Daily independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 188?-1915, 1892-02-25
BROKE UP HIS OWN FUNERAL.
A Yellow FeVer IncIdant In Little Town


A yellow Fever Incident In = Little Town
In Texas.
81 had the pleasure Of reading my
own obituary notice." said a western
man to New York Tribune reporter
the other day. VI was so sick that it
was thought would surely die one
night, and the doctors gave up all hope
OF me a little after midnight. The re-
porters who came up to see how WINS
made up their minds that would be
dead about the time their papers went
to press. They did not soy Mr. II. died
early this morning, but they said the
doctors had given up all hope at mid.
night, and they penned ffty-l:ae
sketch Of my important career, nevc.
thinking that would be in position &.
point out a few trifing errors in st. YUr
will never know, though, how queer il
seems to read what people say of you
after you are dead till you've tried it,
II suppose not" replied southerner,
but had a 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
panic set in, and almost all those who
were able to move away without sacri-
icing everything they had did SO. Ide-
cioed to stay, and we set to work to rig
up temporary hospital for the victims.
Before long yellow Jack struck me, too,
and lay in cot in the hospital had
helped to build. i was pretty bad, but
not too bad to feel worse when a rough
coffin was brought in and put under my
cot to be handy for me. We lost no
time in burying the dead, that was
dangerous.
pretty soon became unconscious
1 learned this afterwards-and being
taken for dead was rolled into my handy
coffin md put into the hearse- The
driver was a negro who had been con-
demned to be hanged and was taken
out of jail and put at the job of burying
the dead under promise of pardon if he
survived. There were no mourners to
follow the body to the grave. The
mourners were busy trying their best
to keep out of the graveyard.
THE jolting brought me back to
consciousness, and your feelings at
reading your own obituary were moth
ing. take it, to mine when / realized
that l was going TO my own funeral.
The coffin had been made in such hur-
~ 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 were all that held the lid down. A
couple of kicks sent the lid up and got
out Of my coffin without much trouble,
the excitement of the occasion lending
me strength. Another kick threw the
doors of the bearse open, and 1 stuck
out my head and yelled to the driver to
stop.
with n yell of terror and horror the
negro lcaped from the hearse and start
cd to run away. The mule that was
pulling us stopped gladly enough, and
got out rs best could and started 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 began to pray to God, the
devil and my ghost for mercy. soon
reassured him that was real flesh and
blood, and persuaded him to drive me
back to town. The coffin we took out
OF the hearse and put it up on top, as
might want it yet, argued, and l lay
down inside with the Negroes coat for a
pillow, and we drove slowly back to the
hospital in that style.
You may imagine the stir we created
there, but it was only one little incident
Of the plague and it was soon forgot.
ten. recovered after awhile, but I
shall never forget my sensations when
] woke up to find myself nailed in =
coffin"