The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1892-03-12
Two Days In a Coffin.

There lives in Washington u wo-
man who once went through the
frightful ordeal of being prepared
for burial and lying i'm coffin for
ty-cight hours without any signs OF
life. At the end of this time she
awoke and frightened the wits out
of the watchers.
Seven years ago Mrs. Barette,
wife of the present chief at Worm
ley's hotel, was u blithesome Ger
man maiden ofseventeen summers,
living with her parents in the town
of Baden, Germany. She tells the
following strange story of her ex-
perience with an undertaken and
how near she came to being buried
alive:
"Seven years ago l was stricken
down with typhoid fever and, as is
the custom in the cities of Germany
l was sent to the hospital for con-
tagious diseases. There / languish-
ed between life and death for three
weeks, and at the end of that time
what all my relatives and friends
and authorities of the hospital
thought to be the end, came. My
heart stopped beating, my muscles
relaxed, and, to all appearances, l
was dead. The hospital attendants
prepared me for burial and, while
l was perfectly conscious of every
thing that transpired about me, l
was totally helpless and unable to
tell my attendants of my true con-
dition.
"After being dressed for burial
and placed in my coffin my mother
and friends came to bid me last
farewell. My eyes were only par
TALLY closed and / could see the an
guish depicted on my mothers face
and feel her hot tears drop upon
my brow as she gave what she sup
posed her farewell kiss. L was en-
gagged to a young man and our mar
riage was to have taken place
shortly; when I was taken sick,
the great griefhe manifested when
he came to look upon my face was
heartrending and especially so to
me, realizing as / did my true con-
dition, yet ! was unable to show
that I was alive and comprehend
ed it all.
"In Germany it is customary for
the nearest loved one to send, in
stead of flowers, an embroidered
satin pillow, to be placed under
the head of the deceased. This
my lover brought, and, while I
could feel his caress and see his
tears, az he tenderly placed it under
my head, yet I was utterly power
less to give any sign or make any
utterance.
"After my friends and relatives
had taken their last sad leave,
was removed to the dead ward of
the hospital. In this hospital, to
guard against any accidents or pre-
mature burials after the corpse has
been removed to the dead ward,
cord is attached to its wrist, and
the other end of the cord is attach
ed to bell in one of the attendants
rooms, so that should life return.
the attendant is Immediately war
ned of it. This was done in my
case, and, after remaining in my
coffin for forty-eight hours, | sud
denly regained the use of my mus
cles and limbs, and sat upright in
my coffin. This movement on my
part, of course, rang the bell in the
attendants room, and general con
sternation prevailed. / was taken
from my coffin, and in Il few weeks
was restored to health"
"What became of the lover?"
was asked.
"Just one year from that time he
was stricken with typhoid fever
and died, and the same satin pill
low that he had so tenderly placed
under my head year before was,
by his request, buried with him"
Mrs. Barrette, soon after the
death of her intended husband,
came to this country and married
Mr.. Burette.
Playing cards made their way
through Arabia from India to
Europe, where they first arrived
about the year 1870. They carried
with them the rival arts, engraving
and printing. They were the avants
coureurs of engraving on wood and