Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1870-05-05
Mistellaenus,
Experience OF n German Who was Sup
posed to Have Departed this Life, and
Was Placed In the Dead Housc--An
Exciting Scene.

Experience OF German Who was Sup
posed to Have Departed this Life, and
Was Placed In the Dead Housc--An
Exciting Scene.
From the san Francisco Alta, April tn.
The terrors of the grave, the fear of
death and the terrible calamity of being
buried alive have all been forcibly pie
tured more than suce; but any picture,
however clearly d. avn. must fail to
leave the impression produced of either
that is obtained by experience, and in
no c.se can any one be so alive TO these
terrors and fears as the one who being
considered dead, is treated as such. For
some time past German, known by
the name of Frederick, worked in a
dining saloon on First street, as waiter.
His constitution was weak, and the con-
finement necessarily attending his en-
ployment affected him very much. He
consulted some physicians, who pro-
nounced him consumptive, and advised
him to give up his employment and put
himself under the care of physician,
or go to the hospital. He decided on
adopting the latter course, and some
short time ago went to Que of our hos
pitfalls. His condition rather grew worse
daily, and lately he was confined to bed,
and little hopes entertained of his re-
covery. About a week ago he grew
still worse. He was visited in the
morning by the physician, wLo consid
cred his recovery hopeless. During the
day he still grew weaker, and wheE
the doctor paid his evening visit he
found him pulseless, and pronounced
life extinct. The body was Immediately
removed and placed i'll the deadhouse
attached to the hospital. 1t was depos-
tied i'll u case where two other bodies
had already been placed, and between
them. The cover Was put on, and the
keeper of the dead-house retired for the
night. About midnight a loud scream
ing and yelling of the most uuearthly
character was heard in the dead-house.
The watchers heard it, the patients
heard il, and the party who had charge
of this portion of the building heard it
also. A silent sense of fear, of terror
! the most terrifying, stole over them all,
and they concluded that a scene was
being acted similar to That witnessed by
Tam O'Shanter at KeIkalloway where
he saw "wariooks and witches in a
dance" The keeper of the dead-hOuse
was sought after, but being aware of
what he Was required to do he sought
concealment, preferring to let the ghosts
| fight it out among themselves, rather
than attempt to become peace maker.
The yells and shouts in the dead-house
still continued, when the door received
all occasional bang, accompanied by the
| demands: open the door; let me out.n
At last the keeper was prevailed upon
to proceed to the tlead-house and open
the door, when the ghostly form of the
German, whose life had been a few
hours previously pronounced extinct,
and who had been dressed in tue robes
of the dead, stool before him. The
keeper tainted outright, while the terri
| lied German ru he'd leadlong through
the long halls and corridors of the build
ing, Spreading dismay and terror as he
went. Some more courageous than the
rest caught and arrested him in his
frantic career, but the next instant the
poor German fell on the floor in
swoOn. The physician was at once sent
for and restoratives used by which lie
was restored to CONSCIOUSNESS, and al
though he is still weak and under treat
ment III the hospital, his recovery is
considered certain and only a matter of
time. He now walks about pretty
stOutly, and is permitted to go outside
the hospital limits. He visited his late
employer few days ago, and related to
him the fact that having got into a
trance, it was thought he was dead, and
he was removed to the dead-house.
How he felt when he returned to con-
sciousness, we give as he told it himself:
Vel, ven got slck and vas in bed dat
day, the doctor came to me and said I
was very sick. He vent away, and
after he vent fell asleep. | knew moth
ing more till [ Yoke in de night, and
there was no light. 1 put out my hand,
and L could get no bedclothes, for 1 vas
cold. den put my hand to vone side
TO try for the bedclothes, and, Och, my
Gott, vat you tink l got-vy, ded man!
Dere he vos, cold enough, sure. Iroared
mid all the power had, and vas going
away by the other side, win sure, L put
my hand on another. Then / roared,
and called, and cried out all L could,
and ven [ vas getting up, my head
struck board that was covering me.
Oh, said L, vot does this mean? We're
am 1? Am l ded? And 1 rOared and
bawled, and threw off the cover and
Jumped about as if 1 was mad. And 1
knocked at the door vid my hands and
feet, but nobody would open it for me,
and thought L vas ded myself. 1 vas
not sure. / had the dead mans dress
on me. At last the door opened, and
ven looked at the man vat opened it,
he fell down mid fear, and L ran till
vas caught. Then tainted, and ven 1
come to myself thought it was
dream. But it is as true as [ am here"