The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1852-04-27
Rt,RYfNG ALIVE.

The horrible story which we subjoin, 10 Ia
ken from the Albany Register. we have no
doubt of i,s truth, for we have, ourselves, heard
of similar instances of the kind. One was that
Of a distinguished merchant, in Virginia
town. not Richmond. however. One of the
most eminent men that has ever done honor to
the delberative bodies Of this Commonwealth,
was once on the point Of being buried alive. He
represented his situation as horrible beyond all
expression. He was perfectly conscious, and
could understand every word that was spoken.
Yet he could move neither hand nor foot, his
heart had apparently ceased to beat, no breath
that could possibly ruff1e q feather came
through his lips. and he was, to all appearances,
dead man. He heard his wife at the door,
eagerly striving to get in. He knew if she
could be admitted he should be safe. But we'll
meaning friends opposed her entry most siren
uously, but. as it happened. vainy. She came,
and seeing, at once, that he was ne, dead, ad.
minstered the proper remedy. He recovered,
and lived 10 distinguish himself as one of the
most eloquent members of the great Conven-
tion-the Convention of 1890.
Bot to the promised extract:
Some years ago, we were perfectly cognizant
TO an occurrence of this Kind which was of the
most heart-rending character. The wife of
gentleman was taken suddenly ill in church.
and was carried to her home in a state of syn.
cope. In few hours she partially recovered,
but Immediately relapsed, and never again
showed any signs of consciousness. She Law
in this condition nearly two days, battling the
skill OF the physicians, and then, as it was
thought, and as there was almost every reason
TO believe, died. No signs of breathing could
be detected, the limbs became rigid and cold,
and the eyes remained open with the fixed and
CLASSY stare ofdeath; b there pas no change
an the color of the skin. Dissolution had not
taken place. The poor bereaved husband, al
most frantic at the loss of the young and beauti-
ful wife whom he almost idolized, chung with
desperation to the hope lmned in her face,
and long resisted the unanimous decision of
the physicians, that she was certainly dead
They told him what is doubtless true. that il
sometimes, though very rarely. happens, that
there IS no dlscoloration for days, and even
weeks, after dissolution has taken place. But
still he resisted, and it was not until three DAYS
had passed without the faintest signal of
change or sign OF life, that he finally gave up
and suffered the burial to take place. She was
entombed in vault. Months passed. A ceme-
terry having been laid out. the husband pur.
chased and beautifed lot, erected an legant
monument in it, aaC when all was ready, SUI
pefintended the removal of the body of his wife
from the vault TO its final resting place. When
the vault was open he remembered the ci,cum-
stances of her death, above detailed, and de-
sire suddenly seized him to once more behold
the corpse. By his direction the coffin lid was
removed. The spectacle which presented it.
self was inconceiyably horrible, for it showed
that she had been buried aliue. She had turn.
ed quite over upon her side, she had clutched
her nails into the coffin until her fingers had
bled. portions of her grave clothes were torn,
and in her horrible struggles she had contrived
to carry her hand To head, and had plucked
from II mass of hair, with portions of the cap
that covered it,
The poor man never recovered from the
shock of that awful spectacle. He was borne
away senseless, and for the rest of his weary
lite, was an utterly broken and miserable being.