The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-01-30


perhaps, twenty minutes before the wreck
that Norton began TO relate an. uncanny
tale that did not at the time, strike me as
singular, but in the light OF snpsequ sl
nifcant. II was the story, OF q corpse that
came to life again, or rather that was the
nected with the story were famous, too.
John IT. Raymond. l remember had part
AZ Tne s5ary W Morten sRae words ae 'els
cept his last sentence, and that shall never
forget
in the midst of his active career he and
Norton were members of Ben De Bars
theatrical company. playing through the
South. While the company was playing at
Mobile Ala, one Of the members died and
was laid out for burial at the Battle Hotel.
actor died in the evening and Norton and
Raymond volunteered To sit ur, with the
corpse. The coffin had not arrived and the
body was. lying at length as the under
taker had prepared 1T. About midnight
Norton and Raymond grew sleepy and one
Of them suggested that they lay down on
fell asleep. Some time after midnight Nor
ton awoke rubbed his eyes and turned
over. His first thought was of the body of
the dead actor and he turned his eyes in
the direction of the board upon which it
lay. He was Mortified to see that the corpse
was sitting upright and had apparently re-
turned to life. Norton was terribly fright
ened and hastily awakened Raymond. The
latter was also badly scared, and both
Jumped from the bed and bolted from the
room. They told the startling news at the
Office and a doctor was sent for.
AT this point of the story" continued
Mr.. Dillon, 1--WE neared the little station of
Coatesville. The words that followed
think / can quote accurately. The story
had grown intensely thrilling and Norton
was telling it with fine effect. He reache, ;
the point where the hotel clerk summoned
a physician and then these were his words:
The doctor came and went up to the room;
he looked at the corpse as it sat upright
and deliberately walked up to it and pushed
simply remarked Poor fellow, he is as
dead as he ever was. 1t was only con-
traction of the muscles"
This the last sentence that poor
John Norton ever spoke Mr. Dillon went
on The words had scarcely left his lips
when the humping and grinding OF the
feet and looked toward my wife. / paid no
particular. attention to Norton, but re-
see him again until they had carried him to
the church, where he died. AS l turned
from Norton saw my wife coming toward
off the trackv
BE quiet and sit down. 1 called out,
there Is no danger My wife has had some e
that grinding and humping meant. !, 1t
didn't take me long to see what was going
my wife's hand when we went down.
held TO her until the car began to roll over
and then / lost her think that something
must have struck me on the head as
went down. for i was certainly knocked
senseless. The next j remember was the
words OF my wife. calling to me. | could
hear her indistinctly, but could not recog
nize her voice.
Joe Joe, are you all right? I'm not
hurt were her words, and / think that
must have revived me. In some way /
must have gotten hold of her hand again
pulled out. Luckily we were at the point in
the car where the men first began the work
near s ne the wreck ehepped in the car ABOVE
us and we were dragged out through the
hole made by their axes. 1t must have been
fatality of some sort that caused Norton
to become passenger of the Inflated train.
He had arranged to go to New York a
start, but something seemed to prevent his
departure. He had intended leaving, last
week, with Nat Roth. manager of Della
cided to remain and accompany the Della
Fox people east. think it was his inten-
9n Se tn nay snodan while We
talking about the trip. He remarked: You
should feel it an honor that l have decided
going on to New York to-day
II believe that my wife felt premonition
of this affair" continued the theatrical
manager, because she grew very nervous
Just after we left ST. Louis. She was con-
tlnually talking to me about how strangely
something was going to happen. BY the way,
there is another strange coincidence con-
nected with this wreck When n.,v we : left 1T st St
Pullman car. We occupied the berth until
we were fifty seventy miles out. Mrs.
Towers. who lost her life in the wreck. was
I'm section with her husband, just back of
us. After getting well out of St. Louis |
called the porter. and asked If myself and
wife could move our luggage to Section 8.
adding that i thought we liked that berth
better. The matter was arranged ana
started to move our baggage. My wife de-
INJURED. but 1 told her to come on. that
she would like the other apartment better
We moved over despite Mrs. billions OBJ
lection and Mrs. Towers Immediately took
possession of the section vacated by us.
She remained there and was killed. while
we were not quite knocked to pieces