The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1876-12-21
A Strange Case OF Suspended Anima-
tiOh or Decomposition.
louisville Commercial.l

LOUISVILLE Commercial.1
The case of the young lady, Mis-
Laura Rothsield, whose death was an
nounced the other morning, furnishes
some strange and singular features, which
will give our physicians and scientific
men fresh material for study and refec.
.tion. After having lain in coffin for
several hours, she exhibited symptoms
of life, and the body was Immediately
removed and placed upon sofa in front
of the fire, where it has been ever since.
The complexion remains the same as in
life, the features are unchanged, and she
looks like one in peaceful slumber.
Miss Rothsfeld had just turned her
seventeeth year, and ut times during her
whole life has suffered from epilepsy, an
affliction that has been hereditary in her
family. She has always been delicate,
never enjoying good health, and attacks
of epilepsy have been more frequent
during the past few years and more
severe than at any other time. On Satur-
day che complained of having head
ache, and on Sunday her suffering was
such as to confine her to her bed, and
she grew worse, and Monday afternoon
was attacked with cramps, and DIR. Mason
was sent for. Everything possible was
done for her relief, but without avail.
Once during the evening she spoke to
her mother, but from that time remained
unconscious until about seven o'clock
Wednesday, when she seemed to pass
away as quietly as one falling in pleas
ant slumber. Her pulse continued to
beat, though hardly perceptible, until
eleven o'clock, but finally all signs of
life ceased, and the physicians pro-
nounced her dead. The body remained
warm until some time after this, and was
kept in the bed until Thursday morn
ing, when her family became satisfied
that she was dead, and arrangements
were made orthe funeral. In prepar-
ing the body for interment, it was
noticed that the breast and neck were of
a blush color, which extended along
the right side of the face to the hair. The
face was also very pale, and those who
dressed the body stated that the cheeks
appeared somewhat sunken.
After dressing the body in white
shroud il was placed in coffin about
nine o'clock, Thursday morning.
About noon number of friends gathered
around the coffin noticed that the COM
plexion had changed to a more natural
shade, and that the mouth had opened.
The family were Immediately called, and
when they returned to the coffin the
mouth had closed, but otherwise there
was no indication that life still remained.
Rev. DIR. Weygold called at the house
about two o'clock, and upon his sugges-
s<,,t hn hAIx ba
coffin and placed on q sofa near the fire.
This was Thursday afternoon, and the
body has remained there ever since,
within few feet of the fire, without the
slightest change taking place.
A reporter of the Commercial called ut
the house last evening. The body was
lying on the sofa dressed in'the shroud,
covered with a quilt, and looked like
one in peaceful slumber. The body
was stiff and cold, except the feet and
the fingers, and the ears. The fingers
and ears were as pliable as in life, and
not icy like the rest of the body. The
blush color about the breast and face
mentioned above had passed away, and
the complexion changed to a more natu-
raj color. The mother stated that several
times the mouth would open sufficiently
to show the teeth, but it was closed and
the lips firmly set last night. There
were no other signs of life.
A number of physicians called at the
house, yesterday, and were of the opinion
that the girl was dead, but were puzzled
as to the changes said to have taken
place. The mother, however, thinks
that life still exists, and says that she
will not permit the body to be buried
unless decomposition sets in, of which
there is not the least indication at pres
ent, although the body has lain by a fire
two days. 1t is, indeed, a strange case.
AS strange coincidence, it may be
stated that the grandmother of Miss
Rothsfeld, when seventeen years of age,
lay in trance for three days, and the
body was stiff and cold as in this case
She afterward recovered, lived to be
seventy years old, and was the mother
Of sixteen children.