Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1894-05-31
MR.. OTIS TELLS OF HIS DEATH.
Doctors Call 1t Suspended Animation, but
He KNOWS Better.

Doctors Jail IL suspended ANIMATION, but
He Knows Better.
Levin p. Otis of Hammond, Ind, was
stricken with pneumonia in Chicago and
was taken to hospital. After prolong-
I'd illness he was pronounced dead and in
due time buried. lie had been permitted
to rest for but one day and part of night,
when several medical students dug him
up They shipped him back to Chicago
and placed him in the dissecting room in
the college of which they were students,
and after getting out their knives and roll
ing up their sleeves were about to proceed
to cut him up after the most scientific
mode when he opened his eyes and asked
them for drink of water The students,
in spite of their caloused nerves, were hor-
ror struck and fed from the room, leaving
Mr.. Otis in full possession. He in mo.
ment sank again into insensibilty and
would no doubt have died in earnest in
short time had the frightened students not
recovered themselves and returned to ap.
ply restoratives.
In speaking of his horrible experiences
and sensations while sinking into the
grave and thence to the dlssecting table,
where he so narrowly and miraculously
escaped the keen and eager knives of the
students Mr. Otis said:
y
thought that l might die and then, fear.
ing to invite death, | dismissed the idea.
But my suffering Elcreased, and knew
That was becoming weaker and weake,
Hay by day. Oh, the dreariness Of the long
nights! | lay sketching plans for future
work, and | looked back upon the skele.
tons of good resolutions. But my life. my
misdeeds, did not pass before me in re.
view. ] simply pronounced myself fail.
ure i'll the aggregate and regretted it, and
l am now constrained to think that, nc
matter how much man may have accom-.
plished, he must, as death draws nigh, re-
gard himself as failure
"One night all pain suddenly ceased.
This was hopeful, and | thought I'd tell
my attendant about it, but when attempt
ed to speak found that | could not This,
however, did not worry me any. But why
should so heavy weight be placed upon
my breast? looked down to see what it
was, but could see nothing. Oh, how tired
l was, but suffered no pain. 1t was this
rest that must come after so long and ex,
haustive fight. l attempted to raise my
hand and couldn't. | couldn't raise even
a finger. This was strange, but not alarm.
ing. What was that heard9 The doctor
had said that / could last but few mo.
ments longer That was nonsense. Iwoud
show him. How quiet were my nerves,
and had been so nervous What relief
The heaviness was gone, but l couldn't
move.
"Why had they put ont the light? What
was that? Some one said. Pull down the
shadey The sun is shining in my face
Sun shining in my face. Why, the sun
had gone down hours ago. Oh, how the
human family persisted in lying! What
was that drop? They had taken the pillow
from under my head. What was thai
faint sound away off yonder? A voice that
said, How he must suffer- Suffer!
wasn't suffering at all. But l couldn't re-
main much longer in this condition. And
! unused that if I could only turn over
would go to sleep. couldn t move, though,
and lay there thinking
Suddenly thought: This is death.
Why didn't l think of it before? When
did begin dying? Oh, it must have been
years ago! Why, have been dying all my
life Well | was glad it was all over.
Then | unused; I wonder if l am dead
now. How am l to know when am dead,
put it all aside. l will sleep
THE next thing ! knew was feeling
of thirst, and that was when 1 asked those
carvers for a drink of water. And l want
to say that they may call it suspended an
imation and all that sort of thing, but
know that | have been dead '-Indianap-
oils Sentinel.