The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1876-06-02

ihE olOh1 ipLD IA n SikANbEh BIN ia IL
IN DEAD HOUSE "A STRANGE STORY.
Three men sat behind the great stove in
the cabin Of the Twilight last night on their
way to Troy. The wind howled without and
the vessel rocked with the waves The pas
sengers congregated around the steam heat
ers and read and talked and speculated on
the time that the vessel would make with
such hurricane sweeping down upon her.
The three men who sat behind the stove
any undue attention from the other passen-
gers.
At length they awakened, rubbed their
eyes stretched their limbs and looked around
They all awoke about the same time. They
seemed to be newly made friends, bound for
Troy. They were rough looking having the
cast and courage of sea-going men, or men
who had seen much of the world, and consc-
quently they were at their ease. They soon
entered into conversation, relating their ex-
periences in different countries. Then they
talked about the customs of the people, their
manner of worship and their manner of dis
posing of their dead
"Well," said the man who sat in the mid
die, Il have good reason to remember Bava.
ria as long as live" Some curiosity was
then expressed, and the man told a terrible
story of suffering and death at Munich. He
said he was in that city in 1913. He was
then young man, aud was taken i'll of some
kind of INDECENT fever After the fourth
day he became deirious and remembered
nothing until he woke up and found himself
dead. Then he went on to describe the man
ner of dealing with dead bodies.
There is a large vault in the suburbs of the
city called the dead house. There those who
die are hustled off almost as soon as the
breath has left the body. They remain there
twenty days and then they are buried if they
do not return to life. To each body is at
tached two wires connecting with bells,which
are numbered and hang in the watchmens
room adjoining the dead house. The least
motion of the body will ring the bell cores
ponding with tue number of the corpse.
The watchmen's room is never vacant. Be-
side the watchmen there are constantly
friends of the dead watching the bells intent
ly, but few of them ever ring.
After having given these details, the man
said that he went into trance or an uncon-
scious condition, and being to all appear
ances dead and being stranger, his body
was hurried off to the dead house. He had
no consciousness of being there, but when
they Strengthened him out on the cold slab
he knew what they were doing, but was
powerless to move or speak. When he heard
the great door creak and clang on its hinges
he gave up all hope of ever living again. He
thought he was in a tomb that had been for
ever sealed. He remembered nothing more
until six days afterward las he subsequently
learned
Then he was sitting bolt uprighl, and the
tomb was full of watchmen with lanterns.
He did not for moment comprehend his
situation. He thought he had arrived at
heaven or the dark regions, he didn't know
which, and that the men with the lanterns
were there to convey him to his final abode.
Then he thought he was dreaming. Then
he looked around him and saw dead bodies
on all sides, and was about to fall backward
when one of the watchmen seized him by the
arm and, giving him shaking up, said in
in his native language, care you dead or
alive?" He jumped up and said, ,"Pm alive!
let me out of here!
He was then taken to the office, his name
recorded, and physician sent for. He re-
NAMED in the Office a day and night, hav-
ing taken some stimulants and food land feel
ing we'll enough he was allowed to go on his
way. The news of his resurrection did not
seem to create much excitement although
such things rarely occurred. There were
some English and American people there
who made quite time about it, and ful
account was subsequently, published in thu
London papers, whittier he went as soon a
able to travel
When he was placed in the tomb the bell
, wires were affixed to his hand, but he knew
, nothing about it. The bells tingled, tn
, watchman said, on the night of the first da
, of his entombment, but on examining tn
, body no signs of life could be discovered
Bnt when he finally came to life he pnlle
the bells so violently that they fell dowr
Then the watchmen rushed in and foun
him as described. They did not seem terri
fed in the least, but took in the situation i
a business sort of way. 1t was, however,
n terrible experience to him, and when h
% discovered where he was and what he W.
% supposed to be, he nearly died outright
,e fright.
"A The watchmen told him that within the
NJ recollection only two Others had come to Ii
but they did not lie as long as he did. +
i. wanted no more of Munich.
no This morning the three men went asho
40 at the steamboat landing, and the man wi
- was once dead in foreign country was
- lively as ANYBODY TrOy Press.