The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1890-07-22
A STRANGE BURIAL.
Explosion of a Coffin at Midnight
at South Fork.
Strange Scenes Witnessed by
"Watchers" ever the Dead
Hasty Funeral at Dead
of Night.

One of the most singular burials,
! which was performed under the most
peculiar and wierd circumstances,
took place at Spring Fork, some fif-
teen miles distant from this city, at an
early hour a week ago yesterday.
Among the early settlers of this,
Pettis county, were young German
by the name of John V. Peterson and
his wife. They lCclted in the south
ern part of the county, near Spring
Fork. They were industrious and
frugal and prospered, accommodating
many acres of land and storing away
a good bank account.
On last Thursday one week ago
Mrs. Peterson, after nearly reach
ing the allotted three score and ten
years died with dropsy. When
girl Mrs. Peterson was slim and sup
pie, as graceful maiden as ever be-
came bride, but as years passed on
che grew in flesh and at the time of
her death was a remarkably large wo-
man, weighing nearly 300 pounds.
Immediately after Mrs. Peterson
had passed from this world into an
other, arrangements were made for
the funeral. The largest casket to be
procured in this city was the exact
measurement required, at the time of
death, but as it was not delivered until
Friday morning, the corpse had swo-
len so much that it was crowded into
the too narrow case with much difficult
ty. The lid was then screwed down and
the remains left in that condition for
burial. As ice could not be procured
the course taken was considered the
wisest under the circumstances.
The funeral services were set for
Saturday afternoon and, as is custom
airy. number of neighbors acted as
watchers" on Friday night. Just as
the stiffness of midnight was ap-
preaching, the watchers were startled
by a loud report in the parlor of the
mansion where the coffin had been
placed. The women screamed and
ran out of the house but the men
plucked up enough courage to 60, or
rather attempt to 90, into the parlor.
Of necessity they halted at the door.
The scene presented was q most her
rible one. The gases Of
the body had accumulated within the
casket until their force, like pent-up
I steam within q boiler with no safety
valve, burst the glass over the face
and bosom of Mrs. Peterson. So ter
rife was the explosion that the body
was shot forward and upward, the
head of the corpse protruding from
the coffin. The men in the hallway
hailed in alarm-they were stricken
with panic, yet not one Of them
could command strength enough to
fly. They did not stand in the door
way long. A vaporis b cloud quickly
filled the balflighted parlor, and it
was laden with the rankest of putrid
oders. Then the men fed to the din
ing room and sent for John Peterson.
He had been trying to sleep in gar
ret chamber but the hot sultry wealth
er had kept him awake. He heard
the explosion, and, after dressing
himself, met the messenger on the
stairway.
A consultation was held and it was
decided that owing to the putrid con-
dition of the remains Of the deceased
that the burial should take place at
once. A half dozen of the male
watchers" agreed to dig a grave in
the garden plat, near the house, while
the others attended to the other de-
tails of the burial. The grave having
been prepared the coffin was carried
to the burial place and strong ropes
were placed under the casket. Just
as the coffin was being lowered one
of the assistants let 60 of his end of
the rope. This threw the weight at
the head Of the coffin and the ropes
were jerked from the hands of the
men stationed there. The coffin fell
with great force, head down, and was
burst to pieces. Another consultation
was held and it was decided to fill up
the grave at once without waiting for
another casket. 1t was evidently the
best they could do under the circum-
stances.