The weekly mountain Democrat. [volume] (Placerville, El Dorado County, Calif.) 1861-1862, 1862-07-19
Buried Alive.


before Us, don't you"
"YeS what Of herr" I was riding out
with Doctor White, who resided two or
three miles beyond the village. "She is,
indeed, strange looking creature-looks
like one Of the weird sisterS-and now
she is near us, can hear her mumbling
and croning to herself | would say she
is insane, Doctor, from her wild appear.
ance. What is there particularly inter-
esting about her any more than that she
is . persOniication Of the Unmatched pair
the poet Burns speaks of-Age and Want"
"Well, as we have got smooth road
before US, will tell you something of her
history. Did you note what q grateful
glance she threw into the gig as we passed
by herr Look back, and dare say you
will see her down on her knees in the
middle Of the road in the attitude Of pray
er."
"You are not mistaken, Doctor"
"Poor creature, she is breathing forth
q prayer to her Maker for my welfare and
preservation. This is her constant prac-
tice whenever and wherever she sees me.
s"When ! was student at the medical
college at NJ, | along with others Of
my class frequently went abroad on those
midnight excursions you have no doubt
heard spoken Of in connection with medi'
caI EtVdieS. One dark and dismal night
five of us started for the cnurcn-yaTu,
,Nn,u;A lieSS J6st QUA -. 1,-:--'' If 'he bill
on our right. We were provided with all
the utensils necessary for our business,
namely-a dark lantern, a pick, large
= 60 vE.A,~ TNaS4 %~eA heeSN "
burial but two days 6efGqe, aud HItTTicFe
We were pretty sure that we should not
be disappointed in obtaining what we
sought. All the inhabitants Of the village
had long since retired to rest, and We
walked Sw iftly along the road, smoking
our pipes in silence, and reached the
churchyard gate, and clambered over just
as the village clock rang out the hour Of
enc. We placed one vi our number on
the outskirts Of the place to watch, in
case we should DC disturbed, and then
went directly To the freshly covered grave
G0d er>A"p0e0nDd our work. For while
nothing could be Leard above the dun,
low, smothered sound Of our spades, save
now aud then the wind moaning in the
spectral trees around as. &ot one of us
spoke For half an hour We laborcd dill
gently, and the coffin would soon be
reached. As was steadily tossing the
earth out Of the grave with my face turn
cd towards the head of the coffin,
thought | heard halEstiiled groan and
light scratching noise, and, AS my feet
were now almost upon the lid, | thought
| felt Slight jar upon them. Surely
was mistaken. Not SO twice again in
the space of minute heard the same
sounds, and now | motioued to my com,
radeS to stop and listen. Again the groan
and the scratching were repeated, and
this time was heard distinctly by all. One
of the more timid leaped out Of the grave
and sped away in his alarm. The two
that remained and myself, although very
much frightened, dashed in the lid of the
coffin, lifted up the shroudcd form, and
placed in the sack we had brought along
Cor that purpose. We carried away the
body as carefully rs we were able over
the wall Of the church yard, and with the
assistance OF our runaway companion,
whom one of US overlook and induced to
return, we bore it with little trouble to a
room in the college. 1t was about three
O'Clock in the morning, and we immvdi
ately procured u light and proceeded to
examine the body.
1t was that of woman, apparently
about 20 years of age, and, as we lifted
her from the sack she Slightly stirred, a
tremor running through her paid frame
Strange as 1t may appear to you, she bad
been buried alive. The poor creatures
Shroud had been torn into Shreds about
her breast, and both shoulders had been
gnawed to the bone in her frantic en-
deavorS to escape from her horrible prison
house. RcStoratives were apple !, and,
in the course of the following day She
opened her eyes and Gazed around her
with a wild and maniacal stare but it
was many days before she spoke. She
was taken to her friends, and in three or
four months had recovered so far as to be
able II move about; but her reas IN was
entirely destroyed, and for many years
she has wandered up and down the village,
the poor, harmless, prematurely aged
creature you have seen. In spite Of her
insanity She recollects my face, and thinks
that alone was the means Of preserving
her from death. Hence her actions wher-
ever she sees me. How she came to he
buried before the breath of life had left
her body, or how she survived for two
days and nights the horrors Of charnel
house, | leave you to conjecture. Ger
tainly it is strange"
"Do you not think, Doctor, that there
are more people buried alive than we have
any idea OFF,"
Possibly So Medical men have often
been mistaken IN their examinations
Who can tell?"