The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1886-08-19
COFFINED, BUT ALIVE.


George wellington, an Indiana tarm-
er, had gathering OF friends at his
house. He was man OF As years OF
age and of robust health, and on this
evening it was noticed that he was in
particularly good spirits. After the
guests had departed he remarked to
his wife that he felt more like singing
and dancing than going to bed. They
retired about 11:3O o'clock, and she
was asleep before midnight. The
sequel is told in the New York Sun, as
follows:
The farmer was always out OF bed
at o'clock, but on the morning iol.
lowing the party the wife awoke at q
o'clock and found him still sleeping.
When she attempted to arouse him
she discovered that he was dead. A
doctor was sent for, and he arrived in
the course of an hour to pronounce
it a case OF heart disease. He said the
man had been dead three hours when
the wife awoke. The undertaken came
and prepared the body for burial. 1t
was remarked that the corpse retain
ed a life-ike appearance and that none
OF the limbs grew rigid, but the other
two physicians called in vigorously
combatted the idea that he was in q
trance and might be restored to life.
Nevertheless, the wife and sons had
secret hope that death had not really
come to him, and the funeral was put
two days ahead. During the interval
the corpse was constantly watched for
returning animation, but nothing oc-
Cured to delay the funeral arrange
mentS.
The burial was to take place in a
country graveyard, and most OF the
vehicles gathering at the house belong
ed to farmers. The usual ceremonies
took place over the dead, and the cot
fin was brought out and placed in the
hearse. While the procession was
forming team attached to an empty
wagon came down the road running
away. The wagon collided with the
hearse, and the latter vehicle was up
set and the coffin flung out. Four or
five men ran to pick it up, but before
a hand had touched it voice was
heard, saying:
"For Gods sake let me out of thisl'
The people at first moved back in
alright, but as the voice continued to
address them the coffin was -ighted
and opened, and Wellington was found
struggling to get out. With a little
assistance he pulled himself out OF the
box and walked into the house and
sat down in a chair. In half an hour
he had his clothes on and was moving
around among the amazed people, to
whom he related this experiences:
II did not fall asleep until some
time after midnight. When l awoke
the clock was striking s. Imade
move to get out of bed but, to my
great amazement. could stir neither
hand nor foot. had the full use Of
my ears, but l could not open my
eyes. argued at first that was not
yet wide awake, but when my wife
shook me and called me by name and
l could not respond by even moving
an eyelid became satisfied that Twas
in a trance. My mind was never clear
er, and my hearing was painfully acute.
I made effort after effort to throw of
the great weight which seemed to be
holding me down, but / could not
bend a toe or crook a finger. How
ever, it was only after the doctor had
pronounced me dead that l felt any,
alarm. Up to that time it had seemed
as if could soon manage to get rid
of the weight. Had q pistol
been fired in the room l am
sure the spell would have been
broken. After thedoctor's ultimatum
felt that l should be buried alive.
But was l alive? All of sudden this
query flashed across my brain, and |
was troubled more than can tell you.
| As had never died before, how was l
to know the sensations? Could the
dead hear and think? Was the mind
Ct a corpse iii active operation? 1t
was problem hard to solve.
| "Not word was spoken near me
which did not catch and fully under
stand. There was great deal of
weeping, and l failed to satisfy my
self as to the cause. / had died, but
it did not seem as if this was q suffi-
cient excuse. When my wife bent over
| the coffin, and sobbed, and groaned,
and refused to be comforted, did not
feel bad with her. On the contrary,
her action SUI 1prised me. When the
two other doctors pronounced me
dead l made up my mind that the
spirit of the dead assembled to heaven,
and that the dead were dead in mind
as we'll as body. 1t was a base decep-
tion. felt indignant that it was so.
AS an instance of acuteness of my
hearing let me explain that after was
placed in the coffin the receptacle was
moved over to an open window in the
parlor, where it was supported ON
sawhorses. Two of my neighbors
| took seats on a wagon-box in the
barnyard, fully 200 feet away, and
for an hour conversed of my death in
ordinary tones of voice. | did not
miss one single word of the conversa-
tion, as both afterwards admitted.
I could hear every tick of the kitchen
clock, and much of the conversation
OF tho women in tho up -stairs rooms.
On the night previous to the funeral,
about 1890 o'clock, and while the
two men sitting up with the corpse
the fence into the barnyard, across
the yard, and enter the barn. After
a few minutes they came out, and !
heard the jingle of something carried
by one of the pair. could not make
out what was going on, but learned
afterward. The two men stole horse
from field opposite my barn, and
they entered my premises in search ol
bride.
II heard the people assemble for the
funeral, and as caught word from
this one or that one / identified them
by name to myself / listened closely
to the sermon, but when the minister
spoke of me could not take it as per-
sonal. 1t was as if the name and per-
son belonged to some one had known
years before. / knew when was car
ried out and placed in the hearse, and
| am certain that heard the clatter
of the team running away before any
body sighted them. When the people
began to call out in alright felt that
same fear of being hurt than any live
man does. / heard them trying to
back the hearse out OF the way to let
the teams 60 by, but they were not