The Cadiz sentinel. [volume] (Cadiz, Ohio) 1864-1911, 1868-02-26
BURIED ALIVE.

| Is 1t true that sor etimes coming EVENT.
cast their shadow beforr2" 1t is true tha
at times the mighty unknown of future
vaguely impressrs itself upon the present.
| think so. If not, how do we get that pre-
science Of good or evil that so strongly ele,
Yates with hope or depresses with fear2 thai
throws over our spirits the serenity of d
placid lake, or the wild agitations of 9
stormy sea2
From my earliest recollection | had al.
ways been afraid of being buried alive.
do not remember that the fear Of death had
ever troubled me--only the fear Of enter
ing the grave while yet living man, and
becoming conscious of it when too late. OI
all the horrors which tn mind can conjure
up, this, to me, always seemed the most
dreadful, and the fear Of il fastened itsel
upon me with all the power of haunting
spectre; and it became one Of the deep con
Germs of my life to guard against it. AT
tive nty-two years Of age | ordered my coffin
and purchased my tomb. The coffin was
so constructed that a living person closed
up in it could tonch certain springs and
throw it all apart; and the tomb was contriv1
ed with proper ventilation. and provided
with blankets and key inside. so that in case
VI iic returning dileT DuTIdl cUuiu Sc
cur" myself against deadly chill and spec.
Oily find my way out.
Why had this fear to lead me to these
precautions, unless the coming reality had
cast its shadow upon me? My monomania,
as many termed it. was known to all my
friends, every one of whom had been sepa
rately charged to see me positively dead be
fore burial. But what are precautions ia
ken against fate? was doomed to be bur.
led alive after ALL
AT the time | speak of, | was twenty>sev
en- years Of age, and living in my native
place-an inland city, Urgent business
called me to Boston. where had only one
acquaintance, a very dear friend. who often
invited me to come and make him long
visit. Unfortunately, he was out OF town,
and expected to be for ser eral days; but his
family insisted on my making their house
my home during my stay in the city, and
wonld not, in tact, permit mo to go lse
where On the fourth day had finished
my business, and, as it was the last of the
week, decided tn remain two or three days
longer, and should perhaps get sight Of
my freud b. fore leaving.
On the following or1ing was found
dead in my brd-at least it was so reported,
and the strongest evidence have against
it is the fact that am living now The
people of the house, of course, were much
excited and alarmed their physician was
called IN, and afterward the coroner 1t
was at length decidedto put me in coffin,
and place me in church vault until the re
turn of my friend who would, of course,
have my body conveyed to my native place
for interment.
Thus it is seen that all my precaution
availed me nothing, for abroad, almost
among strangers, had taken on the SEM
blance of death, and had been cofiined and
eutombed in the ordinary way
| returned tc consciousness in the night
in the vault of the church. OF course, |
knew not where | was My first i'upres
sion was one of strange pressure and con
tinemenf fancied, as IN dream. that
had been seized for o maniac, straight
jscket put upon me, and then forced into a
narrow cell. This idea did not long hold
its place. AS my mind grew clearer, be
gan t" recall what had happened the past
week-leaving home going to Boston, trans
acting my bushes and so on. remeln.
bered being at my friends house, and Of
deciding to remain longer than | first in
tended, hoping for his return before my de-
partnre. All this gradually became clear,
along with the last pleasant evening | had
spent with his 'amily But then ceme a
blank. What had happened since? And
where was now? attempted to rise, and
found myself shut up in narrow place that
scarcely allowed any movement whatever.
How did | get there? What did it meani
II ,in.,lx tr .1,,vo, fonr rot,,rpad
me with new terror that no LANGUAGE can
express. Perhaps the dread horror had
coule, and | had been buried alive at last!
The thought was SO appalling, that fol
some moments | remained paralyzed.-
Then seemed gathered into one great ago
ny, which sent forth the most wild. pierre
ing shrieks of despair that ever issued from
mortal lips
Yes, it was truth! My foreboding had
ended in reality, and was now the ten
ant of a coffin, il not a grave! With an
other shrek turned in my narrow house
gathered in my strength as it were, anc
threw it out from me with what seemed the
bursting power of giant. There came q
st ary crack; my prison seemed slightly tt
expand. and iancied | felt change Of air
rested moment, prayed God to help me
and repeated the effort with even greater
power. There was no resisting this! The
coffin lid was burst asundHr with crash
aud my limbs and body were flee in thu
awful darkness which enveleped me-tht
rayless darkness Of tomt!
In considering this wonderful feat, j
should be born in mind that none Of my
strength had been exhausted by sickness
and that besides being naturally yer,
strong. powerful man, my physical rower
we're perhaps doubled by my tear and des
pair.
was free now to breathe the damp, de
liciouS air of what | believed to be vaul
or u tomb; but | confess my terror was
scarcely essentd at the thoug hit of having
extended the limits of my prison; for atte
all might not be able to escape from th
horrible place, and it not, it would not b,
a prolongation OF the aeonies of life an,
death. Fortunately / had been confined ii
my own garments, and it was season o
the year when / could not suffer from cold
so that question of lite without escape wal
r, duced to two pnints-suffocation from
foul air, or starvation. II could escape
the first, knew there were several days o
life yet before me, and perhaps the tim,
would be long .no Ugh, with unremittint
tell, for me to dig my way out, like con
| L.