The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1886-08-05
ALIVE IN HIS COFFIN.

ALIVE IN HIS COFFIN.
| Tho Astonishing Experience OF George
| Wellington, Farmer, OF Indiana.
From the Ne,v York Sun.
On the evening of June 18, 1868,
George Wellington, an Indiana farmer,
had gathering of friends at his house.
he was man forty-two 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 de-
parted he remarked to his wife that be
felt more like singing and dancing than
going to bed. They retired about half
past IL o'clock, and she was asleep before
midnight.
The farmer was always out of bed at
FIVE O'Clock, but on the morning follow:
| ing the party the wife awoke at six and
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 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.
It was remarked that the corpse retained
a life-like 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, aud
the funeral was put two days ahead.
During the interval the corpse was con-
stantly watched for signs of returning
animation, but nothing occurred to delay
the funeral arrangements.
The burial was to take place in acoun.
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. 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
upset and the cofin flung out. -Four or
FIVE men ran to pick it up, but before a
hand had touched it, voice was heard,
saying: ;,
The people at first moved back in
alright, but as the voice CONTINUED to
address them the coffin was righted
and opened, and Wellington was found
struggling to get out. With little
assistance he pulled himself out of the
box and walked into the house and sat
down in chair. In half an hour he
had bis clothes on and was moving around
among the amazed people to whom he
related this experience:
"I did not fall asleep until some time
after midnight. When awoke the clock
vas striking five. I made move to get
out of bed, but to my great amazement, l
could stir neither hand nor foot. / had
the full use of my ears, but | could not
open my eyes. I argued at 6rst that 1
was not yet wide awake, but when my
wife shook me and called me by name,
and could not respond by even moving
an eyelid, 1 became satisfied that l was
in trance. My mind was never clearer,
and my hearing was painfully acute. 1
made effort after effort to throw off the
great weight which seemed to be holding
me down, but I could not bend toe or
crook finger. However, it was only
after the doctor had pronounced mo dead
that felt any alarm. Up to that time
it had seemed to me that could soon
manage to get rid of the weight. Had q
pistol been fired in the room am sure
the spell would have been broken. Afler
the doctors ultimatum felt that I should
be buried alive. But was alive !? All
of a sudden this query flashed across my
brain, and was troubled more than 1
| can tell you. As I had never died before,
how was to know the sensations? Could
the dead hear and think? Was the mind
of corpse in active operation? 1t was
q problem could not solve.
mot a word was spoken near me
which I did not catch and fully under.
stand. There was great deal of weep.
ing, and T failed to satisfy myself as to
the cause. I had died, but it did not
seem as if this was sufficient excuse.
When my wife bent over the coffin and
sobbed and grieved, and refused to be
comforted, I did not feel mad with her.
On the contrary, her action surprised me.
When the two ether doctors pronounced
me dead / made up my mind that I was
dead and that the end had come. [ had
been taught TO believe that the spirit of
the dead ascended to heaven, and that
the dead were dead in mind as vol as
body. 1t was base deception. 1 felt
indignant that it was 80.
"As an instance of the acuteness OF
my hearing, let me explain that after l
was placed in the coffin the receptacle
was moved over to an open window in
the parlor, where it was supported on saw
horses. Two of my neighbors took seats
on wagon box in the barnyard, fully
two hundred feet away, and for an hour
conversed of my death in ordinary tones
of voice. l did not miss one single word
of the conversation, as both afterwards
admitted. / could hear every tick of the
kitchen clock and much of the conVersa-
tion of the women in the upstairs rooms.
On the night previous to the funeral,
about half past 10 o'clock, and while the
two men sitting up with the corpse were
reading, heard two mon climb the fence
into the barnyard, cross the yard and
enter the barn. After they came out
1 heard the jingle of something carried
by one of the pair. I could not make
out what was going on, but learned after
ward. The two men stole horse from q
field opposite my barn, and they entered
my premises in search of a bride.
"1 heard the people assemble for the
funeral, and as caught word from this
one or that one I identified them by name
to myself. listened closely to the SER
mon, but when the minister spoke of me
I could not take it as personal. 1t was
as if the name and person belonged to
some one had known years before. I
knew when / was carried out and placed
in the hearse, and I am certain that I
heard the clatter of the team running
away before anybody sighted them.
When the people began to call out in
a fright felt that same fear of being
hurt that any live man does. I heard
them trying to back the hearse out of the
Way to let the team 20 by, but they were