The Albany register. [volume] (Albany, Or.) 1868-18??, 1873-05-16
A Horrible Truth Secrets OF the
Tomb.

l
With all the reverence due to
the dead, and with every possible
regard for the feelings of the living,
which III no way would we harrow
up unnecessarily, we state and be-
lieve, that not unfiequently, there
are instances where human beings
are buried alive!
70 be sure this is an uncommon,
but by no means an impossible cir
cnmstance, as facts have shown.
Under the sod in the yarions grave
yards of the land may be further
evidence Of this kind. In ceme.
terieS that have been dug over, and
the remains Of the dead exhumed,
there have been found il cotfins,
nailed and screwed tightly together,
bodies OF skeletons that were turned
over Oh their sides or faces some.
times with the knees drawn up, tie
joints distended, tile hands clehched,
the arms thrust against the coitin's
narrow sides, the tiugnres twisted
in the hairs Of the head, the eyes
glaring, the teeth ground together,
the head doubled under, and mahy
indubitahle proofs that the last death
struggle did not take place before
burial, but that after the c,ffin had
been laid away in the ShaaeSOf the
tomb or lowered in the deep. soiled
earth, then and there a fierce, ay.
onzing desperate, loliely and hope
less contest for life was wagef into
exhaustion!
In the old public burial grounds
in the city Of Brooklyn, when a
general exhumatim was made to
enable the ground to be diverted to
the streets and building lots, the
writer saw no less than eight Of
such instances. One Of these was
evidently that Of young bride,
dressed in wedding garments Of the
richest white satin, with a bridal
veil, and ring Of costly style and
quality, and all the evidence Of
wealth, refinement aud station III
lite. The remains were supposed
to have been buried about twenty
years previously. The coffinplate
was gone, aid inthe really indecent
haste of the heartless contractors
and british laborers, who ruthleSsly
tore and tossed the re les up, there
was not the taintest clue to the
identity.
But upon examination it was dis
covered that the skeleton was
twisted and displaced las no sIock
Of the exhnmation could have
cansed) and the garments gasped
as in a vice in the clenched finger
bones, showing concluSively that a
terrific struggle had taken place in
the last narrow honse and home Of
the lovely, youthful, earls loved
and lost bride. Even the long
raven tresses, which were as glossy |
and perfect as ever, were bit fast IN
the HeShleSs teeth AZ though with
the final despairing, smothered cry |
and grasp Of death! Numerous IL
stances OF a similar nature have
transpired in different places.
A most heart.rpndins instance
of this kind has just been reported |
at this Office. The information
appears to be truthful, and the cir
cumstances narrated probable.
On Thursday ot last week col |
ored man died Tor was supposed 70
have dled) and great lamentation
was made over lis body by the rela-
tiyeS and friends. The corps was
laid out, the limbs composed, the
eyes closed, and the features were
exceeding natural. ASis sometimes
the custom, so-ealed mourlers
were provided with Victuals and H.
toxicatins liquor, which they piled
themselves with until surfeited and
drunk. Noisy aud ildecorous de-
monstations Of grief were made Un-
til the third day Saturday. when
the brother Of the supposed corpse
became incensed at the disgracetul
proceeding and determined to bury
it at once.
The other folks demonstrated, de.
claring that the body was yet warm