Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1874-01-29
APPARENT BUT NOT ACTUAL DEATH.

The extraordinary case OF Miss
Bonney of Canewaugus, in this State,
who in November last foretold her
death at a certain time, predicting that
she would return to life after period
of suspended animation, and the partial
fulfilment of her prediction, have ex-
cited much interest throughout the
country. It will be remembered by
readers of inE Sun that on the 10th of
November she announced to her friends
that the time had come for her depar-
ture and that during the night which
followed she ceased to live, expiring
without any appearance Of illness. Her
friends waited very patiently for her
resuscitation, keeping her body un-
buried some six weeks and until de-
composition commenced, when a
Coroner's jury pronounced her dead
beyond the possibility Of revivifcation.
This is a very singular story, but it
is one that is fully authenticated. 1t is
very strange that Miss Bonney should
have been able by an effort Of her own
will to terminate her life at an appoin-
ted time without apparent pain or
illness, for that is what she really APP
pears to have done; but it would have
been far more wonderful ifshe had been
able to reanimate her lifeless remains,
as she evidently expected to do. Still
there is strong evidence to show that
it is possible fol- persons to die to all
appearance and TO pass through all the
symptoms Of death so perfectly as to
deceive even the most skilful of physi,
clans, and yet after burial be restored
to life.
That it is possible to feign death well
enough to be carried away for burial
has been fully established There are
a number of we'll authenticated facts to
prove it to those who have not the
time to travel to Asia, where the ars OF
feigning death and submitting to beng
buried for weeks and months is. a
regular accomplishment Of several
religious sects Mr.. Lepel II. Griffin,
the Acting Secretary Of the British
Provincial Government of the Puniab
in East India, speaks Of the following
story as an indubitable fact, and has
it in his recently published
historical work, entitled THE j;ajaa OF
the Punjab:'
Phul was the R;lje Or chief of t|le
State Of Pattiala, in Punjab. One of
the teachers of his youth was a cele-
brated fakir named Samerpuri. When
of age, Phul was confirmed by the
Government in the clieftains}fip which
had been held by his family for So
many years He was faithful 4ass;I,
aud lived in peace with the Rajas who
were mightier than he, and those who
had nothing worth fighting for; other
wise he improved every opportunity
for increasing his wealth and power.
One day he came to the conclusion that
he would not pay his tribute. The
Governor was rather sensitive on this
point, and pressed his claim by Selling
Phul's person and throwing him into
prison. Phul had no confidence in the
justice administered in other courts
than his own, and-he died.
To hide from the people the fast of
their chieftians death was impossible
They came in grand procession clsmor-
ing for his body, that they might burn
it according to the rites Of their religion
Their request was grai ted, and the
body of Phul was delivered to his wife
who carried it back to their own terri
tory.
This woman, whose name was Bali,
was the daughter of a zamindar Of
Dilami, in Nabha. She knew that
Phul was the pupil of Samcrpuri, the
wisest fakir in Punjab. There was
every reason for believing that
Samerpuri had taught Phul the art Of
feigning death, an accomplishment for
which he was celebrated all oven the
land. She was herself wise wo,uan,
and knew the art of restoring to life,
and she made Phul again living man,
when he made it his first business to
make good the Irregularities in his
accounts with the Government, which
stopped further proceedings against
him.
Phul's desire for independence was
quieted for while; but ten years later.
when another Governor had been ap
pointed, he could not repress his desire
to show his proud spirit to the new
conner by failure to pay tribute. Phul
was an unlqcky man. Again he was
suddenly torn from the midst of his
people and thrown into prison.
Knowing the fate that awaited him,
and not having any hope of receiving
aid from without, but feeling sure of
being restored to life again if he died
according to his own method, he startl-
ed his keepers one day by lying before
them as corpse. The new Governor,
however, had heard of Phurs old trick,