The Democratic press. (Eaton, Preble County, Ohio) 1860-1865, 1861-04-11

Vdult and the horrid reality became evident,
that IwOs Entoomed AliUeI There lay the
shattered coffin that had enclosed me, and
saw myself elshrouded in the habiliments of
the grave. Piled around me in shadowless
indstinctness were hundreds of decaying re-
ceptaclcs of the dead-and was standing
amid the shattered remains Of several coffins
which had been thrown down by my fall. !
saw at once how had escaped from mine
1t had evidently been placed at the top of
one of the piles and with my successful en-,
dcayors to escape, !, brought down other
cofIins in the fall Ny first instructive effort
was to reach the glimmering light, which
shonc in the distance. / remembered the
localities of the place distinctly, and knew
there was grated window at one end of the
vault reached it, and saw the moon shi-
ming family through this opening. 1t was
night then, to add to the horrors that encom-
passed me- Escape before the morning was
impossible How far was the night advanced
and could sustain life and senses during
the fearful horrors of such anincarceration
At this moment the solemn tones of our
church bell pealed on my ears, and l knew
it was the curfew toll, which announced the
hour of eight, that ancient relic of by.gone
times, so rcligiously kept up in most parts of
England Finding it thus early in the eve
ming, thought if could reach the window
| might by my shouting aloud, arrest the at
tention Of some passing traveller; but its
height from the ground prevented my reach
ing it, The though then flashed upon my
mind that might pile up some of the collins
around me against the wall, and so effect my
purpose
With almost superhuman strength com
menced my task, and succeeded in raising
myself to level with the window-bars, then
fresh cause for solicitude met my gaze;
found that a heavy fall of snow almost inter
cepted my view from the window, and conse-
quently could not see across the church
yard, nor would myvoice reach far, although
| shouted ever so loud. shrieked in my
agony, and yelled with all the force of ma
MAC, until exhausted with my efforts and be.
numbcd with cold, attempted to descend;
but almost powcrlcss as | was, stumbled
and fell, bringing with me several of the cof
fins l had piled together as my scafiold.
Oh, the horror of that moment! Many of
these collins were dccayed with age; they
burst open, and their ghastly contents were
exposed to my sight by thelight of the moon
beams, penetrating here more clearly than
at the extremity of the vault where had been
deposited. And now sense of benumbing
icy GOODNESS, pervaded my limbs l ran to
and fro with maddencd steps to cndeavor to
restore some vitality through my system. l
leaped and bounded in my despair, calling
frantically for help, or circulating appeals
to Heaven for relief.
To add to my sufcrings, an intense thirst
with a craving hunger sat tin-uncontrollabl
and overpowering, Ny faculties of percep-
ton were, however, vividly acute. betho't
me that travellers related how men deprived
of food and water, had found a partial relief
by swallowing snow. Once more made a
scaffolding to the window, and voraciously
devoured handfulls of snow, and felt revived
But the cold was penetrating me with increa-
sing intensity. l felt that could not much
longer sustain myself With the keenness Of
selfpreScrvation. I bethought me, that if l
tore off the cloth coverings of some Of the
collins, and made strips to bind around my
limbs, Imight, with continuous exercise, get
through the night, and with the full light of
day could then hit upon some expedient to
attract attention from the widow, and give
ofmy situation This determine
nation I Immediately carried out. l tore
strip after strip Of these coverings, and tied
them around my limbs, and feeling these in
adequate to protect me, even stripped sew
eral corpses of their shrouds While prose-
cutting my loathSome task. judge of my hor-
ror when stumbled on coffin, partially
broken and by the faint light l discovered
that it was that of my dear son. / actually
screamed with horror at the desecration I
was about perpetrating. What meeting for
a father! In the horrors which before en-
circled me, Ihad lost all remembrance Of this
dear one. Here lay his cold remains par
italy disclosed toview, and La living corpse
with him, was about to dishonor
him! Conceive the horror of my situation.
No language can depict my feelings at this
sad discovery
Ny recollection of what bcfcl me immedi-
ately after this fearful incident, are but i'm
perfect and indistinct / have faint re-
membranco that restored his body to the
coffin; that then rushed to the door of the
vault and with the fragments of the dccaying
collins banged loudly upon the iron door, and
then remember new source of horror was
added to mysutlcrings. Innumerable swarms
ofrats chased each other over the bodies /
had so unconsciously disinhumed, and it was
with difficulty I could keep them from at
tacking me. Twas kept constantly on the
alert and that too with vigorous action
Armed with broken remnant of coffin, l
battled with them, yelling and shouting in
the agony of my despair.