Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1889-07-25
Three DAYS Spent in a Coffin.

lAIco ia. Sp0ul III d OoluH'
Not long ago, Mr.. Bishop, the mind
reader, was, it is alleged, butchered in
New York, by number of doctors. He
had sinking SPELL or laid Ia a cataleptic
state short time, as report goes, was
reported dead, and then carved up, so 70
speak.
Very likely the following is mucn like
what Mr.. Bishop would have told, had he
not been chopped up:
ut was horrible, horrible, sir lay in
that coffin alive, and just as conscious of
what was going on around ne as I am at
this moment. [ have always been of
hysterical temperament, and on one
grevious occasion had lain in csta-
leptic state for twenty -four hours. This
last time l lay for three days perfectly
conscious, as I said before, but 20 ali ap-
peareuces as dead as Caesar"
The speaker was a we'll known attorney
of St. Paul, says the Globe, who related
the story of his thrilling experience with
catalspsy conditionally that his name be
withheld from publication.
1T has been said," continued tn hero of
this blood curdling adventure, shat there
are infallible signs which denote death
and are unmistakable to the pIacticed
L
the case and no one has had better OPP
portunity of judging than have. When
| died, or rather when three of the best-
known medical men in Boston asserted
that l was dead, I had been three days
previous to my supposed demise in g
condition of violent hysteria, bordering
almost on insanity, owing to the death of
sister whom Iloved to distraction. At
he Of hot II nh1Ia n2
into the condition I have previously des
cribed. My death was attributed by the
learned diciples of Esaulapius to
disease of the heart. The three old
fogies held a consultation over me and
heard them discuss the advisability of
a post-mortem examination, there being
a slight difference of opinion among
them as to what was the actual cause. At
this time was lying on a board per-
fectly rigid, and fully realized the fact
that I should be buried alive if I couldn't
brace up and explain matters within the
next few hours. I Immediately blessed
my mother and brothers for their refusal
to allow those old butchers to go for me
with their knives. That's all that saved
nae, tell you. This seems wild story,
but just the same it's a true one. Why,
can even remember laughing quietly to
myself to think that the windows had
been opened all around the room. 1t was
devilish cold too, but could not feel the
cold much. knew, however, that those
windows had been opened to prevent the
decomposition of my ill-used frame. How
did l get out of the fix? Well, it was just
by the skin of my teeth. When the
| undertaken and his fool assistant brought
| the coffin, and was lifted into it, knew
| at once that the coffin was too short and
| just ached to say so, bit | couldn't speak
q word to save my life. / was tongue
tied; hadn't control of muscle. The
merest accident in the world would pre-
| vent my being buried alive. 1 had been
| lying in the awful condition I have des-
cribed for over three days when the
beast of an undertaken came around
again to screw up the coffin. A tack had
been left sticking out from the drapery
grazing the interior of the sgrcophagus,
and the fellow in the coffin business com
menced series of vicious jabs at it with
sharp edged screwdriver. Ga
! one of these the instrument struck nail
head, and, flying off at tangent, took
me on the jaw with considerable force.
The blood spouted forth and l instantly
regained the use of my limbs. 1 wanted
TO knock seven kinds of blue fire out of
the coffin man, and was out of that in no
time. The undertaken skipped, but put
it all over his assistant, / am ashamed to
say, for the man was too Mortified at my
resurrection to defend himself in the
least. Now you can just bet | am as
healthy man as the most of them nova
days, and I've issued strict orders that in
the event of my death 1 am not to be
buried until an artery has been opened
and my deeease absolutely proved"