The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1883-01-24
SUSPENDED ANLNATTON.
THE SINGULAR CASE or A LADY BIZ,
LIEvED TO BE DEAD.

LIEvED TO BE DEAD.
Fron the Washington Post
A well-defined and curious case
of suspended animation, which oc-
CURED last Sunday morning, has
excited considerable interest. Mrs.
Reagan, living on First street, be-
tween / and h streets, near the
Government printing Office, arose
early Sunday morning for the pur-
pose Of attending seven o'clock mass
at st. AlOysius' church. She was
accompanied by her daughter, but
when about half way-to the church
she became faint, and was cOmpell-
ed to return home. She had hard
ly gained entrance TO her house
when she fell insensible TO the floor.
Her condition and appearance so
closely rcsembled that of a dying
person that her family were greatly
alarmed, and priest and a physi-
clan were at once sent for. Father
NoOnan of st. AlOysius' church was
the first 10 reach the house, and at
onse pronounced the lady dying.
When the physician, DIR. ;. ;. Bond,
arrived he found the lady motion
less, pulseless, her eyes closed and
her body as cold as ice. He saw at
once that the case was one Of sus-
pended animation aud that her res
toration TO life. if il was to be ac-
complished at all, must be done by
immediate measures. lie was at
first alarmed, as well rs Father
NoOnan, at the apparent extreme
condition Of Mrs. Reagan, but wrote
a prescription, and n messenger left
with it at once.
In the meantime Father NOonan,
having mass to celebrate, left the
house and proceeded to church. lie
refused 20 administer the sacrament
TO the lady, IL being plainly impOs-
sible for her, in her insensible and
helpless condition, to partake Of the
last rite. Indeed, the "death-rat
-tlc was plainly heard At the
church, upon the conclusion of the
mass, Father NOOnan spoke feeling
" OF the dissolution of the lady and,
Il is said, offered prayers for the re
pose of her soul. The lady Is n
greatly esteemed member Of the
congregation, and the sad news was
received with evident sorrow. After
mass was over many of the members
proceeded to the house expecting to
lind Grape on the door Their sOr-
row was turned TO a glad surprise
when they found the lady, whom
the priest had left apparently dead,
sitting up in bed and cOnversing
with her family.
The experiences of Mrs. Reagan
during her trance, which lasted
about two or three hours, were sing
ular, and are described by her with
vivid force. She was conscious of
voices around her, and knew that
the priest and the physician were
pronouncing her death as near at
hand She struggled, with all the
power she could master, to open her
eyes, or move or speak, or in some
way 60 show that she was not alto
gether lifeless. Particularly did she
endoavOr to whisper a wish not to
put on ice, having an intuition that
she might after all be frozen to
death in An ice-bOx. Then she
tried TO tell her family not to bury
her in the valley Of the cemetery,
but on the hilltop Both limbs and
senses refused to obey her will, how
ever. and she lay perfectly helpless
until restorativcs were forced down
her throat, when, with one great ef-
fort, she turned over on her side
and slowly returned to life.