Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1877-02-09

DEArn OF NATIVE VERNoNTER.-In the
appropriate place will be found chronicled
the death of Mr.. Joel Griffin. native OF
westford, Vt, which took place in Warren.
Lake county. ILL.,. January 18th. The fol
lowing notice of his death is from the Wau-
kegsn (Ill) Gazette:
Mr.. Griffin was born in Westford, Yer
mont, in November, 1905, where he lived
until early manhood, when, after marriage,
he removed to Chatesugsy, New York.
which place be made his home until about
twenty years ago. lie had three children /;
Mr.. William Griffin, son who died in this
county about year ago, and two daugh-
tiers, both residents of the State of New
York The deceased removed to the town
of Warren in this county, about eighteen
years ago. soon alter his marriage to the
companion who has now been called to
mourn his demise. Mr.. Griffin was a man
of strong, marked character. a great reader,
an original thinker and withal public
spirited. energetic business man. What he
believed to be right that he did, and there
was no bending his will where he considered
a matter OF principle was involved.
Although not protesting to Christianity a.
commonly accepted, he had great respect
for true moral. religious and temperance
principles wherever found. He lived To
ripe old age. respected by all who knew
him, ard died lamenttd by many more than
the small circle Of relatives and family
friends who gathered to pay their last re-
spects to him whom they had known 50
long and 80 we'll. This was attested at the
funeral on Monday, which. although occur
ring in the midst of one of the seyerest
storms of the season. was attended by
almost the entire community in which he
had lived, a. well as by numbers from other
parts OF the county.
TERRIBLE OCCURRENCE-ALIyEIs AN AIR
TIGHT CoFFIN.-The Omaha Herald tells
the following terrible story:
The body of man. who went to Califor-
MIA TO regain his health. was recently ship
ped in metallic coffin for his former home
IN the East. When the Central Pacific
train arrived at Ogden Junction the corpse
was consigned to the Union Pacific EXPRESS
Company and placed under charge of
Express Messenger Frank Burgess While
the train was in the western part Of Nebrss-
ka. Mr.. Burgess heard sounds from the
coffin that lead him to believe that the dead
man had come to life. It was in the night.
and he heard the sounds as he lay dczing
and half asleep. Again the roise was
heard, ard the attention of the messenger
was riyettcd TO the coffin, and the horrible
possibility that the dead might be alive
thrust itself upon the messenger so forcibly
tina: be called the attention of other en-
plOyes to it. but after listening moment
they merely laughed at him. The
convictions of the express messenger,
however. were 50 strong that he had
heard means from the cCffin that he had
the case opened when the train made its
next halt. The weather was very cold, and
upon the inside of the glass plate of the
coffin there had accumulated a thin film of
frost, such as might have been deposited by
the breath of a person confined in such mar
row quarters. The face was also drawn up
against the glass plate. and other distur-
Dances indicated life. While Burgess had
no doubt that the man. though dead then,
had been alive in the coffin. the other en-
ployes explained the accumulation OF frost
on the glass as the natural exhalations of
the dead body, and the disturbances of the
corpse as due to the movements in the ship
ping. A private despatch, received from
Chicago last night, says that when tho col
fin arrived at its destination and was open
ed. unmistskable proofs Of the terrible truth
were discovered. The hands were clenched,
the lips bitten, and the mouth filed with
bloody froth. The man had been alive, and
it was bis moaning that had been heard but
not recognized.