The weekly clarion., 1878-04-24
TRUTH STRAGER THAN FIG.
THON.


a strange story Of suspended anima
ton like death, and return to con-
sciousness with other natural or unnatur-
al phenomena, comes from Philadelphia.
Mr.. j. H. Schraek is an intelligent
young man of thirty, and a well-known
merchant. Last September he had an
attack OF hemmorrage of the lungs and
became a confirmed invalid He was
also afflicted with nervous spasms of the
heart, and the physicians pronounced him
a hopeless case. He lost flesh and grew
weaker, could retain neither medicine nor
food, and almost lost the use of his limbs.
To follow his symptoms closely, since
they looked so much like gradual disso-
luton: On Wednesday, Jan. %, he had
chills and severe spasms. On the follow
ing Saturday the spasms were followed
by rapid change in the patlents ap-
pearace; the left side OF his body became
numb and useless. Saturday evening
his eyesight failed and total deafness en-
sued. He could speak only with the
greatest difficulty. At four o'clock Sun
day morning he was blind and in terri
ble suffering. His stomach was swollen,
and the spasms increased in violence.
At seven o'clock, utterly helpless and
thoroughly benumbed, he gasped to his
attendents, "throw me over" They
turned him over in bed, and to all ap-
pearances he expired. His limbs be
came rigid, and his face showed the
usual signs of dissolution. A mirror
placed over his face gave no signs of
breath The man was declared dead on
Sunday morning, January q. The
story gOes-and it is well authenticated.
that at noon of that day J. H. Schrack
was alive and well. He was not only
free from pain, but his sight and hear
ing had returned, and he was without
any symptom of disease, and hungry and
hearty These phenomena excited great
curiosity and much comment, and an in
terest to get all the facts of the extraOr-
dinary case of suspended animation and
complete restoration. The proceedings
subsequent to the supposed death are
interesting.
1t was not until II o'clock Sunday that
the prep tration of the body for the fu
neral commenced. Soon the attendants,
with the grave clothes in their hands,
heard a groan. 1t came from the sup
posed corpse. 1t soon became very evi
dent that the man was not dead. He was
wrapped in blankets, and bottles of hot
10 tar ";-A 2tear restoratiyes were used
under the direction of rhys;a;a., a
profuse perspiration came, and with 1t
consciousness, and sight and hearing and
perfect health. On Monday he convers
ed freely of his experiences, and this IS
part of what he said:
[ found myself in another land. The
vision J looked upon was the most beau
tiful that man ever saw. 1t would be
impossible for me to give description
that would do it Justice. My first feel
ing was that Of falling down great
height, and then l found myself in Il val
ley. | walked along until | came to a
terrible, dark, black river, at sight of
which | shuddered and feared.
Before me and beyond the river was
a black cloud. Others were walking
over the river, and although | dreaded
it, something urged me on, and | felt
that | had to go with the others. AS L
got nearer to the dark cloud it became
bright and beautiful, and expanding it
opened aud disclosed the most beautiful
sight. The first | saw was } esus. L saw
a great temple and great throne. !
saw my little boy who was drowned two
years, ago and my other dear child. |
saw my dead wifej but | could not touch
them. l saw people whom l had almost
forgotten. l saw my old gray haired
grandfather, who died when | was but
two years old. There were many whom
| looked for, but I did not s8e them
Then the vision beg an receding, and l
never can describe the terrible disap-
pointment felt when found myself again
in bed. | felt, indeed, grieved. 1t was
IL o'dock when 1 regained my conscious
ness, and [ felt at once as though my life
-Aad been renewed. / was a new man.
had not then, nor have | now, an ache
or pain. My eyesight, my hearing a I'd
NY speech had fully returned, and now
feel as we'll as ever did in my life
The doctors don't know what to think
of this, and the philosophers are puzzled
as well. The man who was stricken to
deaths door by disease, and was as appa
rently dead as deaths door nail, was in
less than six hours restored to health,
and is now walking around receiving the
congratulations of his friends, and tell
ins the strange stcrT ct his consciousness
in the Journey to aaothet world, While
his friends were arraying him in grave
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