The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1882-05-18
Terrors of a Trance.
Experiences Of a Young Woman.

Inc Following Is the horrible mental
and physical experience of Miss Joseph
inc Ryman, handsome young lady of
Evansville. Indiana, who is just recover
ing from a severe illness, during which
she was, while in a trance, pronounced
dead for three days, and all preparations
made for her interment. She relates the
circumstances with thrilling exactness
of detail:
20, sir, it was horrible. AS lay there
on nv back, stretched out on the boards,
with my arms crossed and feet tied to
gether, 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. l tried to
make some noise, or move Just little.
to let them know that / was alive. but
it was impossible.
81 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 warmth to
my lips. As they turned to leave me, it
seemed as if must make an effort to
attract their attention, if only by moving
my eyelids. But couldD't do it. Ifelt
like screaming. | tried to, but / couldn' t
move muscle. The priest came in and
felt my arms and wrists. He shook his
head. Then he placed his ear TO my
heart. 1t was no use. He could not
hear it beat. After saying prayer for
the repose of my soul, he, too, turned
and left me, and my agony and horror
was redoubied. viii no one find out
that l live?' l said to myself. Must l
be buried, only to wake when it is too
late? Must come back to life when
they put me in the vault. and all of TIE
people have gone away, only to die of
fright and horror and suffocationP'
The thought was madness! why
me to myself? / am not dead 1t was
no use. There ! lay thinking and list
ening to every word that was said. |
could hear woman giving directions
as to the making of the shroud. Iheard
the time set for the funeral, and all. /
could see every one who came to look
at me. l tried to look conscious, and
let them know that understood it all,
but it was impossible. 1t was wonder
I did not die of fright and agony. /
often think that l would sooner die-a
thousand times sooner-than go through
that experience again.
FINALLY, when all was ready, when
the shroud was finished, and all had left
the room but two or three, some one
said, Amt you going to cut her hair
off?' My hair was done up in long
braids, and fell down on my back. Yes
said my sister; wen cut it OFF now
Then they got the scissors and came up
to me. While one of them took hold of
my head and turned it to one side. the
one with the scissors began the cutting.
| could feel the cold steel on my neck.
/ realized that this was about the last
thing they'd do before putting me in the
coffin.
THE woman began to clip, and in a
second or two one long braid Of hair was
taken off and laid aside. My head was
then turned the other way to allow them
to get at the other braid, but this was
not touched. Thank God! something
in my condition or some movement
don't know what it was-caused my
sister to scream, and I was saved. The
scissors dropped to the floor with loud
noise, the woman jumped back, nearly
scared to death, and sat up. You
should have seen that house little while
after that l thought every body had
gone crazy.
"'Venie's alive! Venie's aliver
1.-THE whole neighborhood came rush
ing in as soon as they heard of it, and
for several days there was nothing talk
ed about but me. My folks thought l
didn't know what had been going on
Little they thought that every word
spoken in that room was heard and I'M
derstood by me. They tried to keep
every body from referring to the fact
that my shroud was bought, the coffin
ordered, and the funeral arranged. They
made an excuse, too, for part of my hair
being cut off. They told me the reason
OF it was that a plaster had been put on
the back Of my neck, and my hair got
so tangled in it that it had to be cut
away. | didn't say any thing. One day
my little brother said to me, 'Yenie, you
was goin' to be buried last Thursday,
and they cut your hair off. He never
imagined that | knew more about that
than he did. The recollection of those
terrible days and nights will neverleave
me. pray - God that / may never he
called upon to pass through it again. l
would rather die"