The San Francisco call., 1895-07-17
TAKEN FROM THE GRAVE.
Spectators Declared That the
CorpSe'S CountenanCe
Was Lifelike,
so THE BURIAL WAS STOPPED.
Physicians Soon Discovered That
the Poison Taken Caused the
Peculiar Appearance.

HARTFORD, Conn, July 16.-A doubt
at the last moment that the young girl
they were burying was actually dead
led to the postponement of a burial service
in Torrinston. 1t was thes most unusual
and thrilling graveside episode that has
ever happened in this State, and caused
great excitement.
Miss Mara Eichner, the daughter of Will
liam Eichner of Newfield, two miles from
Torrlngton, committed suicide Saturday
morning by taking a dose of Rough on
Rats. The cause of the suicide is said to
have been cruel rumor. Her father re-
ceived letter from a man who charged
Miss Eichner with improper conduct. She
Indignantly denied the report, but the
story so preyed on her mind that she de-
termined to end her life.
The funeral was held at Miss Eichner's S
home in Newtield, Sunday afternoon. The
Rev. Mr.. Roberts, her pastor, conducted
the services. and there was singing by
friends in Newfield The bearers were
four young men, admirers of the deceased.
Following the services at the house the re-
mains were brought down to the Center
Cemetery in Torrlngton for interment.
There was a very large crowd gathered
at the cemetery. The members of the
Sunday y-school class to which the deceased
belonged, and other young lady friends
brought a mass of flowers, and the grave
was literally lined with them. Rev. Mr..
Roberts read a brief part of the final
service, and the caskeI was lowered into
the grave.
Then happened a most thrilling scene.
When the casket had been opened for a
final view of the remains, just before
lowering into the grave several friends
noticed that Miss Eichner's countenance
was flushed and lifelike There was good
deal of color in the face, and the hands
felt warm. The more they thought about
it the more the young lady's friends be-
came convinced that if she were buried
then she would be buried alive. AS the
sexton was about to throw the first spade
full of dirt on the coffin, one of her friends
spoke up: ~ protest. Don't you fill the
grave yet. This young woman isn't dead"
Probably thousand people were at the
graveside and about the cemetery at the
time and all were in quiver of intense
excitement. The news quickly spread all
over town and a great crowd collected.
The opinion that Miss Eichner was still
alive became general and excited persons
exchanged their views in whispers and
half tones. 81 pinched her ear" said one,
'and the color came and went" ''Her
hands were warm and moist" said an
other. "And her cheeks. did you notice,
they were pink, as they always used to be"
said another.
The upshou was that DR.. Hanchet, the
medical examiner, was hastily summoned.
The crowd watched him with bated breath
descend into the grave and examine the
body. He pronounced the girl dead. but
her friends were still not satisfied, and DR..
Platt was called. He, too, pronounced life
extinct. There were many who were not
ready TO concede this, however, and the
casket was drawn from the grave. Mean
while Herman Fritz, cousin of Miss Eich-
ner, without the knowledge of the other
relatives, had obtained permission from
the Selectmen to remove the body, and it
was taken at 6 o'clock to the lookup. The
colored people of the town were holding a
religious meeting in the town hall, but
after they adjourned the body of Miss
Eichner was removed to the hall.
The windows were shaded, the great ex-
citement drawing a large crowd to the
place. DIR. Hanchet called council of
Doctors Platt, Pratt. Pulyer and Hill.
Tests we're applied and thorough exam
ination made. A few minutes sufficed to
show that the girl was dead.
The reason the physicians gave for the
lifelike appearance of the corpse was that
the corrosive sublimate in the Rough on
Rats tended to prevent coagulation of
the blood after death, which gave a rosy,
lifelike glow to the face. The warmth of
the body they ascribed to the ride of two
miles in the hearse, whose glass sides con-
centrated the rays of the sun.
The body was left in the town hall over
night and friends waited all night by the
side of the corpse, hoping in vain for
some sign of life. At o'clock yesterday
morning they reluctantly relinquished
their watch, the immediate relatives of the
deceased made up procession and the
body was inferred without further cere-
mony, the family being at last fully salts
fed of death.
EVICTING THE FARMERS.