Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1884-04-17
until control of her facul-

unimaginable. until control of her facul-
ties returned. is intensely graphic.
A celebrated case and one which has
crept into history was that the Rev. Will
liam Tennent. He was the pastor of a
Presbyterian church in Freehold, New
Jersey. AS young man he was natural
ly delicate. Excessive study had further
undermined his health until he was re-
duced to mere skeleton. One morning
while conversing with his brother he sud
denly tainted and died For three days
his body gave signs of life. His physi-
clan. who was devoted friend. exhausted
all means in attempting to restore him,
and was combating the desire of Mr.. Ten
nent's brother for an immediate funeral,
when the supposed corpse gave dismal
groan, turned slightly, and Immediately
sank into death-like state again. All
thought of burial was at an end, and eff
forts at resusciating were redoubled. In
about two hours they were rewarded by
the patients return to life The most sim
gular part of the story follows. Tennent,
though prior to his strange illness a
learned man, could thereafter neither read
nor understand the idea of the alphabet.
His entire life up to that time was a blank
in his memory. He began learning to
read. and for three years his education
progressed slowly, as that of a very young
child. Three years later. while reciting
a lesson, he complained of violent pain
in his head, and in a moment afterward
announced that he remembered every
thing In few days his memory was en-
tirely restored. Mr.. Tennent. when an
aged man. related his experiences while in
his trance. IL found myself under the
direction of a superior being. and obliged
to follow him. | was waited along |
know not how. until beheld in the dis
lance an ineffable glory. the preston
of which | could not possibly cOmmuni-
cate to living man. l saw lnnumerable
beings. but no bodily shape or presence
in the host. l heard their songs, and
asked my conductor to let me join them.
when he tapped my shoulder and said you
must return to earth Then l saw the
doctor and my brother disputing. The
time had been absent seemed ten min
utes. | was so overcome at the idea of
returning that tainted away
A remarkable case. and one which was
subject of discussion for twenty years.
was that of Susan c. Godsey. called the
Sleeping Beauty. For twenty one years
Susan was awake from death-like sleep
at 6 in the morning. 9 at night. and 3 in
the morning again, remaining awake each
time exactly three minutes and then sink
ing back again. In this state she appeared
to be dead. She did not breathe; there
was no moisture on the mirror held before
her nostrils. no perceptible movement of
4 her heart. The intervals of waking were
unvariable, and never varied through this
/ long period of years. While awake she
recognized her friends, conversed with
them and enjoyed life as much as her linn
/ tied opportunities permitted her to do.
Susan was described as being plump,
well-formed and rather pretty. She was
still living and dying ten years ago.
The ability OF a person to voluntarily
suspend all outward signs of life and yet
( live, is first mentioned by CELSIUS. who
states that he met priest who could die
and revive at pleasure. Among number
of persons who could feign death. two are
worth mentioning. Col. Townse nd a
noted Englishman. could cause his body
to become cold and rigid and his eyes to
assume THE glassiness of death. His heart
ceased to beat and his breathing could not
be detected by the mirror test. Pricking
and burning the body had no effect on the
gallant Colonel. who loved the turf too
we'll and his creditors too little. He had
the power to remain in this state several
hours. and to completely fool the doctors.
A celebrated traveller in India describes as