The Western advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1872-1874, 1874-09-05
APPARENT DEATH.

buried alive, In consequence OF wrong
diagnosis, was known as far back as we
have any knowledge of the race and was
carl made the subject of serious inyes-
tigation. But the cases, 50 it was calcu-
lated, in which such an error was COM
mittcd arc SO exceedingly rare that the
danger arising from it is not greater than
that of being struck by a metcoric stone
or of being swallowed up by chasm
suddenly made under our feet by an
earthquake.
So the matter stood when the cele-
bratcd French physician, Thourct, in
1876, was commissioned to watch over
the new grounds Of the "Cimctiere dcs
lnnoccnts," mainly for the purpose of
promoting the sanitary condition of the
city. At that time the pick-ax and
shovel were busy in the older portion
Of the cemetery, which had been used
for many generations, and many of the
graves were opened in order to remove
the skeletons to the Catacombs. Thou
ret availcd himself of this opportunity
to investigate, and found, in seven or
eight cases, convincing evidences that the
subjects had been buried alive. The
skeletons in these cases bore unmis-
taxable proofs of there having been a
death struggle. Some of them lay on
tho belly, and had bitten their fingers to
the bone; in other cases the limbs were
drawn up against the coffin lids, which,
IN ono or two Instances, had been broken,
un!ucstonably by a pressure from
within
Thourct's discoveries created an i'm
mcnse sensation, and he himself became
SO fearful that it might be his lot to
1,nllo in oofHn +1,n< 1a
possible direction in his will to guard
against such an event. At the same
time the authorities made certain changes
in the laws regarding burials, and took
the necessary steps to have them more
generally obeycd. Burials were for
biddcn before the third morning, or with
out a certificate from physician. There
was u law to this effect previously, but
it had never been generally enforced,
and the lower orders almost universally
ignored it.
That, in the nineteenth century, dc.
spite all the precautionary measures that
have been adopted, such cases as those
verified by DR.. Thouret have occurred,
in all Il cir frightfulncss, there is abun.
dant proof. Among the best authcnti.
Gated are the following:
in the year 1926, young, robust priest,
named Donnet, stood in his pulpit
preaching Lent sermon, when suddenly
his voice began to grow feeble, he
changed color, and in few seconds fcl
1ifcless to the floor In indescribable
Consideration the congregation rushed
for the doors of the church. Two OF
three of the more intelligent and less
supcrstitious FASTENED to assist the priest
while others ran Immediately for {
physician, who, however, did not arrive
for nearly an hour.
The physician examined the young
man very carefully, and finally an
nounccd that, in his judgement, it was
case of apoplcxy; that death had cnsuc(
almost instantly; and that, of course, thu
case was one for the undertaken, and no
for the doctor.
Two days later the priest was put int
coffin and carried to the church wher'
the terrible event had occurred. Righ
and left burned the usual number o
tnpers. Solemnly resounded the DE 1,'1
,fMndis through the dimly-lighted halls
The supposed dead man, who was after
ward a cardinal, tells us in his report t.
the French Senate what he experienced
during these ceremonies. He saw AM
heard everything that was going OF
around him. but no cxertion of his will
was sufficient to affect the lcthargy tha
controlled his organism. His despai
surpassed everything that human imag
ination can picture. He felt that h
must at any minute succumb to the ag
ony he suffered, and herein was his onI
hope.
Suddenly he heard the voice of fricn
of his youth whom he had not seen 70
vnorc Tho 1vo11 horn6 t0nn
awakened a series of recollections whic
contrasted so strongly with his presen
situation, and produced so powerful a.
effect upon him, that all at once his mus
cles again obeyed the mandates of hi
will. He rose up and tried to make til
assistants understand that he was still, o
rather again, in the possession of his vi
tai energies; but cry Of amazement an
horror ran through the church. On tn
following day young Donnet was able t.
resume his duties.
A Paris journalist named Alexande
Ducros in the year 1860 died, as was SUI
posed, and was laid in state, after til
manner usually adopted with people Q
note Hundreds of his friends and ae
quaintances paid their last tribute of re
spect to the deceased, and entered thei
names in book that lay beside him t
receive them. Four or five days after
ward, two young journalists who ha
been among those who had paid their los
respects to their colleague met AlexaI
der Ducros on the boulevards, apparent
in perfect health. They. trembled an
stammered, as they would doubtless hav
done in the presence Of genuine apps
rition; still, it was Ducros in person, an
not his spirit, who thus surprised then