Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1885-12-30
PREMATURE BURIALS.

Situated on the gentle incline Of one
of the most pleasant streets in the brisk
city of Bridgeport is commodious and
attractive residence, the house of one
of the best known and most enterpris-
ing of Bridgeport's citizens. Prof T.
G. Peck, or Tad" as he is Familiarity
called, was formerly member of a
firm of druggists. Anew years ago he
sold his interest in the drug business to
man named Harris, and engaged in
the manufacture of several kinds of
patent medicines, business in which
he is now employed, his laboratory be-
ing located at Stratford.
To New Haven man who called on
him, Prof. Peck gave an outline of some
of his Investigations: "Some years ago,
when quite young man. said he, 81
read newspaper account that filled me
with horror. A beautiful young wife
had been buried A short time after
the burial the family decided to remove
the remains. and they were exhumed.
| When the coffin was opened the corpse
was found in a horrible condition, and
it was evident that the woman had been
buried alive.s The reading of that story
created a wonderful impression on my
mind, and | concluded that, |. would
| take some decided step that would pre-
vent my sharing like fate T could
not bear the thought Of being buried
alive, and / made my wife promise that
when died my body should notobe
buried until dissolution had fairly
begun.
i IA short time later Rev. Mr.. En-
mersofi came til Stratford FRONT the.
West and was settled One day III CON-
versation with me he related q story
that made my blood run cold For
many days he had lain very i'll with a
disorder that the most, skillful physi-
clans pronounced to be ineurable. At
last he apparently died. The body was
given to an undertaken to be properly
prepared for the grave, and in the
course of time the remainsawere placed
in coffin, and all was in readiness for
the funeral. All this time the clergy.
man was not dead, although every out
ward appearance Indicated that the
body was already beginning to decom-
pose. Although Mr.. Emmerson. had
no control over his bodyy his mind was
perfectly clear, and he could tell by the
sound of the voice who was bending
over his coffin, and could feel the tears
of his wife as they dropped ON his face.
| Mr.. Emmerson described his sensations
during all this time as worse than hor-
rible, and there can be no doubt bat
| that ever word that he utters upon the
| subject is perfectly true. Just as the
coffin lid was being placed in position
Mr.. Emmerson madea desperate effort
and was able to move one of his hands
| This action attracted the attention of
the undertaken, who speedily called
| physician, and at the last moment Mr..
Emmerson was snatched from living
tomb.
There are no less than five persons
residing in this city who have been
placed in collins, but owing to some
fortunate ACCIDENT they have been saved.
There is Mrs. Pardee, who formerly re-
sided in Waterbury, but who now
resides in Stratford. The statement
that she has made to me she has sworn
to before a notary public. There is
abundant evidence that she speaks the
truth. Before Mrs Pardee was mar
ried she resided with her parents in
Waterbury and worked at the dress
makers trade. She was ambitious,
worked beyond her strength and was
stricken down with violent form of
disease that, at the end of few DAYS,
spent itself and to all appearances left
its victim a corpse. The body grew
cold andrigid, and although every or
binary test was applied nothing indi-
Gated that there was one spark of life
left in the poor body. The father of
Mrs. Pardee was loath to give up his
daughter as dead, and insisted that a
skilled physician from New York be
sent for. One was summoned, and
after making most careful examina-
ton pronounced the young lady dead.
Accordingly arrangements were made
for the funeral. Mrs Pardee says that
although she could not open her eyes
or move hand or foot she could hear all
the conversation and was able to tell
all that was being done around her.
Just before the body was placed in the
coffin the test of burning the ends of
the fingers was tried, and, although the
scars remain to this day, she could not
make sound, and in fact could not
feel a single sensation in the fingers.
'. AANAA SNAAA9 cek>CA op AOA CuO DuI DOS6
Of being placed in the coffin one of Mrs.
Pardee's arms slipped from the position
in which it had been placed and fell
down by her side. That movement
made slight pulsation in the wrist,
which was noticed by one of the at
PENDANTS, and the result was that after
few hours work with galvanic bat
terry the dead was alive again, and Mrs.
Pardee to-day is living witness of
what hundreds are undoubtedly called
upon to suffer every year.
81 do not doubt that at least nine
tenths of the people who die are buried
alive, and the longer I live and the
mere have been able to find out about
this subject the more confident I have
become that something ought to- be
done to prevent such horrible occur
rences. have, therefore, been collect
ing all the information I can on this
subject, and / intend to call a meeting
of the citizens of Bridgeport for the
purpose of forming an association
which will be known as the Bridgeport
Humane Internent Association. The
aCSOciat ton will no forr,oI s.,