The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1886-08-05
ALIVE IN HIS COFFIN.
THE ASTONISHING EXPERIENCE OF
GEORGE WELLINGTON.


He Narrowly Escapes Being Buried Alive
Gould Hear But Could Not Talk-The
Story ms Told by Himself After Being
Rescued.
On the evening of June Is, 1856,
George Wellington, an Indiana farmer,
had a gathering Of friends at his house.
He was a man forty-two years OF age,
and Of robust health, and Oh this even
ing it was noticed that he was IN partic-
ularly good spirits. After the guests
had departed he remarked TO his wife
that he felt more like singing and dane
ing than going to bed. They retired
about halE-past II o'clock, and she was
asleep before midnight.
The farmer was always out of bed at
live O'Clock, bat on the morning follow
ing the party the wife awoke at six aud
found him still sleeping. When she at
tempted 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 case ofheart
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 retained a life-llke appearance,
and that none of the limbs grew rigid,
but the two other physicians called IN
vigorously combated the idea that he
was in trance and might be restored TO
life. Nevertheless, the wife and sons
had a secret hope that death had not
really come to him, and the funeral was
put two days ahead. During the inter-
val the corpse was constantly watched
for signs of returning animation, but
nothing occurred to delay the funeral ar
rangements.
The burial was to take place in coun-
try graveyard, and most OF the vehicles
gathered at the house belonged to farm
ers. The usual ceremonies took place
over the dead, and the coffin was brought
out and placed in the hearse. ~ hile 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
upset and the coffin flung out. Four or
five men ran to picked it up, but before
hand had touched it voice was heard,
saying:
'sFor Gods sake let me out Of this !"
The-people at first moved back in al
fright, but rs the voice continued to ad-
dress them the coffin was RIG ghted and
opened, and Wellington was found
struggling to get out. With a little as
sistance he pulled himself out of the box
and walked into the house and sat down
ilfa Ii chair. In half an hour, he had his
clothes on and was moving around
among the amazed people TO whom he.
related this experience:
II did not fall asleep until some time
after midnight. When l awokc the
clock was striking five. j made move
to get out of bed, but to my great
amazement, I could stir neither hand
nor foot. had the full use OF my ears,
but I could not open my eyes. largued
at first that was not yet wide awake.
but when my wife shook me and called
me by name, land could not respond by
even moving an eyelid, I became salts
fed that I was IN a trance. My mind
was never clearer, and my hearing was
painfully acute. I made effort after ef-
fort to throw off the great weight which
seemed to be holding ME down, but
could not bend a toe or crook finger.
However. it was only after tho doctor
had pronounced me dead that telt any,
alarm. Up to that time it had seemed
to me that l could soon manage TO get
rid of the weight. Had q pistol been
fired in the room 1 am sure the spell
would dhaye been broken. After the doc
tors ultimatum felt that l should be
buried alive. But was l alive? All Of
4 sudden this query flashed across my
brain, and l was troubled more than l
can tell you. AS had never died be-
fore, how was l to know the sensations?
Could the dead hear and think? Was
the mind ola corpse in active operation:
It was a problem l could not solve.
"Nota word was spoken nearme which
l did not catch and fully understand:
There was a great deal Of weeping, and
1 failed to satisfy myself as to the cause.
| had died, but it did not seem as if this
was asuflclcnt excuse. When my wife
bent over the coffin and sobbcd and
gricvcd, and refused to be comtorted, |
did not feel bad with her. On the con-
trary, her action surprised me. When
the two other doctors pronounced me
dead made up my mind that was dead
aud that the end had come. | had been
taught to believe that tho spirit OF the
dead assembled to heaven. and that the
dead were dead IN mind as well as body.
it was base deception. | iclt lndlg-
nant that il was so.
AS an instance Of the acutcness Of
N: hearing. let me explain that after |
was placed in the coffin the receptacle
was moved over to an open wInfow N
the parlor. where It was supported on
s;rw horses. Two of my ncighbors took
seats on Il wagon box in the barnyard,
fully two hundred feet away. and for