Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1894-12-09
BURIED ALIVE.
PHYSICIANS SAY MISTAKES OF THIS KIND
ARE COMMON.
Some Fortunate Accidents Collins Fall
Saved One Life; Grave Robbery
Another.

An0,neT.
DR.. George w. Jacoby, OF Madison
avenue, the expert in nervous diseases,
said that he had never had such case
in his own experience, but had read OF
cases which seemed to be authenticated.
He believed it possible that q person
might be in a state Of suspended anil
nation and be pronounced dead after
purely superficial examination. de
would not consider it strange that In
cases of contagious disease, when the
deceased is quickly buried, and during
epidemics, that a number of persons
might be buried without being really
dead.
Physicians do not like to admit that
it is possible for person TO be pro-
nounced dead by one Of their number,
and TO be prepared for the grave while
there Is still life In the body. Many oil
them declare the idea absurd In these
days Of scientific progress, while others
reluctantly admit that 1t Is possible
through the neglect or ignorance OF the
attending physician, that person In
trance or cataleptic state may be buried
under the impression that life Is ex-
tinct A visit to number OF physl-
clans during the past week proved that
there have been cases where persons
have been buried alive, or pronounced
dead and prepared for burial and come
to life after several days Of apparent
death.
Dr. L. Ettinge, of Vernon place,
Brooklyn, who was himself nearly
victim of careless doctor, told several
instances OF persons returning to life
that had come to his notice.
In his own case the doctor said that
while a child he was taken with one OF
the ordinary diseases Of children, and
after a time, to all appearances, died.
He was prepared for burial, and the
body lay in It's death robes the usual
three days. During that time no sign
Of life was observed by the watchers,
not even by his mother, who afterward
told him she had spent most OF that
time at Athe side OF his body.
ing the body In the colin
came, the friends tried to gently force
the weeping mother away. She re-
sisted, saying she did not wish to part
with her child, and just as the under
taker was about to place the cover on
the coffin, she broke away from those
who held her, and she seized the body
to give il one more embrace.
81 As she pressed her lips to the cold
face OF the child she thought she saw
the eyelids move. She cried out that
the child was not dead. Friendly hands
tried 10 take the body from her, but
she refused to let it go. ClaspIng 1t to
her breast, she sat down, calling on the
child TO look at her once more. After
a few moments the little eyes
opened and the child seeing
the race OF its mother, smiled
on her. The coffin and undertaken
were soon out of the house, and the
child that was dead aud came to LIE
was fondled and kissed by the friends
who had come in sorrow to bury 1t. The
doctor is now over 60 years of age, and
during his long life has never had a mo-
ment of Inconsistencies except
sleep.
A LUCKY GRAVE ROBBERY
The doctor told of an amusing incl
dent that occurred while he was study
ing medicine. One night some OF the
students left New York in q boat to Sc
cure the body Of man who had died
of what was thought to be new dis
ease. A student had been on watch at
the house and had followed the body
70 the cemetery, in Brooklyn, to
locate the grave. Everything went
right, the BODY was secured, the coffin
reburied and the body safely hidden in
the boat. The body was placed in the
bow so that it might be easily removed
on landing in New York. When the
boat had nearly reached the shore the
student on the seat nearest the bow,
who had watched the body from time
10 time over his shoulder, dropped his
oar AMI with yell sprang into the
water. The others turned TO see the
cause Of his flight, and found the sup
posed corpse standing up and looking
about in amaZement. They did not
walt to see whether it was a ghost
or live man but followed
their comrade, who was making
for the shore as fast as he could swim.
The resurrected man managed to reach
the shore with the boat and was taken
care of by some klnd-hearted people
until his friends were notified that he
had returned TO life. The affair was
b ushed up and the students were never
prosecuted.
THE CoFFIN'S FALL SAVED HIS LIFE.
James Cummins, formerly 3 we'll
known dealer in bluestone, tells Of a
friend Of his named Carney who failed
TO be buried through the awkwardness
of one eff his pSllbearers. Carney had
had a long sickness and finally was de-
clared dead by his attendant physician.
The usual wake was held, the
body placed in the coffin and
the cover screwed down. The
friends formed line. through
which the psllbearers passed
with the coffin. Just as they reached
the bottom OF the steps one Of the bear
ers stumbled and the coffin fell to the
ground, striking on the end. When the
bearers stopped TO pick up the body,
which had rolled out Of the broken
coffin, they found that the mans eyes
were open. He was quickly put TO bed
and a doctor sent for. After consider
able labor he was fully restored, AID
lived for some years. He said that
be had been fully conscious Of all
that had been going on around
him. He heard his friends speaking and
crying. When he was placed In the
coffin be tried to speak or move, but
could not When the cover was put on
be felt that he was TO be buried alive,
.-a.a LII $1,000. L. -, -. L..