The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1883-10-19

A SINGULAR CASE OF RESTORATION FROM
uORRTRf n DEATH

A SINGULAR CASE OF RESTORATION FROM A
HORRIBLE DEATH.
A distinguished physician OF this city,
who has now retired from active practice,
while travelling in Wisconsin stopped for
n night In a small village, writes a Wash.
ington correspondent. A friend and for
mer pupil called to see him. and during the
evening mentioned very 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 pre-
pared for the grave and laid in her coffin
she presented such natural and liic-hke
appearance that he was unwilling to have
her inferred. The family insisted that she
was dead, but ayoung gentleman, TO whom
she had been engaged, demonstrated so
decidedly that the interment was post
poned after the minister and friends had
assembled on the second morning. On the
third morning the burial was again de-
fcrred for, though the body lay perfectly
motionless i'm the casket, without eyincing
any sign OF life. they hesitated 10 put it in
the ground while IL continued 10 look so
natural. The young physician had used
every means that he knew Of 10 restore au-
10 detect some sign OF II. Nothing which
he had tried bad discovered any sign OF re-
manning vitality, and they had at length
determined TO delay the burial no longer.
IL was TO be on the next morning, the
morning Of the fourth day. The young
physician requested DIR. - 10 90 with
him on the morrow and look at the body.
"Tbe following morning." says DR.,
81 accompanied my friend to the house
where the body OF the young lady lay.
when we reached the bonse the friends OF
the family had already arrived and the Off
ciating minister had gone through part of
the service in the room where the body lay
IL prayer, think ii was) and the family
had taken their last farewell Of beautiful
girl. When stepped into the room the
undertaken had the casket-lid in his hands
ready 10 screw II down. No sooner did
] see the face in the casket than | felt
sure that life was not extinct. There
was not the faintest pulse that ] could
detect; but when | laid my ear close
upon her breast | was confident that
/ heard the slightest heartbeat. SO certain
was | then that it was a case OF catalepsy
that did not hesitate q moment TO apply
Che proper remedies. Imagine. if you can,
thclssccne when the young lady uttered
suddenly piercing scream and rose up in
her coffin. IL was the most awful note OF
agony that hope ever 10 hear. The room
was filled with friends beside the family
and domestics. Several ladies tainted out
right; some screamed and went into bys-
ferics; the servants ran out into the yard,
and ! confess that though | was expect
ing TO see her revive my own nerves
were so shaken by the suddenness OF
the occurrence that il was with the
greatest difficulty | could stand. Her face,
200, which a moment before had worn that
sweet smile Of peaceful sleep, writhcd as
she rose up IN the most dreadful cont0r-
lions. / have never seen a face depict so
much terror and agony. Itseemed rs if all
the mental suffering which she had endured
through those four terrible DAYS and nights
found vent in that one cry and look. In a
few moments her pent-up feelings had
found relief, and she then got out
OF the coffin and down from the table
with very little assistance. BY this time
the tumult in the room bad in measure
subsidized, and she then told us what was
the most fearful part OF the whole expert
ence, that she had been perfectly conscious
during the entire time She had heard all
that was said 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
cofin-lid should close upon her forever,
and thought she should surely be buried |
alive. Meanwhile, though she tried her
utmost, she was unable TO move or utter a |
sound. Her friends look upon her as given |
back to them from the grave, and indeed, |
in the country around, it is reported that
really raised her from the dead,
and after / left they told me that the coun-
try people flocked in crowds to see me.
What the young lady's feelings are 1t is
useless to try to imagine. and what they |
were during the four days and nights in
which she lay in the coffin awaiting to be
buried alive, are too terrible to contem-
plate.'
DR.. - will not allow his name to be |
mentioned in connection with this incl !
dent, but knowing him personally we are |
able To vouch for all that be told us. He |
is of the opinion that premature burial is |
very rare, but thinks it occurs sufficiently !
often for people to be guarded against it,
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