The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-02-24


great alacrity. We rented a room. ar
ranged for a horse and cart. provided
ourselves with an electric battery, Vari-
Gus restOratives. wine and food. and the
forenoon Of the 21st day OF June prom
ised Harvey that we would be ready the
following night.
He was greatly elated ard ISSUED me
that II there vas any hitch in the pro-
gramme IL would not be his fault. When
I left him 7 went to the doctors Office in
the prison. and after a few general re-
marks observed:
well, doctor. is there much illness?'
No. not much"
I'VE shan't want any more bodies be-
fore October"
mo, suppose not. Wen. i; isn't much
Of q Job TO bury them"
Il was just talking with Harney-No.
30 He's looking bad; won't live a
month.
Harvey! Oh. yes. I was noticing him
the other day. He has got all the points
of typhoid and may drop of any day"
We'll. give him a decent burial, doctor.
GoOd-day."
I had scored a point for my man. The
doctor was prepared for his death ana
would make the usual record. This Is
what happened at the prison soon after
I left: The doctor was informed that
Harvey was i'll and he went in TO see
him and he found him feverish and
Eighty with his pulse high.
Sorry for you. Harvey" said the old
quack. after making a brief examination.
but I'm afraid you are going TO be
very i'll man."
Yes I think so. doctor"
You've got all the symptoms of typhoid
and If the disease gets a hold on you it
viii be a hard job to pull you through"
Doctor, it's no use" whispered Har-
ney IF anybody can save me you can,
but l feel that / have only a short time
TO live. I've had trouble with my heart
for a long time and ] feel as if I was
gradually going to pieces.
well. we'll send you some powders and
perhaps you'll brace up, but, to be honest
with you, l think your hours are num-
bered"
The next morning Harvey was much
worse and the doctor gave up all hopes ana
sent the chaplain to console the dying
man. Harvey was very much penitent and
when the good man left him 1t was with
the firm conviction that the dying con-
Wet had truly repented of all his sins.
At 8 o'clock in the afternoon the jailer
reported 10 the doctor:
NO. SO Is dead in his cell, sir"
ooh. is he? Well, those that cant live
must die. We will all have TO go the same
way. Have the body put in a coffin and 1t
had better be buried as soon as night
comes"
Isn't it to go to the hospital?''
mo. They don't want any more just
now"
A plain wood coffin was taken into the
corridor and the body of $40, which was
already growing rigid was placed IN 1t,
and the burden was then carried 70 a
shed, which was used as mortuary. A
convict named Saunders screwed down the
coffin lid. but before he had finished the
work he dropped his tools and ran to the
doctor. and exclaimed:
Il believe Harvey is in a trance or some
thing OF the sort, for as true as / live
saw his chest heave and his eyelids fut-
ter as I put the cover on"
'BoshW shouted the doctor.
But l did, SIR
Look here. Saunders. shall report to
the warden that you had better be re-
turned 10 the blacksmith shop. When
convict has the audacity to step up and
tell the prison doctor that he doesn't know
his business, one or the other should so"
But / meant no disrespect, sir"
perhaps not, but when pronounce a
man dead of typhoid leverage, when
have already made my report 10 that eff
fect-he is either dead or am fool"
Eyes, sir
well. I'll overlook II this time. Have
him buried as soon as it Is dark. l don't
like the idea of keeping dead bodies
around here"
Soon after dark the cart drove out OF
the prison yard with it's burden of death,
and the burial party consisted of the sex
ton employed for that purpose and a
trusty convict. They had the grave to
dig, and they had not yet completed 1t
when we arrived on the ground and care
fully crept into position within earshot.
They were in a hurry to have the job off
their hands and they had not gone down
the convict:
That's deep enough for him or any 9TH
er dead man. Nobodys 10 know whether
he's two or seven feet down"
They made only ten minutes work of
filling up the grave. and they had scarce
| ~ reached the cart when the two of us
were throwing out the dirt. When we
came to the coffin We lifted it out, re-
moved the lid. took out the body, and then
the coffin was returned TO the grave and
/ the dirt shoveled back. In three quarters
of an hour from Harney's first burial we
! had him in our room and had escaped
| any chance for suspicion Of body-snatch-
| ing.
During our last Interview In prison he
had exacted of me the promise that !
! would make no efforts at res visitation
! until twenty-four hours had passed. He
| intended TO die for that time, and he
/ firmly believed his will could control
! events. AFTER tWenty-1o0r hours had
| passed I was at liberty to use any means
| I thought best We undressed the body,
wrapped it in wooden blankets and laid Il
! on 81 bed. On a stand beside the bed we
had placed water, wine and food, and then
/ left the room and turned the key in the
/ door. This was at IL o'clock at night,
/ and Harvey had been dead eight hours
! The twenty-four hours would not expire
| until o'clock in the afternoon of the next
| day.
| We did not go near the room until half
/ an hour before the expected time, and
4 the moment We looked on the dead mans
/ face we realized that reaction had set in.
/ The pallor was disappearing, color was
returning to the lips, and there was a
moisture which felt warm to the touch.
We drew up our chairs without a word
| and paid the keenest attention to what
! was to outrival any experience in any
/ doctors career At 2:45 there was a hut-
/ tering of the eyelds and I put my hand
/ to his heart and could detect a faint
! pulsation. The color continued to come
| to his face, signs of life were multiplied
I each moment, and at 2:55 Harvey opened
! his eyes and looked full at US. We saw al
! once that he was co nscious and in full
/ possession of all his senses, and bent
! over him and whispered:
I'VE have kept our promise You died