Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1879-10-31
THE TOWER OF SILENCE.
The Fate Of HIndOos Who Escape from
Premature Burial.
bombay Gazette.

The Fate Of HIndOos Who Escape from
Premature Burial.
Bombay Gazette.
Within the last half century or more
old gossips have delighted in telling
thrilling stories of the Parsi dead occa.
sioniy returning in their own bodies and
flesh among the living after their las:
remains had been consigned to the
Towers Of Silence. An instance is re.
lated in which male member Of an
old Parsi family, known in Bombay NJ
The Dhunna Pdteli family, re-appeared
before female member of 1t several
years after his death, and claimed her
as his own sister. Not many months
ago complaints were made in the local
Gujarati journals of corpse-bearer who
was suspected of having, with large
iron shovel like those kept in the Tow
ers of Silence, branded man who,
having come to life some hours after
being laic in the tower, was seen sitting
up on the stone slab whereon his dead
body had been placed. 1t was stated
that had not the man been killed mer-
cilessly he might have scaled the tower
wall, and, escaping with his life, might
have been restored to his family and
friends. Disguise is said to be u neces-
sary precaution for persons "come from
the dead" for u deep-rooted supersti-
ton associates their presence among
the living with sure sign OF an i'm
pending public calamity or an epidem-
ic. Such stories of visits from the dead
do not, however, find great credence
among the Parsis of Bombay. In the
Molussil towns, where the walls of the
Tower of Silence are low, and therefore
easily scaled, where the towers them
selves are situated mt considerable disr
tances from the habitations of men,
and favor the escape of anyone who
might come to life after being laid
among the dead, old gossips find free
scope for their tongues in the narration
of stories similar to those mentioned
above. We now hear of case, the par
ticulars of which might be sufficient for
u writer of the Sensational school" to
weave chapter of blood-curdling ro-
nance. Eleven years ago Shapurjee
Cahanjeebho was 81 well-to-do resident
OF Dehegaum, village situated at u
short distance from Gandevi. A faith
lul, obedient wife managed his house
hold affairs, and the "even tenor of their
ways" was enlivened by the presence of
two promising sons. In the course of
time the sons were betrothed and mar
ried, and their circle of relations widen
ed. While on u visit to Gandevi on
business, Shapurjee was attacked with
fever, and died suddenly, after an i'll
ness Of two days. His wife and rela-
tons were present ut his death-bed, the
proper religious ceremonies were hur-
riedly gone through, and his last re-
mains We're, in the manner of Zoriostri-
ans, consigned to o Tower of Silence
His relatives mourned their loss and
went to their own village. Some hours
after being laid in the tower, Shapurjet
is said to have recovered from coma
tose state. He saw the awful position
assigned him among the dead bones Of
his ancestors. Being u man of ready
resource, he looked through asmall
hole usually kept in the wall ola Tower
of Silence, and saw some village people
passing at distance. He raised cry
of distress, which drew the men nearer
to him. Understanding what he said,
they assisted him in scaling the walls
Of the tower. They went their way and
connived ut his escape from an awful
doom. He procured u disguise and
wandered from village to village as
though pursued by terrible foe. BY
turns he became beggar, a hakim, i.
g., II quack. Wandering far and wide,
he has ut present turned up in Bombay,
in the disguise Of a bairaghee, i. O., q
religious heggar, and dispenses native
drugs and nostrums. He has recogniz-
ed, or pretends TO recognize, certain
Parasis residing at Maragon, and claims
kinship with them. His family and rel.
atives at Dehegaum have been apprlsed
Of his temperance in the land of the
living, and are probably on their way
to Bombay in the hope Of again greet
ing one long lost and deeply mourned
Truth and falsehood will soon be seen
i'll their own colors.