News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1882-04-06
ALMOST BURIED ALIVE.
Josephine Ryman's Horrible Expert
ence while Lying in a Trance.
From the Cincinnati Enquirer. !

little village near EVanSv1lle, Ina. One
Saturday night last winter she went to
singing school. She had not been in
her seat long when she felt a very
strange sensation about the head, ac-
companied by pains in the back. She
arose to her feet, as if to start ont Of
church, when she fell in a dead faint,
and was carried home. Her friends at
first thonght that the attack was but 8
mere fainting spell, and the usual re-
storatives were applied, but the girl
continued to lie as if dead. Sunday
came and went, but still there was nc
change. The body became colder and
colder, the eyes were open and staring,
the lips were apart, there was no per
ceptible pulse, and every indication
pointed to death. Physicians pronounced
life extinct. The priest was sent for to
administer the last rites, and the weep
ing sisters and friends of the family
prepared to bid Josephine the last fare
well. The coffin was ordered, busy
fingers began to prepare white clothes
in which to bury the corpse, and, in
fact, every preparation was made for
the final scene.
Thus passed Monday. On the even
ing of that day there was slight change
in the appearance of the body, which
gave the startled watchers a 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 had 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 sure accom-
paniment Of actual dissolution. There
was sufficient doubts 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 criti-
cally examining the case and consulting
with the physician, he said: cit is a
trance. She may come to herself, but
it will be but momentary. When she
relapses all will be over. She can't
ive." Accordingly the funeral was set
for the next day. Imagine the feelings
of horror which possessed this girl
when it is know that she was cognizant
of every word that was spoken in that
roorn, and could see the sorzrs of her
friends and watchers about her couch.
Her terrible situation is best told by
herself. She said 10 me recently:
"Oh, sir, it was horrible. As 1 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. I thought of the
agony of being buried alive, of being
nailed in a coffin and lowered into
the ground. I tried to make some
noise, or move just little, to let them
know that was alive, but it was impos-
sible. I 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 I must make an
effort to attract their attention, if only
by my moving my eyelids. But l could
not do it. felt like screaming. 1 tried
70, but l 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
lse. He could not hear it beat. After
'aying short prayer for the repose of
ny soul, he, too, turned and left me,
md my agony and horror were re-
doubled. will no one find out that
I'm alive p 1 said to myself. Must
)e buried only to wake when it is too
ate Must I come back to life when
hey put me in the vault, and all of the
people have gone away, only to die of
right and horror and suffocation ? The |
hought was maddening Why doesn't |
he doctor do something to bring me to
myself I? / am not dead It was no
Ise. There lay thinking and listening |
O every word that was said. [ could |
lear woman giving directions as to the
hroud. I heard the time set for the |
uneral and all. I could see every one
7ho came to look at me. tried to look |
erious and let them know that | under
TODD it all, but it was impossible. tits
wonder 1 did not die Of fright and !
gony. / often think that l would
ooner die, thousand times sooner,
han go through that experience again.
"Finaliy, when all was ready, when
he ahroud was finished, and all had left
he room but two or three, some one
aid: Amt you going to cut her hair
Fl p My hair was done up in long
raids, and fell down my back. YES,
aid my sister, 'we'll cut it off now.
hen they got the scissors and came up
D me. While one of them took hold of
~ head and turned it to one side, the
ne with the scissors began the cutting.
could feel the cold steel on my neck.
realized that this was about the last
hing they'd do before putting me in the
Offin. The woman began to clip, and
4 second or two one long braid of hair
as taken eff and laid aside. My head
'as then turned the other way to allow
hem to get at the other braid, but this
as not touched. Thank God some
ming in my condition or some move
lent, don't know what it was, caused
~ sister to scream, and was saved.
he scissors dropped to the floor with
,ud noise, the woman jumped back
early scared to death, and l sat up.
'ou should have seen that house little
lille after that, L thought everybody
ad gone crazy. 'Verie's alive 7
Venie's alive I The whole neighbor-
ood came rushing in as soon as they
leard of it, and for several days there
7as nothing talked about but me. My
olks thought / didn't know what had
'een going on. Little they thought that
very word spoken in that room was
leard and understood by me. They