The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1870-01-28
,,S,..nrs DcIusion tla MossAchusesss--
Trrcisement Respecting the Alleged
S. xns...atr.re Rlrrinl OF YotamE indy.

,.s.. DcIu.ion tn MassAchusests-
Tr~c;senent Respecting the Alleged
= urcn,asure Burial OF O Young Lady.
Danye-s correspondence Of Boston journal.
s'* The greatest excitement since the days
Of witchcraft in this usually quiet town
has existed here for week or more. Hav-
ing been at considerable pains to learn all
the facts in reference to this case, the pub
Die may rely upon their correctness.
;,,estOn or about Christmas Margaret Finley,
Tst the daughter of Robert Finley, residing
near the Danvers Junction, aged seventeen
years, went out skating, took cold, had q
Fever, induced BY pnetInonia or some lung
difficulty, and died on Sunday the 9th of
g this month. She was one 81 several chill.
dren, and the family are intelligent and
essrespectable, and mostly members of fhe
Episcopal Church. The deceased was
4; healthy and sprightly girl, in complexion
blonde, with regular features and rose
.sscoiored checks. On Thursday, the NTH
day from her decease, her funeral was at
tended BY friends and neighboss, and she
was placed in tomb ut the cemetery. AL
through her sickness it was observed there
was much color in her face, and when life
= had departed this rose tint fingered, inso-
much that at the funeral it was noticed that
she looked like one sleeping, and wondrous
= fair. =
This matter having been talked over, the
next day it was suggested that the girl
might have been in trance. 1t was said
somebody had dreamed she was entombed
alive, or communication OF some kind
~ from the spirit world had revealed the sup
posed fact Of which have spoken This
spread like wildfre. Soon parties visited
a.. the sexton, Mr.. Peter Watt, obtained the
keys Of the tomb, with physician, who
was to restore the deceased to her friends.
e The coffin was opened and the fair form OF
the young lady critically examined b., the
experienced doctor. Not the least iudica-
ton of life appeared, and no evidence OF
her being buried alive was discovered.
e This, it would seem, ought to have settled
the matter. 1t did not and now the story
went forth all that day that DR.. Chase, the
physician referred to, had actually found
The girl alive, and numbers were drawn. to
the tomb to see if it was 80.
Every hour more and more the story grew,
and finally parties went to the family OF the
GIRL and reported that she was alive, had
been removed to the house of Mr.. Watt,
the sexton, and anxious to return home.
The astonished father hurried off early on
Saturday morning to the house where he was
.. to receive the child, and 10! there was not
word of truth in the report. In vain the
sexton asserted over and over again that
the girl was dead, and that there was no.
thing to warrant any excitement. Crowds
III. ca me and went, increasing in numbers from
day to day, and on Tuesday and Wednesday
last hundreds had visited the tomb, looked
: upon and handled the lifeless remains OF
- the girl.
-a.aa On Thursday, one week after having been
J, entombcd, hundreds from all quarters
came, and, although decomposition had
commenced days before, there were those
who could see signs of life, and otherwise
3. intelligent persons were ready to make
oath that her flesh was warm to the touch:
The Selcctmen had at last to interfere ana
put stop to the excitement by forbiddlng
any more visits to the tomb. There was
nothing but foolish dream or silly report
of q spiritual telegram from some place
not laid down on the maps which has crea-
ted all this excitement, and it is matter
of establishment that such delusion could
have existed, been so extensive, and intiu-
enced 20 large q class Of intelligent per-
sons. After this let no one be surprised at
ANYTHING.