The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1878-02-07
WHY DID HE DIE?

cent remarkable cases OF the dead coming
to life, an account of the sickness and
supposed death of young Philadelphia
81. Setback. Mr.. scHRAcK
has long been al active and Jealous
member of one of the Philadelphia
churches and prominent Sunday School
teacher. But, notwithstanding his
pious record, he seems to have had an
unworthy object IN coming back to this
wicked world after having spent three
hours in Paradise.
The Philadelphia Tines of Monday
tells the story:
There was no sermon delivered in Old
Swedes' (Gloria DER Church yesterday;
upon the cath and coming to lite OF ).
Harry Schrsck, nor did one of the
scholars in his Sunday School class refer
to the wonderful vision that he saw IN
the other world. People down town,
who formerly spoke OF the Schrack &C.
currence rs a miracle, now denounced
the entire affair SIS an admirably executed
fraud, of which the hanging o. Grape
from the door OF 123 Mary street, the
sending for an undertaken, and the an
nouucement of Schrack's death were part
and parcel. The members OF Old
Swgdes' Church, who, it now appears,
have been supporting Schrack-paylng
his rent and providing him with money
during his supposed illness, have
ceased their contributions. Vestrymsn
Morrison, who had provided him with q
sick chair and dressing gown, has
taken those articles home again. Schrack
expected that the Rev. Snyder B. Shines,
Of Old Swedes' Church, would yesterday
pay him q visit and administer Commun-
ion, but the pastor did not appear.
Schrack is fraud, and his death and
resurrection is q snare and de!uslon.
So say the members of the church; so
says Vestryman Morrison; SO says Rector
Shines; so says DR.. Cantrell, the attend
ing physician. and so say all who know
the alleged sick man.
DR.. J. A. Csntrell, Schrack's attending
physician, said yesterday:
When first saw j. Harry Schrack In
bed ut Us Mary street, my first impress.
sion was that the man WAS a fraud, be-
cause l judged from his physical condi
tion that he was well enough to be up
and about. The next day l waited on
DR.. Jones, his former physician, VINO told
me that Schrsck wss reputable man,
and that he was afflicted with some pull
monsry disease. When l again visited
Schrack, found him really weak and
his tongue furred, and it is my opinion
now that he must have taken tartar
emetic to superinduce that effect. l
found the symptoms changeable every
day; some days tho pulse was very
weak, and others 1t was OF right good
volume, but not too much force, and in
the light of present events, L
am convinced that he was taking medi-
cine secretly, other than that l gave him.
Bv the force of his will he has produced
spasms OF the heart or weakened the force
OF the organ. One day, for instance, |
would feel bis pulse and would find it
strong, then l would tell him that the
next day would make g thorough ex-
animation OF his lungs, but when the
next day came the sColndrc! would take
the tartar emetic or something else, and
would reslly be too weak for M examl-
nation. The day previous to the sup
posed trance BIO was weak, and undoubt-
edlv he had taken tartar emetic or a
sImilsr drug that day. did not see him
during the four hours Of suspended AMI
nation" nor until after his "return
to life" l have visited him
every day since, and found
him 10 be perfectly sound
man in every respect, which he ascribes
to Divine intervention, but which |
know to DO nothing moro than q sequel
to q cleverly done trick, The man
Schrack undoubtedly had nervous spssms
OF the heart, bat believe they were pro-
duced by an effort of his powerful will.
lie Is capable OF preventing TO certain
extent the full volume of air going into
his lungs, and thus impairing the full ac-
ton of his heart. This he can do by
drawing up his shoulders, keeping his
ribs still and Masking the muscles be-
tween the ribs rigid and this l have
detected by making an examina.
ton of bis lungs on Saturday,
which is the first time he has permitted
ME to do so. | found HIM to be per-
fectly healthy man, and l believe him
to be M impostor and a scoundrcl, and u
dangerous man TO the community. Con-
corning his trance ! really and honestly
believe that he carried this thing too far,
and it was real partial suspension of
animation beyond his control, and had IL
not been that the cold air was SLOWED TO
circulate sround the body and shock the
nervous system, producing resction, he
would probably hsvc never recovered
and it would have been good thing for
the community If he bad not.
The members of Old Swedes' Church
unite IN the belief that Schrack had but
started upon systematic course TO obtain
money from them by false pretences.
He has told some of them since his
miraculous recovery" thst an Atlantic
City hotel keeper protlerod him free
board during all of next summer, and
that an amusement manager had offered
him $25, 0OO to EXHIBIT himself rs the
dead man como to lite" But" said
Mr.. Schrack, ~ could not accept. | am