Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-05-25
AN AWFUL SUSPICION.
Undertaken Devore is Not Altogether
Sure About Some People
HE BURIED In CHOLERA TIMES.
He Would Have Been Better Satisfied as to
Proofs Of Their Death
IF FUNERALS BEEN DELAYED A LITTLE

As DR.. Tanner seems to think that O
great many people are buried alive, when
animation is merely suspended, and as the
bare suggestion is enough to make sleep
fitful, the testimony of man who has put
more dead people into their beds than any
other man of Western Pennsylvania is of
interest.
Mr.. W. II. Devore states that he buried
some bodies during the time the cholera
ragged in 1854 thathe would have kept longer
above ground had it not been almost impos-
sible to do so, but still he supposes they
were all dead. though at times he felt
twinges Of fear. The turmoil and panic at
the time were so great that many interments
were made as quickly as possible, in order
to keep pace with the demand for sepulture.
In ordinary times and cases Mr.. Devore
thinks the burial of living persons is very
rare, though such cases possibly occur.
Mr.. Devore's experience has been i'm
mense. He says he has not kept an ac-
count of the number Of people be has buried
and unburied, but he says it would make
people enough for considerable city. He
at one time had contract to remove human
remains
FROM 1000 GRAVES
in cemetery and had here ample oppor-
tunity to learn from their position whether
there had been any returns to life. he says
he found in number of cases the bodies
lying on their sides when it was well known
they had been laid on their backs in the
cofins, but Mr.. Devore accounts for this
from the swelling of corpses before putre-
faction is complete, which he says would
have tendency to change the position OF
the body. He has in his career raised
thousands of bodies and found but few
instances where there had been any changes
in the position of the body. At one time
he had, in addition to his regular business,
contracts to bury for the United States Gov
ernment, the city Of Pittsburg and Alle-
gheny county, and also the Pennsylvania
Railroad. He is positive there were no
eases of suspended animation sent in by the
latter patron. Most of them were buried
piecemeal.
HE POSTPONED FUNERALS.
Mr.. Devore states that he has in quite
number of cases postponed funerals, and
Once German sent for him to come and
bury child. When he got to the house the
father said, "The body has come to again,
but yoosht come round again in an hour or
two and it will be all right" He did so and
found the baby dead sure enough.
"But," said Mr.. Devore, there is no
danger of Interment before death when
bodies are embalmed. The chemicals used
will kill the strongest person in three min
utes after application" This is probably
one reason why embalming has grown in
public favor.
Frank Calhoun spoke up during the
course of the confab, and stated that there
was no danger of premature interment in
cases of suspended animation, except among
country undertakers. who might bury in
haste in their eagerness to get job and fear
of being knocked out of it. Mr.. Calhoun
thought an undertaken who couldn't tell
whether or no life was extinct didn't un-
derstand his business.