The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1891-11-20
HER BED A COFFIN.
An Aged Negress Goes to Sleep in It
Every Night.
INITIATING SARAH BERNHARDT.
Her Husband Died Thirteen Years Ago
After His Death She Bought II Coffin
Has Slept in 1t Ever Since.

A little whitewashed cabin built In the
midst OF a grove OF chestnut trees and
scrub oaks, is n familiar object to scores
OF hunters whom the chase leads to a
point In the Knobs, two miles northwest
OF Greenville. Ind.
Mrs. Mcclure, the mistress OF the place,
is an ex-slave totally devoid OF education,
yet possessing an ordinary amount OF In
telligence. She, however, has a peculiar
flaw In her mental organs. For seven
years she has slept nightly in a casket.
something which the ordinary negro with
his superstitious horror OF death and
everything connected with it or sugges-
tive OF 1t, would not do for any earthly
consideration.
1t seems that "Aunty" Mcguire and
her husband moved into the little cabin
nearly a quarter OF q century ago. They
rented the place from q neighboring
farmer, and eked out a scanty existence
by tilling the rocky soil OF the fifteen-ac acre
farm.
One night thirteen years ago the hus-
band died suddenly in his bed. The black
relict was peculiarly affected by his
death. The dead body OF her husband
had hardly been returned to Mother Earth
than, with n portion of her scant savings,
she purchased a cheap wooden coffin.
There was nobody In the house with her
at the time but her son and daughter, who
gazed with horror upon the casket when
1t was deposited upon the front room
floor.
At night their wonder was increased
when they saw their old mother fold q
comforter neatly, and. after depositing 1t
In the bottom of tho coflin jump into the
receptacle nimbly and compose herself
for her nights sleep. There was no sleep
for the children that night, and the next
day Sid, the son, threw the coffin into the
yard and In the space OF few seconds
smashed 1t out OF all semblance OF its
former shape with an axe.
The next day "Aunty" made another
trip to town and bought another coffin
Identical with that which had been de-
stroyed, and at night used IL as q couch.
The son soon discovered that his mother
was seized with strange mania, that she
feared death would overtake her as 1t did
her husband, and that when tho final sum-
mons should come, her children would be
minus the necessary funds to bury her. SO
she determined to have the casket ever
ready In her room.
Sid saw that argument was OF no avail,
and that she would exhaust all the money
she had in her possession IL he persisted
In smashing her uncanny bedsteads, SO
he wisely concluded to let her have her
own way.
Mrs. Mcclure slept In the self-same cof-
fin for six years, but she has been increas-
ing In weight, and at the end OF that time
experienced much difficulty In squeezing
into her bed. Seven years ago she buried
the empty coffin beside her husbands
grave, and bought another so large that
1t will hold person OF the greatest obes-
ity.
The coffin shows evidences OF wear on
the sides nearest the haadles, where the
paint has been worn of by the owner get
ting in and out. The sharp edges OF the
sides have been rounded by the friction
OF the old aunty's callous hands. and her
sharp toe nails have worn the footboard
perceptibly. Three years ago the casket,
which had been standing on a pair OF
trestles, was transferred to the top OF two
low soap boxes in order that the woman
might the moro easily climb into her cot.
Tho old negress has her burial robe.
which consists simply OF a plain muslin
wrapper, and this she dons each night be-
fore climbing into her couch. She has
selected spot on the right side of her
husbands grave for her final resting
place, has selected the hymns TO be sung
and the portions OF Scripture to be read
over her grave at the funeral.