The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-05-22
DEADOR NATRANCE?
Uncertain Condition of Mrs.
Catherine Costello.
sPiRiTuALisTs MAKE MUCH OF IT
1hey Expect % See Her Spirit Rebabili-
tate Xts KaSthly Ieaemeus, Eut
the Doctors Do NS..

History and tradition furnish many ex-
anpies of thar horror Of all horrors, the
burial for dead OF persons who were in a
trance. The BODY of Mrs. Catherine Cos
fillo now lies at the rooms OF the Cross
Undertaking Company dead to ali an
pearances. but on account OF peculiar cir
cumstanees attending the demise the
husband and friends think she NAV be
still alive This belief is strengthened by
the fact that brother Of the woman. who
IS now living. once was in . eomatose con-
dit:on tor thirty hours. and narrowly es-
capped being buried. The spiritualists Of
the city are greatly agi.ated over the mat
Ter, and crowded the undertaking rooms
yesterday afternoon 10 see the body of one
whom they believe is temporarily soioarn-
ing in Spirit Land.
Mr.. Costello and his wife were at Union
CITY last winter and she caught . cold,
which eventually took the form Of pneu-
monia- After she recovered they came TO
Seattle and lived in the little house on the
float at the foo; Of Battery street in North
Seattle. Mrs. Costello suffered . relapse
and has not been well, although she
thought she would be able to go to new
home. south of the city, yesterday. In
the afternoon OF Saturday she was feeling
iight-heartsd, but told her husband that it
seemed TO her as If she would not live
long. lie laughed at the idea and tried to
joke her out of the belief. but she was not
TO be moved.
At O'Clock yesterday morning she was
awake and said to her husband: II feel
pretty WELL" and lay back in bed as if
going to sleep. Mr.. Costello dropped off
and was awakened a. $50 O'Clock by 3
young man who lived in ono end Of the
house. asking him what time it was. Gas.
tiilo looked at the clock, and after reply
ing, spoke to his wife. He received no
answer. and reaching out his hand. placed
it on her forehead. 1t vas cold. and when
he felt her pulse there was no
throb. The thought of death made
the man . child. and he wept.
lie went over to the Brighton boat house
and got Frank Fabre to come and look at
her. 1t was then that Costello noticed that
her body was warm, and the thought that
she might not be dead possessed him. To
him she looked as natural as when asleep,
and the experience of her brother James
ten years ago under circumstances IN
some respects similar made him shudder
at the thought Of pronouncing her dead,
when she might be in that condition where
power over the physical organization is for
a time lost. but the mental faculties are
alive to everything transpiring
City Physician Palmer was telephOned
far and on making an examination Of the
body failed to find traces of life. Taking
the course of sickness into account, he
made out the death certificate and as
signed the cause as pneumonia. After the
doctor had gone Costello put on her best
clothes and while he stood looking at her
either saw or believed he saw her eyes
open and shut. Costello is an intelligent
man and considering the physicians de-
cison, had the body taken to Cross In
dertaking Company's rooms, to be pre-
pared for burial.
The case. however. had become noised
around. and prominent spiri;ualist
named c. 5. knight, felt the impeliing
force TO see the remains. The body was
not cold at the time. as can be proven by
witnesses. He looked upon her and be-
heyed that a communication from the
spirit world declared her TO be simply in a
trance. A short time alter. in speech Of
long duration ut the meeting of the Amer
lean Union Of Spiriiua,ists. in Masonic
temple. he declared that he was under the
influence Of spirit doctor named Thomp-
son. The communication he had TO otter
was long, and in substance was that the
body OF Mrs. Costello still contained the
spark OF life, but that If restorative efforts
were not taken immediately that spark
would expire and she would pass to the
spirit world without exhibiting signs Of
consciousness.
Many Of the congregation adjourned to
the undertaking rooms and surrounded
the body. There was no indication of life
either from the pulse or heart. but all be-
lievcd that the body presented the appear
ance OF life. and that the flesh was warm.
Mrs. f. Ehoads. a magnetic healer. was
asked IN come ana give her opinion on the
case. She consented. and on looking at
the corpse said that the spirits told her
that it was simply trance and that there
was chance Of life. She then said that
the invisible battery" had been put on.
and If II proved powerful enough il might
awaken the sleeping form.
Madame Leslie. medium. also had
similar communication from the invisible
land, hat 50 Tar as known the Invisible
current fale,. 20 rchab.li,a;e the spirit in
the inan.ms,e form.
Later IN the afternoon strong electric
batteries were used. but no response was
observed.
The husband was IN AID ont Of the
undertaking rooms during the day. and
in conversation with T.. T. Butterwor:h.
the funeral director, made known his de.
sire To have the oar,al indefinitely most
poned. ar until it vas proven beyond a
dopo, that life was extinct.
Costello wss seen nv reporter. and
" ben asked a5on: his views of the matter
replied II have a horror Of burning nv
wife alive and think this may lie case of
trance would not think So ii her boiy
was not warn, and sh. had not cpeme. and
closed her eyes after the doctor had gone.
Her brother wss in trance thirty hours
and that MAKES me think 81 the possibility
Of 4 similar occurrence. She has been tn
~ell. however. gog six months ana bel eyed
she was gong ~ die soon When she
u rs taken Il! st In.oa City she weighed
ifo pounds and BOX she has wasted away
- about ninety poands'
Catherine Cos;ilio's maiden name was
Muller. and she was born in Montreal
eighteen years ago Of Spanish ana French
paren,age. She lived 'or some Time near
Saginaw. Mich. where she nc. Costello.
and with the consent Of the parents they
woye married when she was IL years old.
one child wss born ana IL is now living
with Cos:sl.o's parents.
AMVsEME~rs.
The Howard Athen scum COMPANY
The l.gges. business ever doae ~ the