Smyrna times., 1877-05-23
Not Buried Alive.

lrenmus," a well-known correspondent
OF the New York OJs,rrcr, writes as follows
in the issue Of that paper:
For some years past have taken great
pains to ascertain the truth in regard to the
published statements of persons being
buried alive, under the supposition that
they were dead. In every instance the
story has proved to be false.
"Yet there is not year without the
horrible narrative of somebody somewhere
being consigned to the tomb, and, for some
cause or other, the grave or vault being
opened, the discovery was made that the
buried individual had come to- and had
perished miserably in frantic efforts to
obtain deliverance. 1t has been my habit
on seeing III the newspapers one of these
statements, to send letter of inquiry to
the minister or some other resident of the
region, requesting the precise facts in the
case. Lttr'aby the story proves to be a
fabrication, or Il growth out of something
that had nothing terrible in it. One person
heard somebody say that She had heard of
man who told another that he believed
that man had been buried before he was
dead. And then it gets into the papers,
and into the traditions of the neirhbor.
hood, and then into tho books, and so it
becomes part of the graveyard literature
of the world.
The latest instance to which | have at
tended, Is that of DR.. Green, of Hoosic
Fails, \. \. Some few years ago he Law
Two or three days in a trance. A few
weeks ago nc died. At the proper time he
was laid in u vault. When it came to be
ealked about that he was once in a trance
state, there was some anxiety as to his con-
ditlon, and the vault was visited only to
ma the most obvious evidence-the same
that Lazarus gave-that he had been dead
all the time he lay there. But this was
enough to start the story, and the tele.
graph, not from Hoos;c, n. Y, but from
Behnngt0n, VT, sent the startling intelli.
gence that signs Of life were discovered, the
body was taken home, and the result was
yet awaited with intense anxiety! | wrote
TO friend in Hoosic and learned the facts.
which are without any romance or sensa-
ton. The doctor died and was buried.
That is all.
" Now, do not deny that such dreadful
accidents as premature burials may and do
stances Of which there is no reason to
doubt the truth. But even this is admit.
ted with mental reservation, for the books
insist that no authentic cases are on record.
The mother Of tho Scotch preacher, the
Erskines, is tradionally held to have been
placed in vault when she was supposed to
be dead. A ring on her finger tempted the
sexton to undertake its abstraction. but
when he used his knife she started from n
trance: he left somewhat hastily: she fol-
lowed him and went home, to the great
surprise of her husband. This is the tradi-
ton, but if it were traced to its source, it
would be found as unfounded as all the
rest. No better proof of the unreliability of
these stories than the results of the system
adopted in Germany, Of placing the dead
IN houses prepared for their reception,
"here they are watched professionally
until decay makes it obvious that life is ex.
.sNhct. AT Mentz, a surgeon was forty.five
ars attached to one of these houses, and,
Nlthough it was rare for the house to be
without an inmate, in all that time there
was not an instance of person beino
restored. When | was at Halle. and at the
grave OF Gesenius, asked the sexton to
snow me the arrangements to prevent pre-.
mature burials. lie was an old man. sex.
tons are often old men: he led me to a
mousse near the gate of the cemetery: in
one OF its two rooms was bed, on which
'he body OF the one supposed to be dead is
placed; 1t is covered up, as in sickness.
ana the air carefully kept in a state favor.
aole to health. On each finger is placed a
thlmble, and from each one extends n
thread, passing through the wall to bell
SO delicately hung, that the least pulsation
OF movement of finger would set the bell
ringing, to the alarm of the attendant, who
instantly flies to the reviving sufferer.
And how many times, in your long
service, have you rescued your customers
from an untimely grave ?"
Not once" he answered. 81 have