Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1845-09-04
NUMBER 2.
From the Richmond Wing.
Burning Alive.


There can be little doubt that burying alive is
much more frequent than the world supposes, or
has any inclination to believe. There are condi-
tons of suspended life so closely resembling death,
aud Of such long continuance as TO deceive the ply
stefan, and induce sculpture. The late eminent and
most worthy Philip Doddridge was within an ace Of
meeting the dreadful fate of being buried alive, and
what made il worse, with perfect consciousness of
all that was passing. lie was supposed to be dead
having fallen into state exactly resembling
DEATH so far the body is concerned. His pulse
and respiration ceased, his limbs became rigid his
face assumed the sharp outline Characteristic of
death, and he remained in this condition until the
family physicians and friends (all but one y sup
posed that his spirit had passed. That
Mrs Doddridge. Her love refused TO despair, and
she continued remedy after remedy 10 restore
animation. Finally she poured n spoonful OF bran
dy Ia case of breach OF tetotalism which we think
Father Mathew himself would excuse) down his
throat and the powerful stimulant almost immedi-
aely dissolved the trance, and restored MIR Dod-
bridge to the command Of his limbs, and to many
years Of distinguished usefulness. But for II, he
had in all probability been buried alive; for the
weather was warm, and he was already shrouded
for his last abode
lie used TO relate, with thrilling effect, his sensa-
tons during the time of his supposed death He
could not stir little finger give notice Of being
alive, but his sense of hearing remained perfect,
aud his mind collected. lie heard the fact of his
being dead announced, and the outburst of grief
that followed, the directions for shrouding him. and
the usual preparations in the chamber of death =
Desperate but vain as desperate were his efforts to
give some token of ife-not muscle could he
move. Even despair, and the immediate presence
,ba, Uen itself could No, ,orse b;s dornan, bodv
40 nerforr The ,;,b,os, oc;,s G,nc,;ons AtIast he
heard Mrs Doddridge call for the brandy, with
Of re- s;,n.,op nav e,s;lv eynlsn He Sel, that he
- aoJ he - ss,od H. h;msec ,y;,,;Iv
- ~, !, 80 - E,,lo as ,Lo hranJ, could do ~
sccomnsb his ,es,rrec,;on as !, had nrodnced his
T,;S, do.,ht
w. ne ,oaoo, ,h., or ,bo hrr;sd tho coffin of
,,.oLatJa ~, 80 -; 80, ro;II;ons : .f,erw,rds
poD "o, Ia ,h., ;" -, ,hosa e., seve,aI in.
stances have occurred in which il was obvious (as
e., Tho Joce,sod bav;n, ,rrnrd on his side) that
rom 'ne Iecesseu nat'ng 'u',.eo u a''o Ill
."e paI H., he ia
Wv a,,,,os ,o,ld dos;re !,
~. ~ . % 80 ~ .I,..or,ns &c PEI some
hn eNa'il'ua'on u LII w s,as. ~ onen
boxes or smnfv drsiIes in Ihe Va,Il, ia ~, ,i
discovery that some had turned over on their sides
and others had anti their nIaces and died a, dis.
lance in the ,gonies offamine having cnawed AWAY
their own aesb
ri. ,,,....,;..,., - .e..,;. -.
e 'o"o"'"s au'"e.'''a'eu @"u a"e0''"g s'oiy
mas suggested these rehecuons;
"In the year of 1910, a case ofliving inhumation
happened in France, attended with circumstances
which 90 far 10 warrant the assertion that truth is
indeed stranger than fiction The heroine of the
story was Madamoiselle Lafouseade, a young girl of
illustrious family OF wealth and of great personal
beauty. Among her numerous suitors was Julien
Bosuet a poor itterateur, or journalist of Paris
His talents and general amiabiIity had recommend
ed him 10 the notice of the heiress. by whomhe
seemed TO have been truly beloved but her pride
of birth decided her. finally 10 reject him, and to
wed Monsieur Renelle, a banker and diploma
list of some eminence After marriage, however
this gentleman neglected and, perhaps, more posi-
tiyely iIl,reated her. Having passed with him some
wretched wears. she died.-at least her condition
so close resembIed death as to deceive every one
who saw her. She was buried-not in a vault
but in an ordinary grave in the village of her nativ-
ity.