The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-08-24
TO BE BURIED ALIVE.
Preparations Of Prof. Seymour for the
Ordeal at Rockford, Ill.

From the W aSuluEtOQ POST
The mind reader, A. j Seymour, who
proposes to be buried alive for few
weeks. after the fashion of Indian Jug
glers at Allahabad, India, has not decided
whether to perform his feat at Rockford
H., or at Chicago, but will probably
choose the former place. He win permit
only press representatives and a few sci
entific men to be present. The event is
planned for the early part Of August. DR..
h. G. Dunn of Rockford, who has Travelled
extensively in India, and has seen the feat
successfully accomplished three times at
Delhi, Benares and Allahabad will take
charge of the arrangements.
Several days time will be required to
prepare Prof Seymour for burial For a
few days he viii be fed upon oleaginous
substances, the object being to produce an
excess Of caloric to maintain warmth in
his body during interment and to keep
the blood from congealing. When every
thing is ready he will throw himself into
a cataleptiC condition or a state of as
phyxia, as he has often done in the past.
His lungs viii then be filled with fresh
air by DR. Dunn, who will use an Ordi-
nary bellows for that purpose The pro
fessor's tongue viii then be turned back
ward in his mouth and pushed partially
down the throat, thus closing the aper-
ture to the lungs. His mouth, nose and
ears win next be Theoretically sealed with
wax, so as to prevent the possible egress
or ingress of the outside air,
DR.. Dunn's next operation will be to
completely coat the body of his friend
with q preparation of paraftin, so as to
close all the pores in the skin The body
viii then be placed in i casket like an or
binary coffin, but much larger than would
be necessary were the body going to be
buried in earnest. The casket will be
placed inside of larger one, both being
perforated with holes, so as to permit the
escape of any gases which may escape
from the body and allow the latter to be
absorbed by the soil.
The caskets will then be lowered into
an excavation made in clay soil, the lat
ter being most desirable, as it is imper-
vious to water and viii prevent accident
al flooding of the burial cases. If posi-
BILE, an unoccupied house will be leased,
the body inferred in the cellar and crop
of grain sOwn over it.
Prof. Seymour says: "The plan Is per-
fectly practicable. / can 90 into the
burial casket and hibernate just the same
as bear does in the winter, All that is
needed is careful preparation and right
conditions [ viii remain buried for four
weeks, with two guards placed over my
grave"
DCJ AuOuF has lTGtuGu SOut lnlO
state of asphyXia for several days, and
feels confident that no fatal disaster will
overtake him this time.
DR.. d. II. Bower of Chicago, who is said
to be an expert in mesInerism and kindred
subjects, declares that Seymour can sue
cessfully accomplish his feat and that
it will not surprise the medical fratern-
ity.
He states that the Indian tugglers fire.
certain drug which reduces respiration
and the action of the heart to a point
where movements can be detected only
by the fhost delieate test. hir ~ iuf
Seymour, however, scouts the idea of
using drugs or of holding open any avenue
of communication with his friends above
the earth surface, and says he will re-
turn to consciousness of his own volitiOn
when the proper time comes, and he does
not want to be disturbed before then. His
caskets have arrived from Milwaukee,
and were viewed by a large crowd of
curious people who had assembled at the
depot
Persons who do not believe in Sey-
mour's power to carry out his alleged in
tentions say that tine scheme for securing
an unoccupied house is simply for the
purpose of releasing Seymour immedi-
ately after his interment, when the wit
nesses have withdrawn and left the guard
in sole charge of the grave.
1t is admitted by these critics that Sey-
mour may be able to survive for a few
hours in a comatose condition in the cas-
ket, but they deride the idea of his re-
naming underground for four weeks.
They will probably insist that a citizens
committee be appointed to stand watch
over the grave day and night for at least
a week. If Seymour still remains under
ground at the end Of that time they are
willing to concede his ability to rest in
safety and quiet for three weeks longer