The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1889-06-26
DEAD OR ALIVE?
EERIE STORIES ABOUT PEEMA-
TURE BURIALS.
How the Cardinal Thrilled the
French Senate-The Story OF
Ginevra-A Shivery Tale
ola Spectre Guest.

In 1865 most dramatic scene oc-
CURED in the French Senate-a scene ID
real life that would have been voted I'M
possible on the stage.
A petition had been presented point
ing out the dangers of hasty interments
and suggesting measures for their preven-
ton. NJ. de Ia Gueronniere proposed to
shelve it. But the venerable Cardinal
Donnet, Archbishop of Bordeaux, arose
in support of the petition.
His argument was long and interest
ing. He had himself, he said, while yet
a cure, saved several persons from being
buried alive. He had seen man taken
from his coffin and restored to health.
He had seen the body of young lady
laid out for dead, the attendants cover
ing her face as he entered, yet allowing
him to observe so much as convinced
him she was not dead, but sleeping.
With loud voice he cried out that he
was come to save her.
"You do not see me, perhaps" ne
said, "but you hear what am saying"
And she did hear. His voice reached
her numbed sensations. She made
mighty effort and woke into life.
"That young GIRL" said the Arch
bishop in tine midst of a profound silence,
"is to-day q wife, the mother of children
and the chief happiness of two of the
most distinguished families in Paris"
But the Archbishop had another and
still more impressive story to tell. In
1926 a young priest tainted in the pulpit
and was given up for dead. He was
measured for the coffin, the funeral bell
was tolled, the De Profundis was recited.
Meanwhile the seeming corpse could hear
all that was going on. "You will easily
feel how impressive was the agony Of the
living in that situation. At last, amid
the murraurs around him, he distinguished
the voice of one known to him from
childhood. That voice produced a
marvellous effect and stimulated him to
superhurnan effort. Of what followed l
need say no more than that the seeming
dead man stood next day in the pulpit
from which he had been taken for dead.
That young priest, gentlemen" and here
the old man S voice thrilled every listener;
"that young priest is the man who stands
before you to-day-more than forty years
later-entreating those in authority not
merely to vigilantly enforce execution OF
the legal requirements inregard to burials,
but to enact fresh ones that may prevent
the occurrence ofirreparable misfortunes. "
In spite of official resistance the Senate
voted that the petition should be referred
to the Minister of the Interior. Some OF
its notifications of existing laws were
eventually adopted. But the French, like
the English, have always resisted the in
novation of mortuary chambers, such as
the German and other nations have
adopted, in which the dead are retained
for time before interment. Here me-
chanical appliances are so arranged that
the slightest motion on the part of the
buried would sound an alarm and sum.
mon an attendant. Since 1928, however,
when the system was adopted, not sim
gle case of apparent death has beer
proved to occur. Of course this negative
evidence cannot be cited as conclusive
either for or against the system.
History is full of instances of buria
during suspended animation, many Of
which from their grewsome and startling
character have passed into literature
Duns Scotus, known as the Subtle, Il
said to have been buried while in a fit
in the absence of his servant and of al
who know that such fits were periodical
with him. When the servant returned
he insisted on opening the vault. Th'
corpse was found dead then beyond hope
but bearing all the evidence of terrible
struggle, one hand being bitten off anc
half eaten. It was no doubt the finding
of other corpses in similar condition
after burial that led to the hideou!
medieval superstition of vampires, which
fed upon human bodies.
A celebrated romance of real life, which
has also found curious counterparts mor'
or less authenticated in all lands and peri
DDS, is the Florentine story of Ginevra
Married against her inclination in the yea
1400 to francesca degli Agolanti, the ont
of her two lovers who loved her least
Ginevra was buried alive during trance
which looked like death. At midnigh
she awoke, and, horror-struck, made he
way out of the vault to her husband
house. But he, sorrowful for her deatl
as he was, refused to believe that this pal
revenante crying at his door was aught
else thar a ghost, and repulsed her with
hasty benediction. So did her father; 81
did heruncl Then, nearly dying in goot
earnest, she remembered her other ant
truer lover, Antonio di Rondinelli, ane
dragged herself to his doorstep.
he answered her timid knock himself
and though startled at the ghostly vision
calmly inquired what the spirit wanted
with him.
Tearing her shroud from her face Gin
evra exclaimed: 81 am no spirit, An
tonio am that Ginevra that you onc'
loved, who was buried yesterday-buriet
alivel" and fell swooning into the vel
coming arms of her delighted lover.
He took her in, warmed, fed and com
forted her, and when she had been nursee
back to health he privately married her
The next Sunday they appeared together
as man and wife at the Cathedral. There
was universal CONSERVATION anon!
Ginevra's friends. An explanation en-
sued, which satisfied all but the lady:
first husband, who insisted that the orig