Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1882-11-11
Alive in his Coffin.

While funeral wake was in progress at
West Brighton, Staten Island, yesterday,
the corpse turned over in the coffin, to the
great fright and excitement of the relatives
and friends. On Monday; morning Daniel
Dempsey, an undertaken, was summoned to
the home of Mrs. Connolly, to take charge
of the interment ofher son Michael, aged
% Years, who she said died on Sunday night.
Mr.. Dempsey intimated that it would not
be necessary to put the>body on ice imme-
diatelY, but that he would call in the after
noon with an ice box. Mr.. Dempsey then
applied an embalming substance over the
body and laid it on Il board near an open
window, where the body was '.aid out"
The friends of the family assembled at the
house, and by 8 o'clock at night the crowd
was sogreat that the neighbors generously
offered the use of their houses. At mid
night the mother of the deceased sent again
for the undertaken and gave instructions to
have the family grave opened at Flatbush
Cemetery. This order was promptly car
ried out, and on Tuesday morning the I'M
dertaker arrived at the house and found the
bodystill unchanged. The time for the flu
neral was fixed for 10 o'clock. At in the
morning Mr.. Dempsey placed the body in a
coffin, and shortly after his departure a
messenger was dispatched for him.
When Mr.. Dempsey and the messenger
reached the house it was near the appoint
ed time for the funeral
"Oh, my boy is not dead at all = scream
cd the mother as Mr.. Dempsey entered.
moments. He supposed that Tie = p ,oM
woman had become crazed with grief
No, Mr.. Dempsey, ;'cricd Mrs Connolly's
daughter, slnspng him by the shoulder
please don't take my brother away to.day..
He is alive yet"
What do you mcan,?" yaspcd out Mr..
Dempsey at last.
ooh" said Miss Connolly, you had not
gone away half an hour aftcrplacng him in
the collin when went to look at him, and
saw that he had leaned over on one side |
screamed, and mother, with six or seven
women and two men, who ere in the room,
rushed over, and looked al the body. I put
my hand on his forehead and so did every
one present, aud they all declared the body
was coldn
Mr.. Dempsey was lumbfoundcd. "Hc
must be dead" he answered.
but look at the natural color of the face
said Mrs. Connolly
THAT arises from the preserving quality
of the embalmiIg stuff which applied. y
was thereby.
The excitement spread rapidly, and the
room Of the dead was soon crowded. The
undertaken in this predicament was puzzled
for some time. At length, seeing that nei-
ther the relatives nor friends could be paci-
fled, he advised them to send for phvsi-
clan, and that in the meantime he would I'M
der no circumstances remove the body until
signs Of decomposition were visible. lie then
placed the body again on its back in the cot.
fin and hurried off in his wagon in quest OF
a doctor.
Shortly afterward Drs Walzcr and Am
brose arrived and held consultation. They
recommended that the body be kept in the
house ut least one day more.
YES" said the distracted mother. s:aud
will keep my boy here for thenext tenyears
AYE, forever if he keeps Ills color as inc
does now, and she rushed to the cofiu and
passionately kissed the body.
The scene at this time decd description
Women screamed, men rushed to and fro
and drove away in the carriages they had
hired to attend the funeral, and the crush of
the curiosity seekers to gain admission to the
house was fearful
Yesterday morning the physicians called
again and found no perceptible change in
the appearance Of the body. The body still
remains in the house and the excitement
throughout the village is intense.