The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1883-12-19
ALIVE IN HER COFFIN.
Singular Case Of Preservation from .
Horrible Death.


A distinguished physician of this city,
who has now retired from active practice,
while travelling in Wisconsin, stopped for
night in small village. A friend and for
mer pupil called to see him and during the
evening mentioned avery singular case which
he had been lately treating. The young
lady, his patient, so he informed DIR.
, had died very suddenly three days
before, but after she was prepared for the
grave and laid in her coffin she presented
such natural and life-lile Appearance that
he was unwilling to have her inferred
The family insisted that she was dead, but
young man to whom she had been engaged
demonstrated so decidedly that the interment
was postponed after the minister and friends
had assembled on the second morning. Or
the third morning the burial was again de-
ferred. For though the body lay perfectly
motionless in tho casket without eyincing
any sign of lifethey hesitatedto put it in the
ground while it continued to look so natural.
shSe young physician had used every means
that he knew Of to restore animation If there
was life left, or, If possible, to detect some
sign of it. Nothing which he had tried had
discovered any sign of remaining vitality,
and they had at length determined to delay
the burial no longer. 1t was to BIO ON the
next morning, the morning Of the fourth
day. The young physician requested DIR.
-- to go with him on the morrow and
look at the body. =" accompanied my
friend to the home where the body of the
young lady lay. When we reachedth house
the friends of the family had already arrived
and the officiating minister Ind gone through
a part of the service in the room where the
body lay, prayer think it was, and the
family had taken their Inst farewell of a
beautiful girl. When l stepped into the
room the undertaken had the casket lid IN
his hands ready to screw it down. Nosoon
or did ! see the face in the casket than /
felt felt sure that life was not extinct.
There was not the faintest pulse that could
detect but when l laid my ear close upon
her breast was confident that heard the
slightest heartbeat So certain was then
that it was case of catalepsy that / did
not hesitate a moment TO apply the proper
remedies Imagine IL You can the scene
when the young Indy uttered suddenly a
piercing scream aud rose up in her coffin.
1t was the most awful note of agony that I
hope ever to hear. The room was Allied
with friends besides the fiinily aud domes-
tic. Several Indies tainted outright some
screamed and went into Mysteries, the SER
wants ran out into Che yard, and confess
hat though wis expecting to see her re-
yi,e my own nerves we're so shaken by the
suddenness of the occurrence that il was with
the greatest difficulty ] could stand. Her
face, too, which moment before had worn
that sweet smile of peaceful sleep, writhed
as she rose up i'll the most dreadful
contortions. II seemed as if all the
mental suffering which she hid endured
through those four terrible days and nights
found vent in that one cry and look In
few moments her pent up feelings had found
relief and she than= got out of the coffin
end down from the table with very little
assistance. BY this time the tumult in the
room had in a measure subsidized, and she
then told us what was the most fearful part
OF the whole experience, that she had been
entirely conscious the entire time! She
had heard all that was sail and knew all
that was going on around her. She had
felt herself being shrouded and laid in the
coffin, had heard her friends weeping over
her before the coffin lid should close for
ever, and thought she should surely be bur-
led alive. Meanwhile, though she tried her
utmost, she was unable to move or utter n
sound" DR. is of the opinion that
premature burial is very rare, but thinks it
occurs sufficiently often for people to be
guarded against it, Washington Post.