The Douglas independent. [volume] (Roseburg, Or.) 187?-1885, 1882-04-22
Almost Buried Alive.

OyCA youuS Womhus 10 JuSb fCCON0fIut
from remarkable illness at the home o
her sister, Mrs. Brown. at Evansville
Ind. Her parents died some years ago
and Josephine went to work in st
James, a little village near by. On,
Saturday night last winter she went tt
the singing school. She had not bee1
in her seat long when she felt a yer,
strange sensation about her head accom-
panied by pains in the back. She aros.
to her feet, as if to start sout of tht
church. when she fell in dead faint, ,anf
was carried home. Her friends at frs
thought that the attack was but mere
fainting spell, and the usual restoratiyes
were applied, but the girl continued tt
lie as if dead. Sunday came and went
but still there was no change. The body
became colder and colder, the eyes were
open and staring, the lips were apart
there was no perceptible pulse. and every
indication pointed to death. Physicians
pronounced life extinct. The priest was
sent for to administer the last rites, and
the weeping sisters and friends of the
family prepared to bid Josephine the
last farewell. The coffin was ordered
busy fingers began to prepare the white
clothes in which to bury the corpse, and
in fact, every preparation was made fol
the final scene.
Thus passed Monday. On the evening
of that day there was slight change in
the appearance of the body, which gave
the startled watchers faint hope that
the girl lay in trance, and that this was
but deaths counterfeit. The body lay
on its back, with arms folded, just as the
attendants placed it. There was not the
least perceptible breathing; the eyes still
had that stony, unmeaning gaze; the face
was as pallid as white marble; but the
iciness of real death was wanting. The
feet and limbs were not warm, but they
did not have that chilly touch. that is a
sure accompaniment of actual dissolu.
ton. There was sufficient doubt in the
minds of those in attendance to warrant
caution, and so another day and night
passed.
On Wednesday, or the fourth day after
the girl was first stricken down, the
priest was again sent for. After crit
ically examining the case and consulting
with the physician, he said: ''It is a
trance. She may come to herself, but il
will be but momentary. When she re-
lapses all will be over. She can't live. >
Accordingly the funeral was set for the
next day Imagine the feelings of hor-
ror which possessed this girl when it is
known that she was cognizant of every
word that was spoken in that room, and
could see the forms of her friends and
watchers about her couch. Her terrible
situation is best told by herself. She
said:
"Oh, sir, 1t was horrible. As I lay
there on my back, stretched out on the
boards, with my arms crossed and feet
tied together, with the lighted candles
about my head, and could see my sisters
and neighbors come and peer into my
face it was awful. / heard every word
spoken. My body, limbs and arms were
as cold as ice. thought of the agony
of being buried alive, of being nailed in
coffin and lowered in the ground.
tried to make some noise or move just a
little to let them know that was alive,
but it was impossible. saw my sisters
come in one by one and look into my
face. Poor Josie, she's gone Their
tears dropped ON my hair, and their
kisses were warm to my lips. As they
turned to leave me, it seemed as if
must make an effort to attract their at
tention, If only by moving my eyelids.
But couldn't do it. I felt like scream
ing. / tried to, but I couldn't move a
muscle. The priest came in, and felt my
arms and wrists. He shook his head.
Then he placed his ear to my heart. II
was no use. He could not hear it beat.
After saying short prayer for the re-
pose of my soul, he turned and left me,
and my agony and horror were redoubled.
Will no one find out that live? said
to myself Must I be buried to wake
only when it is too late? Must come
back to life when they put me in the
vault, and all of the people have gone
away, only to die of fright and horror
and suffocation?' The thought was
madness! Why dosen't the doctor dc
something to bring me to myself? am
not deadp It was of no use. There ]
lay thinking and listening to every word
giving directions as to the making of 6
eral and all. I tried to look conscious
and let them know that I understood il
all, but it was impossible. It is won
der did not die of fright and agony. ]
often think that I would sooner die, {
thousand times sooner, than go through
that experience again. Finally, when al
had left the room but two or three, some
one said: Amt you going to cut hel
hair Off? My hair was done up in lonf
braids and fell down my back. Yes,
said my sister, well cut 1t now Their
they got the scissors and came up to me
While one of them took hold of my heat
and turned it to one side, the other, witt
the scissors, began the cutting. I coule
feel the cold on my neck. I realized
that this was about the last thing they't
do before putting me in the coffin. TIL,
woman began to clip, and second o.
two one long braid of my hair was taker
off and laid aside. Ny head was thel
turned the other way to allow them t,
get at the other braid, but this was no
touched. Thank Godi something
in my condition, or some movement,
don't know what it was, caused my siste
to scream, and I was saved Th,
scissors dropped to the floor with lou.
noise, the woman jumped back, nearl,
scared to death, and I sat up. Yoi
should have seen the house little Will
after that. ! thought everybody hat
gone crazy. sVenie's alive! sYenie'
aliver The whole neighborhood cam
rushing in as soon as they heard of it
and for several days there was nothing
talked about but me. Ny folks though
didn't know what was going on. Littl
they thought that every word spoken il
that room. was heard and understood b,
me. They tried to keep everybody from
referring to the fact that my shroud wa
bought, the coffin ordered and tn
funeral arranged. They made an ex
cuse, too, for part of my hair being Gu
off. They told me the reason of it wa
that plaster had been put on the bacl
of my neck, and my hair got SO tangle,
that it had to be cut away. didn't sa,
anything. One day my little brothe
said To ne. sVania. Ynn was going to b