The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-09-25
WAS HE DEAD, on ALIVEs
Hsw n Sexton was scared by Noises In n
Coma, and What Came Of IL.

| Shelter Islands most recent wonder was
the reported buri alive OF one of Its Oldest and
most respected Inhabitants, Capt. Samuel Lester.
On Friday. Sept. |, Ciut. Lester suddenly died
In Norwich, Conn, whittier he had gone with
sIoop load Of melons. lie had ju.t eaten his
diOuer IN estaurant, prepurtory to embark
ing Tor home. and, hurrying down to the wharf,
he jumped upon the deck VI his sloop with sur
prising agility for man nearly o. years old and
weighing zOO pounds but he inst ntly fell 81 X,
and IN few minutes to all appearance died
The funeral services were performed early on
SUNDAY morning In the PRESBYTERIAN church
htterwarj the cOnil was borne to tue grave IN
the chuicnyad d, and the sexton, MIR. Preston.
was lett alone to cover ". suddenly he was
startled by strange noise tn { seemed To come
from the CONN., tut that could not have been
MADE by the cartn rafting upon It's No. IL
sounded IKE the splitting of a log " wood IN the
forest with powerful wcuge. lie says that he
Knew II wss only tn bodv swelling aud burst
ING tle comm, aud tn VI ne wen On phi losOpai-
caliy hhgg up tue Rr We. Otoers say that he
throw down his SPADE and took 10 his heels,
PACK ne sun heard be mysterious noises. Then
" was said he IN yelled the grave full aud kclt
the secret To himself for several days. tut finally
told 1t TO the dead mans friends.
From mouth 10 nVuth INC story grew, and
some ersDns. believing that Clpt. Lester h d
.een buriel alive. offered To open the grave,
but the deai mans friends ,td they knew
ne wss re NY dead and so the grave was
wich was applied to tor n soluthn Of tho
M stery, and he immediately tn uisnrd one
that was 80 Iliin that everybody wondered
tuev had not tnougnt Ut IL before. : 1t water,
u. idvrtak said, was at tue bottom Of 81 All,
When the colin. ON It's rough passage over Gar
dlnets bay. gOt wet Ahn the waves, the glue
was iosehed. and when put mo the grave. Win
tnt hedN' EARN Il OF ping upon IL. and tue force
oi tue gases pressing nom Witnin, IL began to
crhch ouen producing tno noise tnat bad star
Ued toe seNton ana given rise to all the wld
stvrie, mat mad got ahp {. 1hen WIS retuem-
bercd that the body mad been prep red for
ia Ill N way IT. could leave no aouct of tue
total absence OF life.
ihe ~ kun, who - a soem n-visaQe1 elderly
man, was In his Cornicld loading a cart with
sn-dv's ON "Wednesday. lie IL a man of few
words, lnd when ne spe rs T. is la a dreamy way
ana Win "a far-uH look. ~ II he were drawing
Inspiration from the distant HORIZON. ~. 1
w"s not tiguten' u Nv the noise. ue said. "
an "A man WAC - easiy scarf. diunL run "a.
| knowed wndt L. wa. You see. the coru-e. Nt.s
u oi hrsenic. ana when u began - pW ell tue
la 81 cheN. luat man wasn't buried alive hy
10 mean. spt sc there's cases 90 tnat. though.
a lew wears agO q yodng man on the island uled,
And uf .cr ne ~ a. dead there camo a rsl spot IN
his check. lie looked 50 lifelike thit shsN ket
him iur "A while, hut no didut come to life, aid
they buried him. I spose It was tn meaieins
he ID ken that made MIN look 80. As - fol.Is
heartn' grOans from Capt. Testers grave, that
amt possible. for the graveyard "A goou W Se
"a lrOiu toe road. It's all stories tnat GU uear;
there amt no truth in It,"