The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-07-05
HE ESCAPED THE GRAVE.
A MARVELLOUS STORY OF SUB.
PENDED ANIMATION.


er's Devotion.
CEDAR KEYS. FLA, July 1.-Editor
Morning NeiCs: For some time past have
been reading in the MORNING NEWS and
other papers accounts of burials alive, sus-
pended animation, frances, ETC., and having
passed through an experience Of the kind, l
feel it my duty TO make it public, though I
also feel that it is so marvellous and alto
gether improbable that l shrink from the
recital The question of premature burials,
however, now being &c nerally discussed,
forces me TO the conclusion that | have
already delayed reporting my experience
too long, as year by year the
number Of witnesses to this par
lcular case grows less. A
sufficient number to substantiate every
statement are, however, still alive, and
some of them are physicians of your city
About the year 1S49 my father moved with
his family to Savannah, Ga. In the winter
OF lSJ3-'54 l was taken i'll with typhoid
pneumonia, and was under treatment about
three months. l was nearly 9 years old.
but too young TO trouble myself as to the
name OF the attending physician, who, as |
gradually grew worse, summoned another
physician in consultation, but the disease
batfied the combination of skill, and slowly,
but surely, | continued sinking. When |
hrst became i'll | was threatened with the
switch to make me take the nauseOus doses
OF medicine, but as l grew weaker brides
we're substituted, and | soon had quite a
stock OF species Of all denominations which
l amused myself in piling upon a small
table beside the bed as long as | was able
to do So One of my brothers then became
my cashier and would count it over and
pile 1t up for me in stacks, putting each
coin in its own stack. l gradually grew
weaker, and was moved with tenderness
and care to larger pillow made for the
purpose, so that | could receive neces-
sary attention, for was in
deplorable condition. The
bones had worked through the skin, and |
was but a skeleton, blistered from the base
OF the brain to the soles of my feet. This
Is as far as l remember, Three doctors
were bending over me when | seemed to
fall asleep: When | again regained con-
seriousness it was with feeling that | had
slept long and well. felt good, rested and
easy. But what wonderful changes had
taken place. l vas lying in the middle of
bed, on one Of the old-fashioned high bed
steads, my money was gone, the table was
bare, except bottle Of medicine and a
tablespoon. A bright fire burned in the fire
place, and a small lady, dressed in
black, sat in front of the CRATE,
with her back to the bed, and she was care
tully examining some garment made of
White cloth, which had a scalloped and
plnked border The gray head of an aged
man rested upon pillow on the side of the
bed. The house and street were preternat-
urauy quiet. | could net solve the enigma.
Surely that was not my mother, for she did
not wear black; and surely this white head
resting on the pillow beside the bed was not
my fathers, for his hair was black. In
my perplexity l called my mother. | can
never describe accurately what followed.
The lady in black sprang to her feet and
ran to the bed. 1t was my mother. The
aged man rose quickly, seized thebottle of
medicine and spoon and in a moment was
pouring a dose of the terrible stuff down
| my throat, 1Uith0ut the offer of q bride
Instantly the house was all connection: the
| family poured in; the suspicious looking
white garment was struggled out of the
room, and the family physician was per-
emptorlly summoned. The crisis had
passed. | rapidly improved. 1 got well {;
and thanks to my mother and a great and
good God, am alive and we'll to-day
Now let me tell you the marvellous part
OF this experience at related to me by my
mother and the old gray haired doctor.
When fell asleep with the three physicians
bending over me and my friends weeping
around me they said / was dead A few
months previous to my illness young lady
from the north had come to Savannah, on a
visit to some friends, who were nephbors
OF ours, and during her visit she was
taken i'll and died. The remains
were inferred at Savannah, where
they remained but a short while, when
her parents had them taken up for removal
Upon opening the casket it was said that
1T was found that the body was lying on its
side, with the lining of the casket torn into
fragments about the head and breast. as
was also the clothing about the neck and
chest, and the hair torn from the head.
This report made such an impression on
my mother that she declared that no one
OF her family should be buried until decom-
position began.
so when the three physicians pronounced
me dead my mother emphaticaily declared
that was not dead, and summoned an
other physician TO consult with the three al
ready present. The four then examined me-
making all manner of tests, and decided
that life was extinct My mother would
not give it up, and begged piteously that
they would not give me up, asserting
that l was not dead, and begging
them to send for another phvsi.
clan. Then came my old friend
with the white head. He made a long and
thorough examination In conjunction with
the four doctors already in attendance. and.
turning to my mother, said: MADAM. vour
boy IS dead, and it is useless to fnrther.
delay the burial" AT this my mother broke
down completely, and, weeping bitterly.
begged them for the sake of everything
sacred not to give me up. The five doctors
started to leave the room, but my mothers
entreaties touched the old mans heart. and
turning to her, after moments consulta-
ton with the others, he said: Madam. I
VIII remain with your boy until you
are satisfied that he is dead
and, taking chair, he sat
down by the bedside, content to wait. as he
thought, the short time necessary to fully
convince every one that | was, beyond all
doubt, dead. This was the afternoon of the
day when fell asleep or died The old doc
tor never left tho room, except when COM
PEELED TO do so, and took ms meals on my
money table beside the bed. On the morn
ing of the fifth day, at about IL o'clock. I
called my mother as above stated. If any
OF those attending physicians are vet alive,
should be pleased to have YOU
give them my full address. If any
proof CT this marvellous recovery from death
or suspended animation is needed, | am
prepared to furnish it. just after nv re-
covery you had the great storm, which M
rooted nearly every pride of India tree in
your city, during which | was with a party
OF boys out on the old Louisville road
Then came the epidemic of yellow fever,
which swept Savannah like Bosom of
do 80 - rNr, H..