Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1870-04-21
Dead or Alive.

A Niece OF EX-tTOy.hlnE, OF Rhode I
Island, Dies-Eight Days Dead,
and the Body Warm, Face Full,
Cheeks Flushed, and Lips Red.
From the nestan Post.
SroNINGToN, Conn, Feb. i9.-I
For the last few days, this village,
as well as the nelghboring towns
of Westerly and Cbarlestown, in
r l., have been the scenes of
muchexeitemept, caused by vari
Gus rumofs AS 10 the condition OF
u young lady in the latter place,
who, it was reported, had been III
a state OF trance for nearly week.
Others denied this, asserting that
she was dead. Yesterday after
noon, your correspondent, in COM.
pany with DR.. George d. Stanton,
Of Stonington, visited Charlestowp,
small manufacturing village,
and met with no difficulty in find.
ing q low, weather-beaten house,
about mile and a half from the
village, the residence OF Mrs. 10.
siah King, the young lady's moth
er, fIom whom we learned the
following facts.
Miss Susie A. King, her daugh-
ter, was about twenty-three years
of age, and Of fine personal appear.
ance. About two weeks ago she
was taken sick with some affec-
ton Of the throat by which She
was confined to her bed fer sever
al days, when she was supposed to
be convalescent, and allowed one
day to come down stairs. That
night, however, she grew worse.
complaining of severe pains in
her hands and feet, and continued
TO grow worse till the next day,
when she lapsed into an uncon-
scious state, ia which she remain
ed until her death, Friday, the
18th, at.74 a. m. The usual pre-
parations for the grave were made
the body laid in the coffin, and
Sunday the funeral services were
held. While the friends were ia
king last look at the body ply.
siciGn thought he observed signs of
life.
The BODY was removed from
the coffin, and being placed in
blankets, friction and artificial re-
spiration were resorted to without
effect. The next day the galvan.
ic battery was used, but was also
without avail. After hearing the !
above particulars, we were invited
to view the body, which lay in "a
coffin on the table, where it had
remained since Sunday, this be-
ing the eighth day since death was
supposed to have taken place.
The body presented the appear.
ance of a person in full health and
sound sleep. The face was full
and round the cheeks flushed and |
the lips red 1; the eyes unsunken, (
with no outward signs of death.
There was a total absence OF mus
cular rigidity, and Wednesday, af |
ter lying six days in this condi-
ion, the body was percep;ibly
warm to the touch. The physi-
clan present applied the ssetho-
scope, but could detect no pulsa-
tion of the heart, while the appli-
cation of lighted match to the
skin produced no blister filled with
serum, which is said to be invaria-
bly, the case when lie is present.
Many physicians from the sur
rounding country have been to
witness this wonderful phenome-
non, though disagreeing in their
conclusions, some believing Miss
King to be in state of trance,
others thinking her dead, and at !
tributing the preservation of the
corpse to arsenic, which it is pos
sible she had been accustomed to
take for the complexion, habit
practiced by many young ladies.
That Miss K. had this habit, howA
ever, the family deny.
The fatherof the young lady was
Josiah King, brother of ex-Gover
nor King of Rhode Island, who it
may be remembered, occupied the
gubernatorial chair during the
"Dorr War in 1912. Much
sympathy is felt aud expressed for
the family, and some idea of the
public feeling manifested in the
case may inferred from the fact
that during the past week over g
500 people have visited the house
to see and hear for themselves.
BEwARE.-The public in general are eau