The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1896-03-05
HATTIE BENEDICT's TRANCE.
Il am Alive, Please Don't Bury Me- sh'
said

constant terror OF being entombcd alive.
is pcrhaps one of the most dreadiui ana
agoniAng experiences that can beiall
human being. Such, however. was me
condition OF Miss Hattie Benedict
handsome and prcpOssessing young LADY
OF Narengo. y. y, for four months unul
"wednesday last -Four months ago this
young woman fcli into n state Of coma.
which continued almost uninterruotcdly
Tor over five weeks Then a period OF
i've weeks ensued during which the
young lady was in a scmi-catalepuc CEN
ditlon on the 9th Of last month she
again lapsod into "A state OF complete
coma from which she became conscious
Tor the first time Wednesday.
The unfortunate young woman Is the
daughter Of Elijah Benedict wealthy
and wei. known farmer residing near the
village Of Marcngo. a small hamlet six
miles southeast Of Lyons. Miss Benedict
IS a handsome young woman nearly nine
teen years Of axe. The Bencdicts are an
old and numerous family in this vicinity
The peculiar affection from which Miss
Benedict suffers * not characterized by
tho same symptoms as those reported in
The medical treauscs When tho first
trance appeared. u crcpt gradually over
the Young woman without any apparent
cause. sitting In "a chair or busted about
Tho house. without regard TO excitement
or ennuf she would become aware of
growing feeling OF drowsiness and then
gradually lapse into semi-comatose
state And though. rs she afterwards re-
latcs. in the seeming fun possession OF
her intellectual faculties, she was utter
Is without the power 10 move or stir
single muscle OF her entire body ON
lie huH a
decided downward tendency. and she has
q fun consciousness Of the presence Of
those Who came within the range Of her
vision She could even see their lips NOV
ing. bot was utterly unable 70 compre
bend "a word OF their cony orsation or 10
hear the lOudcst noise made I'm the room
To tho attendants there was no sparkle or
glitter If the eve to show that she was
conscious of their MISUNDERSTANDING
hui a cold. dun. lustrcless stare like that
OF a dead uersOn. She experienced 10
paiu or physical sensation Of any kind.
though brisk pinch of the fingers or
the insertion of pin.pOint into her nesh
would sometimes cause slight, almost
urohscrvablo movement or start Of the
body The operation Of the heart was
slightly pcrccptihlc. some traces Of phys
seal warmth remained. a slight color In
yored within the centres Of the cheeks,
and upon application Of q mirror 10 the
lps. q torpid. irregular. and Nacillating
action OF the lungs was 10 De detected.
These are the symptoms that character
lied her five weeks trance. from which
sho awokc al rare intervals. and retained
scns.bility only for a few moments at
time. Her restoration was always sud
den and complete. The awakenings were
attended by cold sweats. and every foa-
ture Of her c0unienance was expressive
of the most intense terror. ON every oc-
casion her return 10 consciousness her
first words. uttered i'm weak and broken
syllablos. We're:
Il am alive Please don't bury me"
Mrs. Benedict. the girls mother, with
fears IN her eyes each time % TO calm
her daughter. assuring her she was
not going TO de. and that She would soon
be- restored 90 health. Once during this
period. when the girl awoke. the mother
hurried 10 get some food She had time
10 get her a cup OF tea, and slice Of
toast Her daughter had the toast in her
hand. was raising 10 TO her mouth. when
She sank back into trance, crushing the
bread I'm her rigid fingers. Thursday
morning. Nov. 10. 1895, she partially
awoke from her trance complaining of
an acute pain at the base of her BRAIN
She had been in practically vninter-
ruptcd trance for over five weeks Then
followed nearly five weeks during witch
the young lady remained In what may be
termed semi-cataleptic state, charac-
tcrizod by frequent intervals of COM
plete consciousness. The distinguishing
features Of this mysterious condition
were that the young woman became sud-
denly mouonless: the body and limbs
were flexible, and retained any position in
which they might bc placed; the action
of the heart and lungs was easily percep-
tihlc. and yet external objects made little
or no impression.
The trance from which Miss Benedict
suffered until Wednesday last came upon
her almost Instantly. and without a mo-
ments warning Sunday morning, Jan. j.
She was reclining upon a sofa, in the SIT
tlng-room. when she complained OF feel
ing OF faintness. and had scarcely spoken
The words when she fell into deep
sleep Her mother hurried 20 her SIDE,
and. finding her numb. stiff, and chilly.
and her limbs ia drawn-up position,
placed her upon the floor. and straightcn-
"a her cxtrcmities This She had been in
structcd 10 do by the attending uhysi-
clan. lest the death-like rigidity that had
Characterized her preceding frances
should sulfen her limbs I'm an unnatural
position The young woman was then
carried 10 her room. where she continued
in death-like siupOr until Wednesday
last. when the attending physician Dr.
j. A. lubben arrived. ne found the pa
tient pale and white as marble. the cN-
trcmilics stiff and cold. as in death: the
eyes. which We're dun and fixed. turned
upward and inward the irises greatly
contracted, the cyelids mOtionless. the
lips ehalkv white. and somewhat drawn
over a dropping tendency OF the lower
Jaw. There were no indications Of physi-
. cal warmth. There was no puisation at
The wrists, and. with the exception OF
faint. irregular action of the heart. the
unfortunate woman presented every APP
pearancc of dead person.
Last Tuesday evening. as Dr. Hubben
and two or three assistants Were still
patiently working 10 restore the patients
vitality. a lamp which emitted bril-
liant llght was placed near the fingers of
Miss Btnedicis left hand. and to the
surprise Of all present. though ashen,
thin. and CHASTITY as they We're. a faint
reddish color could be seen denotng the
existence OF life. The physician then AZ
piled his hand to The girls pulse but was
unable 10 detect the fa.ntest throbblng
Remedies were then applied with renew
ga effort. and. though the physician and
his helpers worked an night. they met
with no better result than before. cxcont
that the reddish color I'm the fingers
seemed 20 have frightened somewhat
These conditions remained unchanged UNI
tli last Wednesday noon During the
morning of that day the doctor rcsorted
90 tie experiment of holding mi-ror