Port Royal commercial and Beaufort County Republican. [volume] (Port Royal, S.C.) 1873-1874, 1874-01-29
About to be Buried Alive.
Remarkable Escape from Terrible
Death:

Remarkable Escape from Terrible
Death:
In the northern part of the city of st.
Joseph, Mo-, says local paper, lives a
carpenter, with his family, who are ma
tives Of France, and have been in this
country about eight years. One of their
children is a little girl named Mary,
and the subject of this singular story.
The child was born in Paris, and was II
years old on the 26th day of June last.
She speaks French, German, and Eng
lish fluently, and in conversation e1-
hibits an uncommon intensity of mental
action and vividness of mental vision.
She is fair comple1ioned and very
beautiful, with lustrous eyes, sunny
hair, and look of spiritual maturity in
her countenance. She has sometimes
said that she could see the forms of
persons who have died, and as her sin.
cerity could not be doubted, this occa-
stoned some alarm in the minds of her
parents.
The health of the child has not been
good for several months, and on Satur-
day morning, three weeks ago, she
startled her mother by saying she could
see her dead sister Louise, who came
near her in an angel form and spoke to
her, telling her that she would make
her 50 we'll that she would never be
sick any more. Her mother tried to
dismiss the subject from her mind, but
she could not stop talking, and con-
tinued, describing her sister, saying
that she was standing near dressed in
pure white, her face bright and shining,
her hair illumined with silver light, and
golden dew-drops dripping from her
wings. She could also see her dead
brother, who came close to her sisters
side. While talking her strength gave
way, and she sank away as in death.
The worst forebodings of the parents
had been realized, and they prepared
the body for burial. No physician had
been called in, as they supposed that
death had already fallen upon their
child. 1t was about 10 o'clock in the
morning when the apparent death oc-
Cured. The body was kept till Sun
day afternoon about o'clock, nearly
thirty-six hours, during which time no
sign of returning life had been noticed.
The final look at the remains was taken,
the coffin was sealed up and placed in
the hearse, and the little cortege started
for the grave, the parents following the
hearse in q carriage.
After proceeding some distance, and
coming down Third street, the quick
ear of the saddened mother caught the
echo of familiar cry, and she gave ex-
preston to her suspicion that it came
from the coffin of her child. Her sus-
picion was overruled, but in few mo-
ments second cry was heard, and, in
compliance with the wishes of the mo-
ther, the hearse was stopped and the
coffin drawn out. The struggles of what
was supposed to be the lifeless body
could now be plainly Heard. The coffin
was quickly opened, and the child
found to be alive, to the amazement
and unspeakable delight of the parents.
In her struggles she had nearly torn
from herself her death robes.
She was quickly taken from the coffin
and carried into the house of French
lady at hand, where they bathed her in
vinegar. She recovered her strength
rapidly, and in short time ives taken
to the home she had left only few
hours before an apparent corpse. Since
that time she has been as we'll as for the
last few months. Her parents make
every effort to keep her mind from re-
verting to the terrible episode in her
young life, fearing that there is fear
full fascination in it to her.
She says that while others thought
her dead, she could feel their touch
and hear distinctly all that was said,
but could not move single muscle or
make the slightest sign. She knew
when they dressed her for the coffin,
when she was laid in it, and heard the
terrible lid fastened down, but could
not make motion, and was utterly
powerless until the hearse had gone
some distance, when the physical forces
were probably set in motion again by
the motion of the vehicle.
She describes with singular enthusi-
asm and power, for one so young, the
beatifc sights that, she saw while en-
tranced, many different beings appear
ing to her in wonderful beauty.