Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1871-07-29
Premature Burlals.

D4t paper puDllHHCu IN recent lHbQ
ofthe Eclectic Magazine, contribute
considerable amount Of valuable
data upon the horribly fascinating
subject of premature burials.
/ WeremCmber he observes, the viz
id terror produced, while yet in oul
/ boyhood, when an elder sister read s
story entitled "Buried Alive" The
person had fallen into a catalcptic
condition, becoming cold and rigid
while yet unconscious, and was duly
coflined and buried. lie was ex.
! humed by "resurrectiOnists,' carried
to a medical college, and placed on
the table Of the demonstrator Of an
atomy few shocks Of the galvanic
battery partially aroused him, and on
the wounding Of his breast by a knife
he gave signs Of life, and by proper
trcatmcntwas fully rcsuscitated.
Ten or twelve years afterwnrd, a
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, pcrceiying,
as she imagined, a warm spot on the
left breast, a daughter who was sit
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 interriHg a
living person. 1t was hardly proba-
bic, in the case in question, that such
a thing did occur, for the body re-
NAMED unburied long enough to al
low a return to consciousness.
But in this country the peril Of in
tcrncnt before death has actually
taken place is very often great. For
years past it has been very common
for persons in supposed health to
fall down suddenly, with every ap-
pearancc Of having died. We do
not regard sudden death with horror,
as it is often painless, and excmpts
the person from anxiety and other
unpleasant experiences which 80
often accompany lingering dissolu-
ton But there is fearful liability
of being prostratcd 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 ofcremation was in
fashion among us. There would at
least be the comfortable reflection Of
no ~uilocatiOn in the coffin; besides,
the application Of fire would gener-
ally arouse the cataleptic person to a
manifestation oflife.
Some two years ago, man in a
low state Of health was compelled to
take shelter in a deserted house in
Illinois, where he fell asleep. lie
was found in Il catalcptic trance, and
supposed to have died. In this con-
dition lie was removed and prepared
for burial, conscious all the time of
what was going on. but unable to ut
ter a sound, or make sign OF life.
His condition was fortunately dis
covered before il 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 woman who, while being
borne to the place of intcrmcnt, was
aroused to consciousness by the
joslliNg of her coffin against the wall
Of q OGse. as the bearers clumsily
turned the corner, She was speedily
rclcascd from her ccremcnts and con-
ycycd home where she lived several
years longer. She fell into IL de-
cline and died; the funeral again
took place, and the procession set
out for the grave. As ii drew near
the house on the corner, the husband
wiped his eyes hastily, and cried ont
to the bearers, BE careful when you
turn the corner Itis, however, no
topic for a Jest when we consider the
matter from the proper point. Per-
son, are buried alive, and hayeN ter
ribIc period Of agony in the coffin
before death comes to their relicr.
We cXCcrate the old Roman law
which authorized the magistrates to
bury alive their incontinent vCstal
virgins. The Thracians, after The
practice Of India, buried widows.
Anclris, or Esther, Queen Of NCrXes
and Persia, caused fourteen living
children to be inferred and until
lately, IIindoo widows were buried
or burned alive at ScuttCss. But we,
in our reckless carelcssncSs, do as
bad as they. \ writer in the nine
tcCnth century informs us that at the
public mOrtuary of Paris about one
in every 800 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
tithc of the precautions are taken
that are required in France and Eng
land,
a we'll 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 disloeatcd, the hair
turned white and torn out, and the
features distorted in horrible man.
ncr Fearful was the struggle OF
that man in his ghastly conflict for
life with every odds against him.
\ young woman, also, beautiful
in person and intellect was buried
in the usual hurry some ten years
ago. The body was afterwards
taken up tor removal to a distant
cemetery, She, too, had been en-
gagged, and in her coffin, in a terri
Die struggle for life, her face was
gashed, her hands aud arms fright
fully torn, her feet drawn up in a
wild cndcavor to eXtriCatC herself
from the horrible prison, her face
was furrowcd and laccrated by the
finger nails, SO desperate had been
her struggle,
A young man, in another city, was
thus buried, and his grave opened
six days altcrNard, The body!had
turned upon the fare. the arm was
bitten to the bone, and there were
other evidences of the death WRIST
ling,
Wcrcmcmberthat the story was