Blackfoot news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1891-1902, 1892-02-27
NOT DEAD, BUT LIVING
AN UNDERTAKES TELLS A
STRANGE TALE.
IA Instawce Where Practical KnoWl,
edge saved Glrrs Life---sh
Was Pronounrel Dead, Hut
Il St.n Living.

/ asked W. ID Curtin the well-knOwE
North Side undertaken OF Chicago
Press representative,
Yes. cir. -,
We'll that is Mrs. - and
eight years ago | was called 10 her
home by her father to prepare her
body for burial,
WHAT prepare u live person Tor
burial2 asked the reporter in amaze.
uent
In this casa yes responded MIR
\ Curtin; but her parents aud drunk.
ON physician thought she was dead
1T was shortly after opened up
my establishment on tho North Side.
when one evening nicely dressed old
gentleman came into the store and
asked for the proprietor informed
him that was the Individual he was
seeking and asked him what could
| do Tor him He told me he desired
my services 70 prepare his daughters
remains for burial and wanted her
embalmcd 50 that the body would
| keen month.
4 This was about my first good lob
in this vicinity and knew il I did
my work satisfactorily 10 tire old gen.
tleman that II would help mo in my
business, which AZ the time was not
I Very brisk. MS ! was comparatively IA
stranger in that section OF the city
/ The old gentleman seemed to be anx-
! ious 10 have rue take charge OF the re-
mains myself After packing my in
/ strument cise and taking an extra
I quantity Of embalniug !uid / started
for the residence
I When ! rang the bell | was adj.
! mitted by "a servant who conducted mc
I to the room whore the alleged corpse
/ lay. As yet nothing had been dis
/ turhed. The body was covered with
| a sheet. and when I uncovered the
I face found il was that OF n beautiful
| girl about II years OF age. To all APP
! poarance life was extinct a. the BODY
was cold and rigid lifted her onto
/ my cooling board and Il vas then
that discovered. when ths features
/ were plainly visible that her eyes
were bright and not covered by il film.
a. Is usual and that her lips we're rc-
markably red for dead person. Al
I first ! was about 10 call the old gen.
! tlemau and tell him that his daughter
was not dead but thought better ~
\ It. rs | was sure / was mistaken.
1 Nevertheless, | determined 20 make
| the usual tests and was about 10 prick
her with my lance when tnought
noticed q slight movement 1T tho ey,
/ Nor was mistaken,
/ / barred the neck 80 Ms 10 got near
( the artery ae use 81 arIcrial Gmnalm
/ ing and when | made slight linden.
\ tatinn with tho kuif1 q small dron 81
blood dropped on my finger. This
blood was warm and ! then know that
\ life was not extinct | called 4 serv
I aut and asked her what form OF dis
ease her mistress had died 81. She
told me tho doctor said u was typhoid
mala"tn. then asked for the death
certificate and found that the servant
vas right
n sand nothing to any one In tho
house. and alter wrapping the body in
several blankets placed it back on the
/ BED.
u had often read OF people being
I in frances and taken for dead and
was sure TINT this was similar case
! Not knowing whether she was con
setou- ! spoke % her and told her that
! J knew she was IN hyp1ctic state and
not dead and hat / would return In II
few moments with physician.
passed quietly out Of the house after
telling the servant 10 allow no person
IN the room until ! returned and found
Il medical friend who accompanied me
back 70 tho house, He was not long
IN determining the facts ~ his diagno.
sis proved beyond all doubt that tho
lady was not dend but Ia deep
trance. He also thought she was con
scious, and spoke kindly ~ her. telling
her not 10 fear "a she would 10 al
right in littlc while.
lie injected drug into her arm
and in short time was regarded by
hearing slight Guttor OF the heart
which gradually grew stronger
When ! went down stairs the old
gentleman was pacing up and down
the parlor floor. and when he saw me
he started for his hat and coat saving
he would go back to'thc store with mo
and pick out a CaskeL told him 10
he seated, rs there was some mistake
as his daughter did not need Il coffin
at present and ] hoped IL would be- n
long time before she did. At first I
could not make him comprehend that
his daughter was still alive. but finally
convinced him that IL was a fact and
introduced him TO tho doctor. who In
the meantime had come into the
room.
/
The old man was partly stunned
and acted more like crazy man than
the sensible person that he was
Well. both the doctor and sat nc the
bedside Of tho girl all night. but Il
was not until the following afternoon
that sho recovered consciousness.
She knew absolutely nothing OF what
had taken place. and It was not until
some weeks after when she had fully
recovered, that her father told her ali.
Three years later sho was married and
Is to-day as happy wife and mother
II