me, telling me when I was going wrong.

"The atmosphere here is brilliant. We're celebrating their lives. That's the way St. David's people are. We're mourning but we're having a good time at the same time. They were very fun loving people and that's the way we're going to celebrate them."

Mr. Brangman and Mr. Gilbert, who were both homeless, were stabbed to death. Mr. Brangman's body was then set on fire in a hut behind the Black Horse Tavern and Mr. Gilbert's body was dumped in the sea nearby.

On Saturday evening Police arrested two men under suspicion of involvement in the murders. They had not been charged as of press time yesterday.

Cricket club president Aaron Lugo organised the friendly match between the St. David's commercial team and the seniors' team. It is traditional for the club to hold an annual charity event, and this year the famiAlthough bad weather forced the game to be abandoned when the seniors had reached 30 for three, donations from the players and crowd raised at least $500 which will be split between the families.

Many of those at the event were mourners who had made their way to the ground from Mr. Brangmans's funeral earlier that afternoon at the Chapel of Ease Anglican Church.

Mr. Lugo said: "We are all God-fearing people. We believe that everything is in God's hands. It's bigger than us. We're clinging together as a community."

Of Mr. Brangman's work for the club, he said: "Whatever you wanted him to do, he was ready to give his all for you."

Wesley Tucker, umpire for the commercial team, said of the victims: "I used to drink a lot of rum with them. It's very very sad. We're born to die but not to be murdered. He (Mr. Brangman) was a part of the club and we're just giving back what he gave us."

A man who give his name as "A.P" and described himself as a cousin of Mr. Brangman's, remembered how they used to play cowboys and indians together as kids, making gunshot sound effects.

"You would say 'you missed' to him and he would say "I didn't miss, cos I had buckshot." I think that's where his nickname came from," he explained. "Freddie I knew somewhat. Every time I saw him I would call him by his proper name, Frederick, to show him respect. He was a hard worker."

The Police have an idea of who the culprits are, and say the investigation is focusing on "disturbances" in St. George's drinking venues prior to the crimes.

A.P said of the victims: "They're the type of guys that would try to break up a fight and from hearsay I heard that's a possibility."

United Bermuda Party leader Kim Swan knew Mr. Brangman from their younger days, attending neighbouring schools in the west end.

"The community is hurting right now and this is shocking for the community, but in a wider sense it seems – and I've heard this from other people – that every month there's something (violent) like this. It's unfortunate this type of activity is becoming the norm for us in Bermuda," he remarked.

St. David's Progressive Labour Party MP Lovitta Foggo remembered Mr. Brangman as a man with great community spirit, and Mr. Gilbert as a very well-read person.

"This match is indicative of the close-knit community that St. David's is," said Ms Foggo, noting that the men were deserving of "a great send off".

Another mourner, who declined to give his name, said simply: "We're broken-hearted. This cricket match, it speaks for us."

Thanking the cricketers for their goodwill gesture, Theresa (Brangman) Simpson, Mr. Brangman's aunt, said: "These guys are fantastic for doing this. It's really wonderful, it's very heart-warming."

Mr. Brangman's sister Lana Flood added: "It's an honour that they honoured him like that."

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