The daily intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Territory [i.e. Wash.]) 1876-1881, 1879-08-20
NEARLY BURIED ALIVE.

The lectures which have recently
been delivered on Giving burlsls.' by
q physician OF eminence, prove that
such things happen in countries where
rapid in.erment succeed, death much
more frequently than the generslity of
the people would deem possible.
We who hold our dead sacred. and
who err If anything On the side Of keep
ing them too long unburied, must ns.u-
aslly feel kind Of horror creep over
US when. from circumstances. we are
brought 70 witness with what haste and
want OF reverence the last sad ceremo-
MES are gone through in some countries
where climate renders speedy iutermeni
after disease an absolute necessity.
purpose to relate three marvellous es-
capes from living burial. which hap
pened TO different mem bsrs Of the same
family at different periods. TIE scene
WAS in Italy; the facts we're related to
me by the daughter Of two OF the par
ties concerned; and shall tell the tale
as nearly ss possible as she told it to
me.
You will scarcely wonder. she said,
"at my horror Of being buried alive,
when / tell you that a peculiar fate
seems TO pursue our family. or at least
did pursue it in the last generation. My
father was an only son. and from hav.
ing been born several years after his
parents marriage. was An object Of
especial devotion. His mother was un>
able to nurse him herself, and country
woman WAS procured from q village
some distance from the chateau where
his rarents resided. who was not only
we'll cslculsted to replace the mother
as a nurse, but was Of 50 affectionste .
disposition that sue seemed to throw
her whole soul into her care for the
wsllbeing Of the child. aud lAvished rs
much affection on him ss did the real
mother. When the age came for wesa-
ing him. it vas found impossible to
accomplish it whilst the nurse remained
with him; aud so after many terrible
scenes, and the most heart breaking
sorrow on her part. she bad TO go The
boy throve very we'll until about three
years old. when he was attacked by
some childish malsdy, and To all an
peararce died
II is unnecessary to dwell On tie
distracted grief of the parents. The
mother could scarcely he induced to
leave the body. and even though life
was extinct. grudged every moment as
it flew towards the tune when even
what was left Of her darling would
have to be removed forever (TEe time
that Was allowed by the Government
for bodies to remain unburied was three
days. The father gave strict orders
that the child's nurse should not be in-
formed OF the death of her foster son
until after the funeral, as he felt con-
vinced she would at once come to see
him. and he dreaded the effect her
grief might have on his already broken
hearted wife. However, the order was
i'll kept, and on the morning Of the fu-
neral, after the guests had arrived and
were grouped around the coffin taking
their last fare well Of the lovely boy, in
rushed the nurse. her hair down, her
dress all travel stained, her boots nearly
worn off her feet On hearing the
news, she had started off without any
extra clothing. without word or look to
any one. and had run ths whole night,
in order to be in time to see her boy.
As she entered the room she pushed
past the servants and guests. and on
reaching the coffin seized the child. and
before any one was aware Of her inten-
Hsn- ha2 IF mind 10
vent her. she had vanished with him
in her arms. 1t was found she had
carried him of to the Rsrret. She paid
no attention to threats or entTeaties.
aud all attempts at forcing the door
were equally fruitless. The guests
waited patiently. hoping that she would
before long return to her senses and
bring back the child's body for burial.
AT the end of IN hour or more they
heard the heavy furniture rolled away
and the door opened. The nurse ap-
peared. but with no dead child in her
arms the little things arms were
clssped lovingly round her neck as she
pressed him 60 her bosom. The mourn.
full ssscmblage WAS turned into joyful
congratulatiou. The woman would
never speak OF the means she used to
restore the boy to CONSEQUENCES; indeed,
though shc became from that hour .
resident IN the family, and trusted
and valued friend. she forbore ever
referring "a the incident in which she
played so important part. She lived
to see tho rescued child married and
with family Of his own around him.
"Ths heorios OF the second aneodote
WAS . first cousin to the sbove rescued
child young lady Of thirteen or
fourteen years old. Aner . some~hat
protrscted illness she, to oil appear
ancs. died. The mother literally re-
fused to believe il, although the doc
tors aud the other inmates OF the house
saw no reason TO doubt the fact. The
funeral vas arranged, the grave made,
and the specified three days had come
to An end. The mother had never left
her dauS Shter's body; she had tried ev-
cry available means to restore her. but
to no avail As the hour approached
for the ceremony TO take place. she be-
came more and more distracted and
more desperate in her efforts to convince
herself that life still fingered. As last
resource, she ven. for some strong
elixir. and taking out Of her pocket q
fruit knife with two blades-one blade
Of gold the other Of silver-proceeded
by continual working to fsrce the gold
blade between the teeth; when inserted
she poured drop Of elixir on the blade,