Morning journal and courier., 1882-03-15
Almost Buried Alive.
Josephine RYman's Horrible Experience
 while Lying in a Trance.
From the Cincinnati Enquirer

1 EVANSVILLE, Ind, March 1O.-Josephine l Rynan, fair haired, blue-eyed young woman, l is just recovering from remarkable illness 1 at the home of her sister, Mrs. Brown, in ] this place. Her parents died some years ago l and Josephine went to work in St. James, 8 l little village near here. One Saturday night 1 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 ae- l companied by pains in the back. She arose l to her feet, as if to start out of church, when | she fell in 8 dead faint, and was carried home \ Her friends at first thought that the attack was but mere fainting spell, and the usual restoratiyes were applied, but the girl con- l tinued to lie as if dead. Sunday came and went, but still there was no change. The l body became colder and colder, the eyes were open and staring, there was no percep- l tible 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 l the family prepared to bid Josephine the last | farewell The coffin was -rdered, busy fingers began to prepare the white clothes | in which to bury the corpse, and, in fact, every preparation was made for the last 1 scene
 Thus passed Monday. On the evening of l that day there was slight change in the ap- pearance of the body, which gave the start  1 a trance, and that this was but deaths coun- terfeit The body lay on it's back, with arms | folded, just as the attendants had placed 1t. There was not the least perceptible breath ing; 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 l did not have that chilly touch that is a sure accompaniment of actual dissolution There was sufficient doubt in the minds of those in attendance to warrant caution, and so an- other day and night passed. On Wednesday, or the fourth day after the girl was first stricken down, the priest was again sent for. l After critically examining the case and con sulting with the physician, he said ''It Is trance She may come to herself but it will be but momentary. When she relapses all will be over. She cant live" Accordingly I the funeral was set for the next day. I'm agine the feelings of horror which possessed | this girl when it is known that she was cog | nizant 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 to me yesterday
 ooh. sir, it 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
 
 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 in the ground. I tried to make some noise or move just little, to let them know that I was alive, but it was i'm possible l 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 1t seemed as if 1 must make effort to attract their attention, If only by moving my eyelids. But l couldn't do it; I felt like screaming; l tried to, but I 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 a short prayer for the repose of my soul he too turned and left me, and my agony and horror were re- doubled. Will no one find out that I live?' l said to myself. Must 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 the people have gone away, only to die of fright and horror and suffocation?' The thought madness Why doesn't the doctor do something to bring me to myself? I am not dead It was no use. There I lay thinking and listening to every word that was said. could hear woman giving directions