The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1889-05-26
Il AM NOT DEAD"
The Bishop Inquest-Some Very Interesting
and Startling Testimony.


Especial to THE HERALD Examiner Dispatch
New YORK, May % The Bishop inquest
was resumed yesterday. Bishops mother
testified that her son was born a mind
reader. At the age of six his first fit oc-
CURED: he remained apparently dead for
seven days, but on recovery, he exclaimed:
Mamma, don't bury me, for I'm not
dead" At the age of nine, the same thing
occurred. He had been in frances
frequently during his life. Once he had
been pronounced dead by several phy-
sicians, and remained in trance state
three days. DR.. Edward NJ. Briggs believed
him to be alive. In Europe the same thing
occurred after the Jay disaster, where
Bishop had over excited himself by saving
the life of q lady He lay in a trance
for three weeks. Eminent physicians
said ne was dead. The symptoms were
cOuvulsiVe movements; fingers blue: eyes
closed, though sometimes open; the limbs
cold and stir. He had inherited this ten
dency from herself She had been in d
trance for hours. He had Travelled all over
the world, aud always had a horror of the
surgeons knife and being buried while
alive. He always forbade an autopsy.
The witness had frequently seen the paper
he carried addressed TO surgeons forbidding
an autopsy. She say it May II when he
placed it in his pocketbook, besides an en-
velope containing her address. The paper
forbade the use OF electricity while alive
and ice or the use Of the knife after seem
ing death. The witness carried similar
paper. Years ago the witness telegraphed
to California fOrbidding an autopsy when
she heard he was supposed to be dead.
Ida Orme Jones testified that she was
called from Detroit to the Burnett house,
Cincinnati, in June 1887, TO attend Bishop
who was Ill, after the performance in
which he went into trance. The physi-
clans summoned pronounced him dead.
The forehead was clammy and cold, and
the jaws dropped apart. Two hours after
there was movement. He finally re-
covered. She had spoken of the danger of
an autopsy, but Bishop replied: 'News-
papers may cut me up, but the doctors
never. | have taken precautions against
that" She was positive the physicians
said he was dead. She had never seen the
paper spoken of.
Louis Aldrich, the actor, testified that he
saw Bishop just before and after his death,
the face being of leaden color. He'was
present when the clothing was searched.
In a small pocket was j small bit of paper
on which something was written in Latin
Dr. Irvine took it, and said it had better be
destroyed. mo, don't do that it may be
important Irvine said he would not and
would keep it. The paper was then pro
duCed by Irvine and identified by the wit
ness. 1t proved to be physicians pre-
ScriptiOn. The witness declared positively
that he had never said that he saw the
paper destroyed and had no knowledge of
one except the one identified. This dis
posed of the sensational rumor already
published.
DIR. James Edwin Briggs, of No. III
West, Thirty-third street, testified that in
1873 he was called to see Bishop. Drs.
Leitch and Ford had already pronounced
him dead. The witness found him in an in
sensible condition; the eyes closed; no
pulsatiOn at the wrist, and no respiration.
He was perfectly lifeless TO appearance.
From his previous knowledge the witness
insisted that ne was alive, and remained
with him for over twelve hours. During
that time there were no signs of life, but
every appearance of death. AT the end of
the twelve hours, Bishop opened his eyes
andin few moments sat up, and had fully
recovered in forty minutes. DR.. Ford is
now dead; DR.. Leitch is in France. The
witness had seen Bishop in similar condi-
ton in his own office, and had seen Andrew
Jackson Davis, twho is still alive) and two
others in a like trance, and had been in one
himself in 1880
Mrs, Mary Augusta SWEET, of Vermont,
was the last witness for the day. She had
known Bishop all her life, having been in
PRODUCED to his mother at the Prince of
Wales ball. She had seen him in France
fifteen years ago. He was suddenly pros
terated by a tit after breakfast. Nine
Bishop administered brandy The wit
ness thought the mother was wrong in as
serting he was alive, for she placed cam
phor to his nostrils with no effect. The
physicians could do nothing and said
Bishop was dead. The trance lasted from
9:15 am. until 9:45 pm. Then she heard
the mother scream and ran into the room
and found Bishop moving. He finally sat
up and asked: 'How long have I been
asleepl"
The widow Of Bishop has not yet been
present at the inquest.