The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1856-09-24
N T. NJ B ER 80.
COFFINED ALIVE.


That persons, during the raging Of a
pestilence and the hurry of buriais, have
sometimes been earthed alive, there is
very little doubt. We have not, however,
heard Of any well attested case Of this kind,
since the commencement of tho present
epidemic in our city, and the story we are
about to relate, avouches for no more than
the confning a man, who, as will appear
III the sequel, could not be persuaded that
lie was n proper subject for burial.
In the course of the disease, it has some
times occurred, that a man, being found
dead drunk in the street, has been mista-
ken for cholera patient, lifted upon lit
ter, and carried TO the hospitals. 1t has
been customary in these cases, for the
medical attendants, on ascerlaining the
mistake, TO order the drunken man TO be
placed in the room used for tha, purpose,
until he shall have slept off the fumes Of
OF himself
Two or three weeks since, patient of
this description was one evening brought
to the - Hospital, supposed to be near
ly in the last stage Of cholera asphyxia.-
Certain it is, that lie was prodigiously
blue. The doctor examined him shook
his head, and ordered him to the drunk
ards room.
Besides this apartment for those that
were merely dead drunk, there was an
other wherein it was customary to lay
such as had actually died during the night,
from whence they were to be carried away
and buried the next morning. Ii so hap
pencd that .hc above mentioned patient,
was by mistake, conveyed to the dead
room, instead of the drunkard's.
There he ay unconscious Of his situa-
ton, either personal or local, until the
morning, when the burial cart came, and
tao Ilibernians proceeded to the dead
room to take away the corpses. They
found no other but the drunken man, who
being still locked fast in the arms of sleep,
they forthwith proceeded to coffin and
nail up. They had him in his narrow
house, and began to drive the nails, when
the noise awoke him. lie started up,
lh,ust off the lid, and asked them What
they were about
"We're going to bury ye, sure" sax
one Of the uibernians, endeavoring I'd
make the man lie down again, and be dao
Gently nailed ur.
"To bury me-" exclaimed the astonish-
ed drumkard.
'Ay, sure" returned the Irishman,
coolly; ats we that buries all that die
with the cholera"
"But I'm not Dead" sad the patient.
Mot dead" exclaimed the lrishman
" ant that pretty eXtravagant ASSERTION
for corpse to makel Not dead And
sure you cannot be in your right mind
to say so. Come, lie down, if you please,
and well nail ye up and bury ye dacent-
ly."
"Dacenty."
"Ah, sure, as dacently as the times will
admit Of. 1t isn't livery man now, that
can get coffin, like yourself, to be buried
up in"
But ! tell you, Pm not dead" I" per-
sisted the drunken man, struggling 10 get
out Of the coffin.
Mot dead again ~ exclaimed the Hi
bernian endeavoring to keep him in
"that ASSERTION won't do here. We
fetched you out Of the dead room, where
they put all the corpses; and if so be, you
amt dead, there's no confidence at all TO
be placed in the doctors stuff"
"uave been under the hands Of the
doctor then I"
"Ain't that pretty question for dead
man to ak"
al tell you rm not dead"
"Who knows better nor the doctors
Come, Jenny, addressing his brother
lrishman,) you hold him down while l
nail !iim up. We can't b" b"thering here
all day, no how"
AS the confined man saw there was no
such thing as reasoning the honest ofii-
cias out Of thei, duty, and that he must
resort 10 main force to save himself, he
made one desperate effort, shook off the
dead cart-men, sprang from the coffin and
took to his heels.-N. y. Constellation.