Audubon County Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Audubon Co., Iowa) 1885-1894, 1890-02-20
HER EYES SPOKE,
How a Woman Was Saved From
Being Buried Alive.

Being Buried Alive.
A short. stout man vita "a muddy
complexion, blond mustache and blue
eyes sat in the Lafayette Cafe, says
the Philadelphia Press, talking OF
premature burials. He wore a silk
hat dark ulster and carried a slen-
der cane on the silver head OF which
was engraved: Thomas Hooper,
New York" Mr. Hooper is former
Philadelphia who has given much at
tention to the subject on which he
was conversing last evening.
Gases Of people being buried
alive" he said, fare very rare. Now
and then we see them reported in the
papers, but II nearly every instance
these reports are found. upon investi.
CATION. TO be untrue. Some years ago,
however, a real case came under my
notice. 1t was that OF lady who
lived in Media. the wife OF musician.
She suffered from some ordinary ill
ness, which to all appearances assam-
ed fatal form. In a few days the
cold, lifeless body was taken in cask-
ct to church, where funeral services
were held. Large numbers OF people
were present, and at the close az SOL
emn address the minister said that all
who wished might take a last look at
the remains. Many friends went for
ward, among them a woman who bent
long and earnestly over the coffin.
Suddenly she jumped back. exclaim-
Ing, See her eyelids quivern OF
course there was intense excitement.
The husband of the lady whose body
lay In the casket hurried forward, as
did n physician who was present The
medical man. after an examination,
said that life was extinct, and that the
woman who saw the eyelid culver
must have been very imaginative The
doctor also urged that the interment
take place Immediately in order that
the husbands error might be lessened.
But the husband would have none OF
it, He believed that his wife was only
in trance after all, and entreaties
from those present proved in vain. He
was determined that his wife should
be revived, and restoratives of every
possible sort were applied. Within an
hour the supposed dead woman lifted
her arm few inches and let it fall.
Then she was removed to her home
and taken out OF the coffin. The
grave clothes were stripped from her,
and she was put in bed. Trembling,
occasional slight contractions of the
muscles continued, and her hus-
bands friends worked the harder
all night The gray morning
light was creeping over the dark
ness when she moaned. Incessant
efforts were continued for nearly four
days, by which time she had fully re-
covered the use of her faculties. Some
time after this" continued Mr.. Hooper,
this woman told a friend OF mine how
she felt for she was dimly conscious
all the time OF passing events. She
was in trance, unable to move, yet
she knew what was going on about her.
She says that rs she lay there in the
casket, beneath the pulpit, and heard
the minister tell her friends to come
forward to take last look, her agony
was simply indescribable. She knew
all that was happening, as she knew it
was not horrible nightmare. Weeks
passed before she had recovered her
strength. but finally she seemed as
we'll as ever. Six years after she was
singing ut musicale one evening,
when she suddenly stopped in the
midst of a song and cried: Why, what
made the gas go out?' Those present
said that it had not been extinguished,
but she insisted that the room was
perfectly dark. From that day to this
she has not seen single object. While
singing that evening she became blind
instantly. / know this is remarkable
story" concluded Mr.. Hooper, "but it
is true. and can prove it."