The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1871-07-28
Premature Burtals.

BILE paper published in q recent issul
ofthe Eclectic Magazine, contribute
a considerable amount Of valuabl
data upon the horribly fascinating
subject of premature burials.
We remember, he observes, the ViV
id terror produced, while yet in on
bOyhOOd, when an elder sister read
story entitled "BuTied Alive" Tn,
person had fallen into q catalepti,
condition, becoming cold and rigid
while yet unconscious, and was duly
coffined and buried. He was ex
humed by ''resurrectionists," carried
to q medical college, and placed OF
atomy few shocks Of the galvaniC
battery partially aroused him, and OF
the wounding Of his breast by knit,
he gave signs Of life, and by proper
treatment was fully resuseitated.
Ten or twelve years afterWaTd, &
relative, where we were visiting
told us of having been present when
the body of her sOn-in-laW was made
ready for the coffin, and, pereeiving
as she imagined, warm spot on the
left breast, a daughter who was sit
I ting by when this was told, cried out
with horror, 'Do not talk any more
about it; the idea is too dreadful to
think Of" But we did think over
again of the horror of inteFriBg q
| living person. 1t was hardly proba-
/ bic, in the case in question, that such
a thing did occur, for the body re-
manned unburied long enough to al
| low a return to consciousness.
But in this country the peril OF in
terment before death has actually
taken place is very often great. For
| years past it has been very common
for persons in supposed health to
tall down suddenly, with every ap-
pearance of having died. We do
not regard sudden death with horror,
as it is often painless, and exempts
| the person from anxiety and other
unpleasant experiences which so
often accompany a lingering dissolu-
| ton. But there is a fearful liability
of being prostrated by catalepsy,
which is deaths fearful counterfeit,
under such circumstances that the
persons having the body in charge
will not hesitate about a prompt
| burial. We could wish that the old
| Oriental practice of cremation was in
1
| least be the comfortable reflection Of
no sutfocation in the coffin besides,
/ the application of fire would gener-
ally arouse the cataleptic person to a
manifestation Oflife.
Some two years ago, a man in a
! low state of health was compelled to
! take shelter in a deserted house in
| Illinois, where he fell asleep. He
was found in cataleptic trance, and
| supposed to have died. In this con-
! ditiOn he was removed and prepared
| for burial, conscious all the time OF
! what was going on. but unable to ut
/ ter q sound, or make a sign OF life.
| His condition was fortunately dis
covered before it was too late. The
story may be a Fiction, but it did
not read like one. We have several
times repeated the story, although
/ it is serious for Jest, except when
regarded entirely on the ludicrOUs
( side of a woman who, while being
/ borne to the place of interment, was
| aroused TO consciousness by the
/ jOstling of her coffin against the wall
of 4 house, as the bearers clumsily
turned the corner. She was speedily
veleased from her ccrements and con-
} Yeyed home where she lived several
years longer. She fell into a de.
cline and died; the funeral again
took place, and the procession set
out for the grave. As it drew near
the house on the corner, the husband
wiped his eyes hastily, and cried out
to the bearers, ''Be careful when you
turn the corner" 1t is, however, nc
topic for n jest when we consider the
matter from the proper point Per-
sons are buried alive, and have ter
rible period of agony in the coffin
before death comes to their relief,
We eXecrate the old Roman law
which authorized the magistrates to
bury alive their incontinent vestal
virgins. The Thracians, after the
practice Of India, buried widows.
Ameiris, or Esther Queen Of Xerxes
and Persia, caused fourteen living
children to be inferred and until
lately, HindOO widows were buried
or burned alive at Scuttess. But we,
in our reckless carelessness, do as
bad as they. a writer in the nine
teenth century informs US that at the
public mortuary of Paris about one
in every 300 persons supposed to be
dead actually come again to life. At
that rate 100 persons must be buried
alive annually belonging to the city
of New York and here, too, not a
tithe of the precautions are taken
that are required in France and Eng
land.
a well authenticated case is on
/ record OF a strong man dropping
away suddenly, whose grave or tomb
was opened four days after, and the
! body found twisted around in tn :
coffin, and a hip disloeated, the hair
turned white and torn out, and the
features distorted in a horrible man
ner. Fearful was the struggle oi
that man in his ghastly conflict for
life with every odds against him.
a young woman, also, beautiful
in person and intellect, was buried
in the usual hurry some ten yeaPI
ago. The body was afterWardl
taken up tor removal TO s distani
cemetery. She, too, had been en-
gagged, and in her coffin, in a terri
bic struggle for life, her face was
gashed, her hands and arms fright.
fully torn, her feet drawn up in q
wild endeaYor 10 extricate herself
from the horrible prison, her face
was furroWed and iacerated by tile
finger nails, so desperate had beer
her struggle.
4 young mau, in another city, wa:
thus buried, and his grave opened
six days aftcrward The body!had
turned upon the face. the arm was
bitten to tic bone, aud there were
+ other evidences Of the death wTest-
ling.
We remember that the story wa.
told, several years ago, that Lorenzo
=. Shepard, prominent lawyer Ot
The city OF New York, who died ap.