Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1890-08-22
THE CORPSE SAT UP AND
DRANK.
HENRY MATHER, LAID OUT FOR
BURIAL, SURPRISES THE
WATCHERS.


WATCHERS.
Henry Mather, of Evanston, read
bis own obituary notice in the
Morning Ne,cS of Tuesday last. AT
3 o'clock that morning the printing
presses OF the Morning Ne,cS were
rapidly turning out the following
brief announcement of Mr.. Mather's
demise ;
"Mather-At the residence OF
Mr.. Brown, Evanston, Henry
Mather, aged fifty years.
"Funeral notice LATER
Just at the same hour the sup.
posed corpse created a blood curd-
ling and halr-ralsing sensation at
the home of John Brown, IN quiet
Evanston, by raising from the
couch on which he had been "lald
out" casting to one side the shroud
which covered him, and declaring
that a mistake had been made. Mr..
Mather asked why he had been
laid on hard, hard board and put
in the hot back parlOr to sleep. He
insisted on an explanation for the
presence of Grape on the door and
could not understand why the
family were up and dressed in the
middle of the night.
The terrOrized people who had
been "sitting up" with the alleged
remains finally broke the sad news
of his own death to Mather. He
had been a corpse since early in
the evening. 1t was a fact. The
doctor had said so, and to all ap.
pearances the doctor was correct,
The coffin had been ordered. The
pall.bearers had been selected
Notices had been sent the papers.
Everybody thought Mr.. Mather
was dead except Mr.. Mdther him
self. 1t he was really dead, then
there is such a thing as second
time on earth.
Henry Mather was and Is fifty
years of age, and still resides With
John Brown in Evanston. Last
March he met with an accident and
dlslocated three ribs. He recover
ed from bis injuries and in May ap.
peared to be in good health, but
soon after was taken sick, and
since then has been in a bad con-
dltion. In fact, his diet for two
months has been milk or whiskey
and water. Monday be was very
weak and confined to his bed, and
Monday evening he died. The sor-
rowing friends carried the remains
TO the back parlor of the house,
and William Morgan and others in
the neig hbOrhOod were called in tc
observe the time-bonOred custom
of sitting up with the mortal shell
The little death.watch company
sat in the front parlor telling each
other what a good man Mr.. MatheI
had been before he had decided tC
shuttle off this mortal coil.
At 3 A. NJ. William Morgan
heard a suspicious sound in the
back room. Some one was strik
ing a match. he .carelessly walked
to the door and looked into the
dimly Lighted apartment. The
sight that met his eye was.one thai
William Morgan will dream about
for long time TO come.
The corpse was sitting on the
funeral bier drinking whiskel
from a large bottle and smoking
cigar.
"What's the matter y he asked
"Aint you dead p asked Morgan
"Why certainly not, my dea
boy. If you had given me thi
whiskey l would haye been al
right long ago."
These being the facts in the case
it is nothing more than right tha
a correction should be made to th
notice Of Tuesday morning. Th'
only correct statement in the brle
, account IS the one, "tnneral notlc'
+ Iater.u The fQneral notice viii
come considerably later, for tn
lately deceased and resurrecte'
Mr.. Mather is up at Lake Geneva
Wisconsin, on a pleasure excursion
I lie has been improving some sire
Tuesday. This weird but truthlr
q account of bow he failed to die
Z published at his owa request
q Chicago NelcS.
A lady in Baltimore having 10
D sum of money advertised 1t, q
U recting the finder to leave 1t at
= certain S ore. The next mOrniI
II she went to the store laughln
SAYING: "You have my money,
'e saw it all in a dream" She th
IL described how, in her dream,
H. had seen the finder enter the sJc
Ve and return it. Her descripti
o.,,ota AVIAN IN xrhat 4