Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1874-08-11
BURIED ALIH f..

OF all horrible forms of death, this must be
the most horrible. That it sometimes occurs is
we'll known; how often no one knows. One
ease most ghasty 10 its details, has just come
to light \ young man. William B. Lack hurst,
was buried in the cemetery at Salt Lake, on
the 23rd of last mouth. On the Goth, only
three days before the burial, he had attended
apicuic taken swing aud then amused him
sell by swinging. While in the swing his head
4ropred, his muscles relaxed, he fell to the
rrouud and was taken up dead, according to
medical opinion. All efforts at rivival failed;
aud although "the body presented singulary
ltcllke appearance the physician certificate
ot died of heart disease forbade the doubt
lng relatives to delay the funeral louger than
single day beyond that first appointed. Two
days only intcrveued between the supposed
death and the iutermeut, aud living man, was
let down into the dreadful prison of the dead.
That llte.like face, however, still haunted the
home, and in an agony OF misgiving. the body
Was cxhumcd. A ghastly spectacle curdlcd
the blood of the by-standcrs. The body was
turned over ou its side. The skin and great
pieces of flesh had been torn from the face, the
halr pulled out 10 huge patches from the scalp,
the grave clothes and coffin lining torn into
>hreds, and the finger nails worn down to the
!uIch Dy INC ITaullC clOTtS vi iic ulau W UuISl
lhcccrem euts OF his grave.
\ contemporary recalls the fact that when,
some twenty years ago, in the reign Of Louis
Napoleon, the French government Instituted
an inquiry into hasty burial, venerable Arch
bishop addressed them earnestly in favor of i
longer Interval being enforced between death
and lntcrmcnt, than was then customary. Some
fifty years ago, he told the French Assembly, a
priest was saying mass in cathedral when, in
the middle of the holy rites, he fell dead, APP
mrcnty, at the altar. With the burning of
laperS, the melody of minstrels, and all the
circumstances of ecclesiastical mourning, the
funeral was proceeding. Many passed by the
bier TO gaze. as they supposed, tor the last time
on the features of the pastor and the friend so
suddenly cut of. As the lid was being closed
'he eyes of the dead man opened, deep sigh
escaped him, and before the terrified pail bear
e'> the priestly Lazarus stood forth. For more
NNan half a century he enjoyed vigorous life
aud rose from step to step In his profession. lie
whom the worms would have bauqueted on be-
came an Archbishop, and the head which burial
would have made by that time skull of, was
covered with the healthy flesh of hearty old
age and graced with the jeweled mltre.
that speak unto you am he, y said the old
archbishop to the French Assembly; "the
.VuuS priest who died for few days and was
9;saFy buried olive, is the old man who no ad-
1'esses you. '-Lynch Ncacs.
"A DREADFUL MIsrAKE-A man living
a'Iat sixty mlcs FROM Parsons Kansas, stole
S' morse mob went to his house, as they
,,"pposed ,a at night, aud finding that the occu-
ran psu, was IN bed, they told his wife that they
SbaeI Suu 10 see him minute. So he came out.
,r' "sy hnung HIM to tree, and then shot twenty
mo,a: r"v uuletS Into him, and left him. The next
man ,,utlS t, they found they had got the wrong
vul HliS one being hard working aborer,