Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1893-01-25
THE DEATH OF CLAY HOPPER.
Toledo's Re markable Case of Suspended
Animal


Gem etery, Toledo. Owing to the hur-
ried burial preparations the grave was
not ready, and for month at least the
the body will remain in the vault.
Clay Hopper was 10 years of age. He
had never enjoyed perfect health. All
through his childhood he was pale and
sickly, but he was remarkably preco-
cious. He attended the city schools
when well enough, and was always far
In advance of pupils of like age. He
WAS dee ply interested in religious mat
tiers. His parents and himself were
members OF st. Paul's Methodist Epis-
COAL Church, tie most prominent of
that faith in Toledo. Clay joined the
Epwc rtn League and soon became the
leader Of it in that city. He was always
a prominent factor in other church So
cieties, and his purity of conduct was SO
noticeable as to cause comment.
The physicians said the disease which
held him within its grasp was dropsy of
until Friday, December 20, he was pro-
nounced dead by DIR. j. D. Sickles, the
family physician, physician of stand
ing. The family sent for undertaken +.
r. Bennett, who also declared Clay to
be dead. He prepared the body for
burial and placed it in handsome cas-
ket. The funeral was set for the fol-
lowing Sunday. Rev. S. D. Hutsin-
piller, pastor of st. Pauls, preached an
eloquent sermon at the impressive tu-
neral. The sorrOW wing relatives and
church officials were preparing to fol-
low the remains to Woodlawn Cemetery,
the grave had been dug in the frozen
earth, and the hearse was standing at
the door.
All was ready to start, when there
came halt. The parents declared that
they could not conscientiously permit
their boy to be laid in the cold ground
until they were fully satisfied that he
was dead. They could give no reason
for thinking Clay might still be living;
only vague premonition that he might
be. The mourners and hearse were
dismissed and DR.. Sickles sent for. He
tried every test commonly used, and
declared that the youth was as dead as
he ever would be. To satisfy the par
ents, however, he called in nearly all
the leading physicians in the city.
Nearly all declared that the boy was
lifeless, one or two refusing to commit
themselves. They based their doubt
on the fact that the lips were pink.
The body had not become rigid, and
luore was uo lAul0atloA "a uo1ohPo-
sition.
The first evidence that the parents
doubts were we'll founded was obtained
on the following Friday, when Mrs.
Hopper tied cord around one of her
sons fingers. After awhile little
bunch gathered just below it, indicating
that blood had gathered there upon the
circulation being cut of. When she re-
moved the string the lump disappeared.
TIE nostrils turned to a pinkish hue,
and slight perspiration broke out on
the forehead. These SYMPTOMS were
explained to the doctors, who declared
IL to be merely the result of muscular
contraction and decomposition. No
odor was perceptible, however. save
that Of the undertak er's drugs, although
kept at about - degrees temperature.
The next day the youths face be-
came still more lifelike and his hands
became quite warm. The hopes
of the family were strengthened, and
the parents continued their suppIica-
tons to God. Sunday evening, about
dusk, Clay opened bis right eye and
closed it again. The pupil was bright,
though not CLASSY. His breast heaved
several times, enough to be perceptible,
and by holding ones ear over the
heart, faint tluttering could be heard.
The news quickly sprea d all over the
city, and since then the case has been
the one subject of conversation all over
town. DR.. ]. l.. Galliver, physician
hose specially is magnetic healing,
was then given charge of the case. The
body was taken from the casket and
laid on a mattress. It was covered
with warm bed clothing, brandy was
rubbed all over the supposed corpse
and applied to the lips. 1t was quickly
absorbed through the pores, and the
flesh turned to color in spots and
there were other evidences of life.
DR.. Galliver then applied theory he
had held, that invalids who were of a
magnetic temperament could impart
animal magnetism to others. He Sc
lected Mrs. Bensing, M. D., Mrs. Chan
ming White, E. q. Archibald and J. H.
Eberth. Two grasped the hands of the
dead and all formed q circuit. Mrs.
White is highly nervous. The result
was that Clay's hands twitched several
times, and he opened his eyes and
closed them. The heart hutterlng was
heard frequently and the breast heaved
slightly on three or four occasions. AS
final test DR.. Galliver applied a n.y.
perdermical injection. 1t was slowly
carried away, proving conclusively that
the blood was IN circulation. At the
bedside all night was Barney Baldwin,
the man with the broken neck, who ex-
hibits himself in museums. He says he
was almost buried when in a trance fol-
lowing the railroad accident in Alabama
which broke his neck. He seized Hop
per's hands last night, when the arms
suddenly turned cold and black. DIR.
Galliver thinks Baldwin is possessed of
magnetism similar to that of Hopper,
whereas only an opposite kind will be
of assistance.
Signs of life became visible Saturday.
The hands, feet and head moved, and
the eyes opened and closed. The body
was warm, and at one time feeble
groan escaped the sleeper. Breath was
also detected by aid of looking glass.
The movements continued until Thurs
day at midnight, when death claimed
its feeble victim. The first unfavorable
symptoms became noticeable Wednes-
day, when signs of decomposition were
visible around the blue spots which
were produced by the application Of
electricity to test death. This spread
gradually, and when the BODY was thor