The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1880-08-25
BURIED FOR FORTY DAYS.
wonderful Performances OF the In
dian Fakirs.
A wgLL.ATTEsTED ACCOUNT OF FAKlR VINO
WAS SEALED UP, BURIED, AND REsUscIrATED
AFTER FORTY DAYs-THE PROCESS OF RE-
yIyING THE VITAL SPARK.
From the London Telegraph

from the London Telegraph
| We are not told whether the Seven Sleep
ers who retired to cave in Ephesus during
The reign OF the Chrisiian-killing Emperor
Decius. and only woke up 155 years AFTER
ward. when Theodosius III. was on the
throne. made any special preparation, but
probably they did not. Perhaps it was not
necessary. Those were stirring times Tor
members OF the new faith. and they bad 1T
lie opportunity to grow obese. But, as
rule. 10 fast successfully 1t is said TO be me-
cessary for q man 10 abstain Deforehand,
and reduce himself most carefully To the
required condition by long course OF pre-
marathon. Prominent ut this art OF sus-
bending animaton-for an art 1t becomes
are the Easterns, and most wonderful stories
are told Of the natives OF India, which,
whether their powers are due to narcotics
or any other process, seem to open up-lf
true-a wide field OF medical study. One
OF these Indian stories, not easily accessible,
but of considerable interest on account OF
the known veracity OF the witnesses, Will
probably be read with interest at the pre-
sent time, and is inserted here. The author
of it was one Hon. Captain Osborn, and the
notes made Of his statement, here subioined,
come from an almost unique copy
PRINTED FOR PRIVATE CIRCULATION.
"Rupjeet Singh had heard from Seyd or
Fakir, who lived in the mountains, that the
latter could allow himself TO be buried
when in condition Of apparent death. with
ont really ceasing to live, seeing that be
understood the art Of being brought back to
life on being exhumed after several months
had passed. TO the Maharajah this appear
ed 10 be a rank impossibility. In order,
however, that he should be convinced one
way or the other, he ordered the Faklr TO
be summoned TO the Court, and caused him
10 undertake the singular experiment,
under threat that no means OF precautlon
would be wanting toward the discovery OF
fraud. The Fakir consequently caused
himself to appear in state OF apparent
death. when every spark OF life had
seemingly vanished, be was, in the presence
of the Maharaiah and the mobiles who sur
rounded him, wrapped up in the linen on
which he had been sitting, and on which the
seal OF Runjeet Singh was placed. The body
was then deposited in a chest. on which
Runjeet Singh. with his own hand, fixed a
heavy paddock, The chest was carried out
side the town and buried in garden
belonging to the Minister; barley was sown
over the spot, wall was erected around it,,
and sentinels posted. On the fortieth day,
when the chest containing the Fakr was
dug up and opened, the man was found
| COLD AND STARK
in precisely the same condition as that in
which he had been left. With much trouble
he was restored 10 life by means OF heat APP
piled 10 the head, afflatiOn in the ears and
mouth, rubbing the body, &c. The Minis
fer. Rajah Dhyan.s ingh, assured a friend
| Ia, E.,irf
Haridas, for period OF four months under
the earth at Jummoo IN the mountains.
ON the day of his burial he had caused his
beard TO be shaved off, and when he was
taken up again his chin was just as smooth
as on the day when he was consigned to the
earth-a proof, as would seem, OF suspended
animation. 1t Is related that the Fakir in
question took purgatiye some time before
| the burial display, and for several days
afterward lived only on a scanty milk diet.
On the day Of the interment 1t l. said that
instead Of taking any nourishment, he swat
lowed thirty yards OF strip OF linen OF the
breadth OF three fingers, which he imme-
diately drew up again, his object being to
clean the stomach. However wonderful
and perhaps laughable these operations APP
pear TO many, il is plain that these people
must have singular control oyor the dlf'
ferent organs of their bodies, and more
especially over their muscular contractions.
When all the necessary preparations have
been accomplished the Fakir closes al
the openings OF his body with stopper,
made OF aromatic wax, lays his tongue fan
back in his throat, crosses his hands on BIZ
breast, AID
SUSPENDS ANIMATION
. by means Of holding bis breath. On biz
, being brought back TO life one OF the frs
operations is, by means OF the fingers, t
! draw the tongue away from the back OF the
throat; warm and aromantic paste made
, of meal is then placed on his head, and all
, is blown into his lungs and into the ear
holes, from which the wax shoppers have
been removed, the shoppers in the nostril
/, being presently forced out with an eXplo
siye noise. This is said to be the frs
, sign OF return to life. He then gradually
: commences to breathe, opens the eyes, ant
RECEIVERS consciousness, continuous friction
. of the body being carried on all the time.
A "Here is further curious statement o
opinion on the subject OF the Indian stories
{ from an equally rare source, the littl
pamphlet OF Sir Claude Wade, published
in 1887. 81 was present. he writes, at thu
Court Of Runieet Singh when the Fakir
mentioned by the Hon. Captain Osborne
o was
: BURIED ALIVE FOR SIX WEEKS,
I and. although arrived a few hours ate
a his actual interment, and did not, c0nse
quently, witness that part OF the phenome
!, non, had the testimony OF Runieet Singl
5 himself, and others OF the most credibl
b witnesses Of his Court, TO the truth OF tb
[ Fakir having been buried before them
!. and, from my having been myself presen
a when he was disintered, and restored 10
d state of perfect vitality in position so clos
3 to him as to render any deception impossi
! bic, it is my firm belief that there was n
n collision in producing the extra0rdinar
@ sight which have to relate. / will brief
r state what saw, TO enable others TO iudg
. Of the weight due to my evidence, an
e whether my proof OF collision can, In thei
}. opinion, be detected. On the approach O
g the appointed time, according TO invitation
&c ! accompanied Rudieet Singh to the spo
|. whefe the Fakir bad been buried. Ii wa
e In square building, called bdrrG durT0
e ia the middle OF one OF the gardens adioir
ID ing the Palace at Lahore, with an ope
e yeranda all round, having an enclosed ROOF
q in the centre. On arriving there, Runjee
Ie Singh, who was attended on the occasion b
Is the whole1of his Court, dismounted froI
z his elephant, asked me 10 join him In eA
d aiming the building TO satisfy himself tbs
Y, it was closed as he bad left il. After on
leI examination we seated ourselves In the VI
IS randa opposite the door, while some @
le Runjeet Singh's people dug away the nlu
IS wall, and one Of his officers broke the SCI
d and opened the paddock. When the doc
RI was thrown oi,en not thing hut dark roor