The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-12-21
A DAGGER In HIS HEART.
A DRUGGISTS PROBATION TO IN
SURE HIS DEATH

His Sisters Obey Their Brothers Last
Request to Have His own Poniard
Thrust Into His Body as q Precaution
Before the Conn is Finally Closed.
FROM the Neic York Star.
One of the most weird aud tragic scenes
ever witnessed in chamber OF death wa s
the one which was enacted Sunday IN the
room where Druggist George w. Fay died.
1t took the form of the execution OF a dY-
ing request, which called for keen-
pointed ponlard being thrust into his heart.
so that ali doubts as to his burial alive should
DO removed. This precsution was also
taken with the full acluiesoenos OF the de-
cesssd's three sisters. VINO. up TO the last
moment. could hardly realize that their
brother was dead, 50 lise-liks did he appsar
as he lay In his casket They were, there
fore, fully determined to all " their appre-
henslon, AID reeortsd to the heroic method
Of an application of steel blade.
MIR Fay died thir; sen days ago. He was
well known druggist Ia the town of Ham
monitor, N. j., and WAS proprietor Of one
OF the largest pharmacies in that place. He
WAS taken ST TX Nov. ~ aid died Ave days
later. lie was wiGower. his wife having
died several years before, leaving him a
child, a girl, who is at pressat in a con-
vent.
Two nights before his death Mr.. Fay sud
denly sat upright in ted. He glared wildly
about hi and clutched at the bedclothing.
Large beads of perspiration stood out on his
brow aud his breathing camo thick aud fast
His elder sister. who had dozsd OFT In n chair
near the bedside Of her SICK brother was
startled Mt the loud an rapid gasps for life
She was terrified at nis appearance for an
instance, but recovered from her fright
when he beckoned her to approach. She
asked him what was tho matter. IL was
several minutes before he could SPEAK, aud
then in n disjointed way the patient told
her that he had just had terrible dream.
He said that the dream pioture him as hav-
ing fallen into trance He remained IN
this CO dition, he said, for da} s, and his
friends and sisters thought he was dead.
WHAT HE SAW IN HIS DREAM,
He described how In his dream he was
laid in his coffin, aud he heard the prepa-
rations made for his funeral. "Oh. Ma
tilda," said the dying man TO his sister. lit
was a most dreadful dream. / was con-
soious OF all that was going on about me.
i could hear your sobS as you bent over my
| dead body when taking last farewell. /
realized everything that was going on
| around me, and that was what made 1t
more terrible. | distinctly heard every
word that was said, and yet l was powsr-
less TO help myself or move muscle to
betray the fact that life still remained in my
| poor wasted form. ! heard the minis er's
words when tbs services for the dead were
read on the dly of my funeral. | seemed
| to experience choking sensation when the
| undertaken screwed down the lid upon tho
| colin. At thai moment made an almost
superhuman effort to cry out, hut could not
utter sound. felt the cotfl raised aud
borne away fairly shuddered as | W IS
lowered into the grave prepared for me, aId
again tried to make known the fact that |
| was alive, but could not do 30. | was like
an image Of marble. could not even give
vent to wink or nod.
when the gravediggers began to throw
| down the soils OF earth upon the coail
again tried TO cry out. / felt myself gro "
ing weaker, while my mental faculties be-
gan to fail me. At that momeat a sudden
desperate impulse possessed me, and with an
| eff irt that had not besa able before to
summon to my al l. | burst open the top OF
the GOTTA aud sat bold upright In my fuaer-
al snrouds. | heard tue shouts from: above,
and then / tainted away"
MUST BE SURE OF HIS DEATH.
| After rec ting his awful dream the diving
man sank back in his bed He asked nis
sisters 60 satisfy themselves That no was
dead before they buried him. He was
| fearful lest the dream was prelnonition OF
his approaching fate. The following night
he had similar dream, which he recounted
to his sis ers, and it proved to be even a
more thrilling expsrince than his former
one. Then 1t was that ne called them to
his bedside and begged them to thrust a
dagger Into his heart before they buried
him.
"My death "a TO be a hard one. believe, T"
said he. "Those horrible dreams are full Of
meaning, and have always had horror
that would go Into trance and be buried
alive. IL is not at all improbable that these
terrible dreams were sIperinduced by these
thoughts. but cannot throw off the feeling
that will be- buried alive il some precau-
ton |, not taken to guard against It,
''TaRUsT DAGGER IN NY HEART"
"Now, dear sisters, feel / am about TO
die feel that | will 60 into trance from
| which shall never awaken, so, as my dying
and last request, promise me that you will
faithfully carry out what am about 10 re-
quest Of you. 10 is this: Do not bury me II
| you have the slightest doubts as t. my
death. Keep my body until sig of disso-
luton are apparent. Keep me for weeks, IL
I necessary. n then you have reason b be-
lieve that am still among the living, en- l
my terrible sufferings by thrusting this
dagger through my beart and leave 1t
| there
The dying man held up n keen-poiDted
new pearl-handled dagger, which he passed
to his sis ers, and then sank back to his
bed. In few minutes he apparently died.
! but not befose bis sisters bad promised
him that they would carry out his last,
| wish.
The body was kept until Sunday, in order
that Druggist Fay's dying request might be
observed 70 the letter. Ever sincs his death
the body has rested in a rich casket in the
| front room The sterB watched IL day and
night. In his coffin Fay looked like a man
Ia perfect heal h. His cheeks were fun Of
color, aud ais whole appearance was that Of
a person calmly sleepi z. Ills sisters felt
confident That no was in a trance, and re-
fused to permit his body 10 he buriei. At
the end Of week the life-like appearances
Of the body had not changed, and even the
physicians who examined it had doubts as
TO the presence Of death.
Great interest was manifested Ia the case
by the residents OF Hammonton, aud 10
came 70 be regarded as one " the strange Il
phenomena Of its Kiad that had ever Oc-
CURED ia tho country. A. the days woat
by and the body was kept above groun
interest increased. The body 8 III preserved
| all the appearance OF life, aud the sisters
resorted 20 electricity with view Of brinR.
ing about some kind VI action IN the body.
AZ the ca nest Eolicita ion of rela'
tiyes the sisters agreed last Saturday
that II more distinct sigls Of life did moi
appear By tho morrow they would CARR
OUT % the letter the dying. wish Of theil