Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1895-09-26
HERE is A ROMANCE.
Strange Story Of . Girl Apparently Dead
Who Reappeared "a Q Bride.

his mother near Hope, ". ~.
Mrs. Thompson was Miss Ellen Nor.
man. the I9-year- old daughter of Mr.
and Mrs. John Norman. She was the
belle of the neighborhood and was
gagged TO marry Thompson. In October
Of 1894 the girl was taken i'll with a
malady which puzzled the doctors, and
on Oct. "a she died-at least the doc
tors pronounced her dead-after sub
jecting her TO numerous tests.
In a few hours the face of the dead
girl began to turn black. and the doctors
at n c ordered the body placed in a
coffin and the coffin tightly closed, as
they feared that the disease was some
thing contagious. The funeral was set
for the next day, Oct. %, and the coffin
containing the body was kept overnight
in the Norman house. The only watcher
was MI. Thompson. who declared that
he was not afraid Of the disease. what
ever 1t was. 1t was due to his watching
that the young woman is alive today.
After the Norman family had retired,
leaving Thompson alone with the dead
girl, he removed the lid of the coffin in
order to once more gaze upon the face Of
his fiancee. As he sat looking at the dis
colored face and the white hands folded
across the bosom he was startled TO see
the chest Of the body in the casket rise
and fall in a spasmodic way, as though
the girl was gasping for breath. In Q
moment he was bending low over the
coffin, with his ear pressed against her
chest. There was life in the body, for
the heart was luttering family. Wrap
ping the form, which had not become
rigid, in the blanket which had been
given him to throw about his shoulders
during his vigil, Thompson, without
awakening the fsmily, carried the girl
to his own home, where he explained
all to his mother. She agreed with him
that il would be folly TO arouse the
neighbors, as it was not at all certain
that the girl would really come to life
again.
After placing Ellen in bed and sur
rounding her with net pillows DR.. z.
E. Mullan was called in and sworn to
secrecy. This done, Thompson returned
to the Norman residence, and after max
ing up a dummy body and covering it
with the ~graveclothes taken from the
girl and dropping a handkerchief light
" owe the face, SO that if the coffin
should be opened ON the morrow for any
purpose the deception would not be no.
ticed, resumed his watch. When morn
ing came, all was the same apparently
as ii had been left by the family the
night before, and the coffin remained,
under orders from the doctor, unopened,
ven for Mr.. and Mrs. Norman to take
a last look at the dead girl.
The funeral was held at the little
church il the morning and was largely
attended
Mrs. Thompson remained 1T home tax
ing care Of the girl, and as it was given
ont that she was i'll nothing was thought
of her absence from the church.
After Miss Norman had been carried
to the Thompson residence and DR..
Mullan had worked over her for several
hours, il became evident that she had
simply been IN q trance, and that the
~discOloration Of the face was caused by
the staguatioD Of the blood a galvanic
battery was brought into use, and after
a time the supposed dead girl began
breathing in a fairly natural manner.
She remained unconscious OF deIiri0as
for several days, according 10 Dr.. Mu!-
iaa, who remained almost constantly az
the bedside. and then awoke as from a
heavy sleep. She was very weak and
was therefore not informed as TO the
true state of affairs. She was simply
told that she had been quite sick. and
that she must remain absolutely quieE.
As she became stronger all was explain
ed TO her. She wanted her parents sent
for AZ once, bur this DR.. MulIan would
not listen 10, saying that the least ex-
element might bring on a relapse
About the middle Of December Miss
Norman>yas spirited away from Hope
by the doctor and Mr.. Thompson, and
since that time she has been travelling
in the south and west. where she has
fully regarded her health. Soon after
leaving she and Mr.. Thompson were
married. aud shortly after that DIR. Null
Ian returned 10 his home, leaving his
patient il charge of her husband Mr..
and Mrs. Thompson arrived at Hope
a few days ago over the Great Northern
read, first having advised Mr.. and Mrs.
Norman that the daughter they had
mourned as dead was alive and well
and ON her way home 10 them as the
wife of Mr.. Thompson. There was a
dramatic scene when Mrs. Thompson
her father and mother. The towns
reapla at first refused TO believe that the
young woman was the one they had seen
buried, AS they supposed, and would not
be convinced that il was really she until
the grave where her body was supposed
TO be lying WAS opened and the dummy
body was taken from the casket.-Naw
York World.