The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1869-07-15
A Night of Horrors.

One of the most remarkable instances Q
restored animation which has ever taken plac
in this city occurred on Sunday night las
in Varick street, near McDougal, the partie
ulars of which are as follows:
An aged lady, named Rebecca Townsend
who has been ailing for several weeks past
expired, as was supposed, on Sunday morn
ing last That she really was dead no on
who saw her for moment hesitated to be
lievc The set eyeballs, the rigid limbs ant
| the apparent cessation of respiration, all point
ed to the supposed fact that death had come
to the rele4 o. the invalid. nat
Accordingly, on Sunday the Borrowing
household acting on this belief commenced
making preparations for the burial of the
body. A burial permit was obtained, a coffin
ordered, and the remains washed and attired
in the habiliments of the grave. Delay arts
ing relative to the preparation Of the coffin,
the remains were temporarily laid out upon
the bed in which the old lady was supposed to
have died, and the services of watcher "a
young female residing in neighboring house)
were secured to attend the body during Sun
day night. Is
About II o'clock, on Sunday evening, the
members of the household retired, leaving
the watcher alone to her disagreeable task
As the young lady states, she became drowsy
about o'clock in the morning, and ensconc-
ing herself in an arm chair, a short distance
from the corpse, and soon fell into doze. She
had slept above an hour, when she was ava
kencd by low moaning sound, which appa-
rently issued from the couch upon which lay
the supposed corpse. Startled by the strange
noise, the watcher Immediately sprang from
her chair and approached the bed for the
purpose of ascertaining the cause Of the mys-
terieus sounds At this moment the noise
suddenly ceased There lay the corpse just
as the watcher had left it one boar before,
the eyes still set as in death, the limbs still
rigid, and not sign of life visible.
Believing the sounds which she fancied
she had heard wero but fancies conjurcd up
by mind excited by the uncomfortable po-
sition in which she was placed, the watcher
returned to Ler seat and resumed her nap.
She had not remained In this condition more
than half an hour, when she was again arous-
ed by sounds similar to those which had pre-
viously alarmed her. Again she sprang
from her chair and approached the bedside,
when her eyes met the wandering gaze OF
the supposed corpse Could it be possible
that she was dreaming? She passed her
hands to her eyes to convince herself that
she did not sleep. Slowly the eyes of the
corpse commenced rolling in their sockets,
the muscles Of the face relaxed, the jaws con-
tracted, and, as the ilmy eycballs rested upon
the countcnance Of the appalled, watcher,
II ...so,oJ - ontroo< Tho wonoon RI cnmn
to her relief.
Horror rivcted the watcher to tho spot.
She attempted to scream for assistance, but
her tongue refused her utterance. As she
continued to gaze upon the living corpse, the
arms began to move and the right hand was
slowly lifted to the mouth as if the corpse
implored drink. The corpse next commenced
assuming an upright position, and, finally,
after an effort Of several minutes, sat bolt up
right in bed. a,5 fas .a
This last movement proved too much for
the nerves of the fright stricken watcher,
and staggering from the bedside she fell faint
ing on the floor.
The noise occasloned by the fall awoke the
inmates of the house, who fastened to the
room. There sat the woman still upright in
bed, at the foot of which lay tho convulscd
form of the terror stricken watcher.
Discovering the state Of affairs, the house
hold Immediately dispatched servant for
the nearest physician, who shortly arrived
upon the scene, and by duo application Of
restoratives succeeded in rcviving the sup
posed corpse sufficiently to enable her to re-
spirc freely. The watcher, by the admins
tration of the proper rcstoratiyes, was, after
much difficulty, alsorestored to consciousness,
but her nerves received a shock which will
probably tell upon her constitution until her
dying day. She VOWS she will never again
serve as the watcher Of corpse, and no
wonder at it.-Ne,o York Star.