The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1853-05-18
BURIED ALIVE:
OR. LOVERS VICTORY.
BY CHARLEY cnEwL1sE.

49, BY CHARLEY cLEwLINE.
The first, orsproyisional caption
ed alive-bas been so often used within
the last ten years in story. writin ngsshat it
may fairly Be contidered common proper
ty.3. Ii is not on this aecoaat, however,
thatsI appropriatsit; but becauseitis more
appropriate than any other to my present
purpose.
Buried azivet There is horror in the
very words; a chill dread falls upon the
heart at the very thought of being nailed
up, confined, tied down in darkness, with
in close, narrow case, lowered iato a
cold, still grave. and left there to struggle,
and grasp, and smother to death, with FIVE
feet Of earth heaped upon our coffin. with
q weight that Hercules himself could not
fling from off his PROSTATE body. s-vs
Oh! It's horrible, even to sit and think
Of all the despair, terror and mental torture
that must thrill through the heart of the
doomed wretch. who awakening TO con-
seriousness from death-like trance, finds
himself coffin prisoner in the dark, cold
grave.
How terrible must be the agony, as the
buried alive becomes fully conscious Of his
situation, and of the certainty that all his
screams, struggles and frantic rawlings will
avail him nothing. and he must die there
in the Cimmerian blackness OF his coffin
prison.
OF all the many dreadful ways by which
death snatches his victims from lie, who
is there that would not prefer any one Of
them, or even all SUCCESSFULLY, to that of
being buried alive?
Once in my life I have stood among a
crowd of men and women, and down be.
meath our feet, sixty -four feet in the earth,
was afellow being-a man buried dliue.
He was taken from that deep grave aliue
--he is alive now. know it, for within
these three days | have conversed with
him. He is an old man but he tells me
that the agony which took possession OF
his soul as he laid there in his sixty-four
feet grave, and heard every word spoken
by those on the surface-heard his friends
and relatives say that the task of disinter-
ring him was useless-often comes back
to him now, after this long lapse Of years,
and haunts him, till the perspiration pours
down his cheek like rain.
1t was many years ago when was but
boy Of sixteen years old, but remember
every minute particular Of the thrilling
scene as well as though It were but yester-
day that It happened.
shouid remember 1t, Tor ne was my
friend, and my hand flung the first shovel
fnll Of earth from his grave. For nine hours
labored there with the shovel, pick and
crowDar, as never worked before, as
have never done since.
1t was sometime In september. and l
was spending 2 few days with my friends
in the town OF Newport, Herkimer county,
IN the State OF New York, at the time the
incident occurred.
At distance Of two miles from my un.
cle's, at whose house was visiting, lived
farmer named Post, who had in his en-
pioy man who when was child. had
been an officer in my fathers ship, and
after LEFT my home. he was, for two years,
more to mo than my own father had ever
been. ss
He was double my own age. but he was
so kind. so young in heart, so very gentle
towards me, that he never seemed day
older than myself. Hewas my friend, and
had gone to Newport more to see Thom-
as Walker, than to visit my relatives. =
Captain Walker-for ne was in com.
mand Of a ship when he left the sea-had
saved some nine thousand dollars, and his
object in working. there on q farm was to
learn of Mr.. Post-who was model farm
er-so much of agriculture as would quail
ify him for conducting a fine one Of his own
which he had purchased in the neighbor-
hood, and which he had rented for the time
during which he was serving his agricul.
tural apprenticeship.
He was engaged in marriage to young
lady named Salome Whiting, the eldest
daughter OF one OF the wealthiest men in
Herkimer county. and their wedding day
was fixed for the Sabbath next following
the day on which his contract with Mr.
Post would have expired-then only two
weeks distant-and at the time was there
every preparation had been completed foI
the wedding. Observation-Disclosures.
On the morning Of the day on which the
accident to my friend occurred, had rid.
den over to Mr.. Posts on an errand toI
one OF my cousins, and when i returned