Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1876-07-13

after him. Finally his malady became
so pronounced that he had to be
watched to prevent his self-destruc-
ton. One day while his attendants
left him fer moment he committed
suicide by jumping from a second
story yeranda of the hospital, head
first, and dashing out his brains against
the stone pavement. This news of his
suicide spread rapidly, and created
profound feeling of regret, for as a
physician and man he was very pop
ular and had many friends. To set at
rest various reports concerning bis
death, the grave of the supposed dead
sailor was opened. the coffin taken out,
and the lid taken off in the presence of
the officials. To the establishment of
all the coffin was partly filled with
stones and clay, with layer of brush
on top to keep the thing compact.
The police Immediately went to
work to solve the mystery, and traced
out the following strange facts: The
sailor, as indicated, was full of practi-
cal jokes, and thought he would play
one on the authorities by feigning
death. AS recorded, his friends found
him stiff and cold in his room, from
whence he was taken to the hospital,
where the physicians pronounced him
dead man, none being so positive in
this opinion as the doctor, whose
| strange death is already recorded. It
is now believed that the sailor was
sleeping off his drunk, and that he was
| Just conscious enough to know what
was going on, but unable to avert it.
This is not an uncommon feeling
with those who have experienced
the use of Intoxicating drugs OF liquids.
| Gradually awakening from his stupor
he began to discover that the joke was
| getting to be rather serious when he
| found out that he was III a coffin. 1t
is not the first time that men supposed
! to be dead have hOwled in their cOffinS
and thus procured a new lease of life
The sailor evidently determined to
make struggle for his life, and, as
known, commenced to howl in his cOf-
fin. The fright and fleeing of the
KanakaS is already known. The police
| Investigations continued with the hope
of discovering how the stones and clay
got in the coffin. 1t appears that when
| I'll 4lo I
partially gave way and thus the
sailor forced it upward. The wag,
who seemed to have been very keen
Witted, determined to bury the coffin
again and so carry out the joke after
all. This he was enabled to do, be-
cause it so happened that near by
dropped some WOrkmen had been put
ting up a fence and left their tools and
nails while they went to dinner. The
corpse that was, having safely deposit
ed the coffin and covered it up, took to
the dense bush, where he secreted HIM
self until night, and then came back to
Papeete, covered with a paren, long
garb worn by the natives. AS corpse
he had on a shirt. Thus disguised
he presented himself to his friends
and narrated his extraordinary eXpe-
riences. They hid him away for few
days. when he shipped on board yes
sci bound for foreign port, resolving
! that he would never again visit Tahiti.
Strange and improbable as this story
may seem, it is the truth and nothing
| but the truth. No names are given,
for reasons unnecessary to state.
Whoever has any doubts may consider
them JmfOunded. The dead sailor did
come to life, and the most popular ply
stefan that has ever been Oh the island
met his death in the sad manner midi
Gated. Well may it be said that
'truth is stranger than fiction. .
Papeete, Tahiti, Cor. San Francisco
| Chronicle.
THE ST. Paul Press tells of lady
| who desired to send her husband, who