The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1891-12-10
Broke Up His Own Fnneral.


obituary notice.. said western man on
visit to New York the other day. II
was so sick that it was thought I would
surely die one night, and the doctors
gave up all hope of me little after mid
night. The reporters who came up to
see now 1 was, made up their minds that
I would be dead about the time their
papers went to press. They did not say
Mr.. H died early this morning; but
they said the doctors had given up all
hope at midnight, and they peuned
fifty line sketch of my important career,
never thinking that I would be in posi-
ton to point out a few triAing errors in
it. You will never know though how
queer it seems to read what people say Of.
you after you are dead till you've tried
it,"
IT suppose not" replied Southerner,
"but I had curious experience with
death myself in Texas some years ago.
Yellow fever had got into our town and
was playing havoc with us almost before
we realized it. As usual a panic set in
and almost all those who we're able to
move without sacrificing everything they
had did 80. 7 decided to stay, and weset to
work to rig up temporary hospital for
the victims. Before long yellow jack
struck me, too, and lay on cot in the
hospital I had helped to build. I was
pretty bad but not too bad to feel worse
when rough coffin was brought in and
put under my cot to be handy fir me.
We lost no time in buryipg the dead
that was dangerous.
"Pretty soon ! became unconscious-l
learned this afterward-an being taken
| for dead was rolled into my handy coffin
and put into the hearse. The driver was
negro who had been condemned to be
hanged and was taken out Of Jail and put
at the job of burying the dead under
promise of pardon ifhe survived. There
we're no mourners to follow the body to
the grave The mourners were busy try
ing their best to keep out of the grave
yard.
"The jol,ing brought me back to con.
sciousness, and your feelings at reading
your owe obituary we're nothing, I take
it, to mine when realized that / was
going to my own funeral. The coffin had
been made in such hurry of rough
boards that the cracks were wide enough
for me to see through, and one nail at the
foot and another at the head we're all that
held the lid down. A couple of kicks
sent the lid up and I got out of my coffin
without much trouble, the excitement o!
the occasion lending me strength. An.
other kick threw the doors Of the hearse
open, and stuck out my head and yelled
to the driver to stop.
"With.a yell of horror the negro leaped
from the hearse and started to run away.
The mule that was pulling us stopped
gladly enough, ard I got out as best
could and started out after the driver
We were long way out of town, and
felt my strength giving out. When the
negro saw me following him, he fell to
his knees, paralyzed with fear, and begar
to pray to God, the devil and my ghos
for mercy. soon reat1ured him that
was real flesh and blood, and persuaded
him to drive me hack to town. The
coffin We took out of the hearse and pu
it up on lop, as l might want it yet,
argued, and lay down inside with th'
negro's coat for a pillow, and ne drove
slowly back to the hospital in that style
"You may imagine the stir we created
there, but that was only one little Incl
dent in the plague, and it was soon for
: gotten. l recovered after awhile, but
shall never forget my sensations as
woke up to find myself nailed in a coffin.
, Mow York Tribune.