The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1890-12-18
Andarspu gntettigeneer.
Buried Alive.
From, the Old Homestead.

from tHe OtO u07HcStcQUs
No one ever speaks to me about my
aged appearance but whenever glance
at the looking glass Isee how old and
haggard I look, yet am not by any
means an old man, for was only thirty
on my last birthday, therefore certainly
don't look old from age. / have no
pecuniary or family troubles, for I am
bachelor without a.single near relative
and my law practice brings me good
income. From these particulars you
would suppose ought to be a contented
man; then why should I look 80 haggard
and old2 Some romantic schoolgirl will
probably exclaim, can unhappy love
affair."" Reader, / have never been in
love. have read of such q thing in
novels, but from actual experience I
know nothing about the so called tender
passion. There is not man in this
city who is more Indifferent to the fair
aex than I am.
No, the true reason of my haggard
appearance is owing to a terrible expert
ence I passed through q few months
since, an experience SO horrible that it
makes me shudder even row, and fire.
quently when ] am asleep / start up wild
with terror as I dream that l am going
through that ordeal again. / was dan.
gerously i'll. I knew that even before
the grave looks of the physician intimat.
ed the fact. I remember began to
grow unconscious, then all was blank.
When recovered consciousness I found
myself lying on my back and surrounded
by an intense darkness. Gould it be
night2 No, forI heard near by the
solemn, but indistinct, tones of some one
who was speaking, and / felt sure that
no one would be talking in this way ifit
was night. 1t seemed to me that re-
cognized the voice, but was not certain.
Where was I? I intended to ask this
question, but to my intense astonishment
and great alarm I found that I could not
utter single sound. Just then I in
stinctly heard the solemn voice utter
these words, sour departed friend"
The truth instantly flashed across my
mind-my funeral sermon was being
preached. All was plain now. I had
fallen into trance, from which I was
just recovering. Oh, the horrible, suffo-
eating agony suffered. I would have
cried aloud in tones of widest terror, but
my voice was goue. To be buried alive
A man who was going to be eaten by
wild animals could form some idea as to
how I felt, but such mans fate would
be far better than was mine, because he
would be almost Immediately killed,
whereas [ would die Z lingering, awful
death. In my agony how I longed for a
knife, so that when had fully recovered
from my trance in the grave I would be
able to cut my throat and thus put an
end to my unhappy condition. The
coffin lid was screwed down and the
preachers voice sounded indistinct. Soon
it ceased altogether and [ heard funeral
hymn sung; it was tune often whis-
tied. its conclusion I heard noise
as though crowd were moving about,
and I felt that the coffin was gently lifted
and carried along.
Only few more minutes to be above
ground and then-but my imagination
halted, for it could not picture the suffer.
ings I would have to endure in the grave.
The pail. bearers stopped and knew
they had placed the coffin on supports of
some kind, and then a few minutes
afterwards felt myself gently lowered,
the coffin stopped descending, and I
realized that it had reached the bottom
of the grave. a dull, heavy sound
caught my ears; it was the noise made
by falling dirt. The grave WIS being
filled. Reader, may you never, even
in your most horrible dreams, feel as /
then felt. Nature aroused herself I
made mighty effort and screamed yes,
screamed as lost soul might be imagin-
ed to scream in the agonies of eternal
punishment I continued to scream, and
soon the top of the coffin was broken
into. I once again saw the blessed light
of day: and then I knew no more.
When recovered my senses l found
myself stretched on bed. My physi-
cian was bending over me. 1 started up
and cried:
Gam I safe?"
Eyes, you're safe," replied the physi-
clan; "but you must be quiet now"
sank back on the bed from weakness.
MY recovery WAS SLOW, anu ionS peloTo l
was we'll again I had learned all. My
trance appeared 50 much like death that
even the physician was completely de-
ceived. When I had been lowered into
the grave and commenced to scream the
crowd hastily scattered many of the
women and children shrieked and few
tainted, for it was like a dead person
returning to life. Some of the men re-
moved the dirt and broke off the coffin
lid. After had tainted was removed
to the hotel where [ boarded and for
several days raved wildly, then reason
returned.
Such is my story; such the reason why
I look go haggard. so aged before my
time.
MCDONALD FURMAN.