The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1870-07-28
From the Detroit Free Press, July 10th.
DEAD AND ALIVE.

Among the passengers at the Detroit & Mil
waukee depot Saturday morning was q
group Of three-husband, wife Eand male
relative-whose actions attracted the atten-
ton of Officer O'Connor, inasmuch as the
husband had a CHASTITY expression Of counte
nance, was kept muffled up in all overcoat
and shawl, the wife was tender and solicitous,
and the friend was eagerly impatient for the
hour of departure. As an officer was several
times appealed to for information, he at
length made bold to enquire as to the invalids
apparent sickness. While waiting for the
train to go, and making sure that the hus-
band wanted nothing more, the friend, whose
name is William j. Bently, related to the
officer a'rather singular tale concerning the
travellers, and our reporter had word sent to
him to interview the group, and get the facts
in the case from their own lips.
Tie invalid gave us the name of John Hart,
being about thirty-tlve years old, and his
home is at Great Darlington, Massachusetts.
For several years past his health has been
gradually failing, he being of consumptivc
turn and about a year ago, he had shock
of paralysis which left his arm almost useless,
and somewhat disfigurcd his face by twitch
inc the mouth to one side. Some two months
ago, hoping that the Western climate would
work Il beneficial change in his health Hart
and his wife made a journey to her sisters,
at Bridgeport, Wisconsin. The bracing air
seemed to work a change and the invalid
had hopes that he would soon be able to
throw aside his cane. 1t was noticeable that
his eyes had bright expression, his skin
displayed a luddy hue, and Hart felt so well
in three weeks time that he even talked Of
permanently locating in the west, and wrote
letters looking toward the sale of his property
in Massachusetts,
On the 10th of June, about nine o'clock in
the evening, the family, as well as aneighbor
or two who had dropped in, sat together on
Il veranda, conversing together at times, and
again listening to the voice of a young lady
who was singing and playing upon an ac-
cordeon Hart had felt unusually we'll all
day, and his appearance was so much more
favorable as to have been subject of con-
graduation among those present. Gradually,
as the young lady sung, a curious feeling
came over him, as he sat in a rocking chair,
with his limbs stretched out at length over u
stool. He describes the feeling to have been
like the strange numbness that is felt when Il
member of the body "gets asleep which all
OF us have experienced, My the feeling
seemed to start first around the heart spread
ing thence all over the body There was no
pain, no alarm, but the sensation was rather
agreeable, as it seemed to modify all the
sharp notes OF the song, every word Of which
could he distinctly heart; by Hart After the
song, he heard the words of admiration nX-
pressed, and was about to make an effort to
shake Off the stupor, when the white column
of the verandah Just in front of him grew
DINNER and DINNER, until it faded away in
a mist, and then the mans eyelids fell, and
he thought to himself that he was going to
sleep. Instead, he commenced to think more
rapidly than before, and to feel that he ought
to start right up; the voices did not die away,
and he heard the farewell words of q woman
who took her leave. AS she went the group
arose to go into the house, Mrs Hart APP
preaching her husband with a Come, john
let's 90 in" He could not move his whole
body felt as if asleep, and no cxortion Of
strength or will could stir 4 finger. Seeing
that he he did not move, the wife laid her
hand on his shoulder, shook him slightly, and
repeated; Come, John, we are going to
bed" He tried to move, realizing that he
tried TO, but he was like stone, only feeling
Transporting around him. '',John's really
others who stood near, at the same time
shaking him. and then She playlully seized the
chair by the back and pulled it part way
over, thinking, that the fear Of 4 fall might
wake him. As the chair tipped Harris body
fell over the arm to one side, falling as would
u BAG of sand his head striking heavily
against Bcntlv, his brothcr-n-law who had
approached. The group Immediately be :
came alarmed, feeling Of his heart, dashin Q
water in his face, and Mrs Hart commenced
CRYING, saying that she believed John was
dead.
They picked him up, carried him into the
bedroom, where his slippers and clothing
were quickly removed. Hart heard every
word knew just what they did, but every
feeling except that in his brain was benumb-
ed, and he could not even tell when his gar
ments were taken off, 50 numb and untceline
was his flesh. While his wife and sister
were getting blankets, liquor and the like,
Bently ran to the gate and sent boy for the
doctor, and Hart, through the open window,
distinctly heard the words, Tell him not TO
lose a single minute" The women We're
both weeping and lamenting, the wife re-
preaching herself for fancicd carclessness.
| and Bently to cheer her up, saving that it
was Il fit of some kind, which the doctor
would easily throw off. Hart did not care
much feeling to himself that ii would all
| turn out a funny Joke that they could laugh
over; nor was he frightened when the doctor,
after feeling Of his pulse, his heart, and try
ing i'll vain to open the fast closed mouth
told Bently that the man was dead of heart
disease, and that no doctor on earth could
raise him.
Perhaps all of us have heard the walls and
and sobs that are uttered around the couch
of the dead and dying, and have ourselves
felt the cutting grief that comes of seeing the
| light of life fade out of the body and soul OF
q dear friend, and there is no need to tell of
! the scene around this bed. After a time.
Benty went away and when he came back
Hart realized that a man came with him to
measure ''thc corpse for its collin Soon
after several men came in, 1.-The body" was
removed to the parlor, n table was drawn
out, board brought in, and the living dead
was washed and wrapped in sheet 10
show how active the mind was in the dead
body, Hart stated that when the table was
drawn out, one of the casters caught and
tore q hole in the carpet, the sound and the
result particularly impressing itself on his
mind, After the body was laid out Mrs.
Bently came in, and there was whispering
and talking about 4 smoud other ladies
came in, and 1t was finally decided to en-
shroud the corpse in a suit Of black, Il new
one, and the very suit that the man had on
as he gave us these facts The men put the
clothes on the corpse, lifting it this way and
that, and a scar on one of the arms was
noticed and Snokan Of