The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-03-01
HATTIE DENEDIcT's TRANCE.
II Am Alive, Please Don't Bury Me-"
She Snfn.
From the Syracuse standard.


From the Syracuse STANDARD.
To lie for weeks as one dead, to be par
TALLY sensible of what is taking place
about you, to be utterly deprived of voice,
and muscular action, to be in constant
terror of being entombed alive is per-
haps one of the most dreadful and agon-
izing experiences that can befall a HUI
man being. Such. however, was the condi-
ton of Miss Hattie Benedict, a hand
some and prepossessing young lady or
Marengo, n. ", for four months until
Wednesday last. Four months ago this
young woman fell into a state of conn.,
which continued almost uninterruptedly
for over five weeks. Then aperiod of five
weeks ensued during which the young
lady was in a semi-cataleptic condition. on
Jan. she again lapsed into a state OF
conlPiele coma from which she became
conscious for the first time Wednesday,
Inc unfortunate young woman is the
daughter OF Elijah Benedict, a wealthy
and well-known farmer residing near the
village of MarengO, a small hamlet six
mics southeast OF Lyons. Miss Benedict
years of age. The Benedicts are an old
and numerous family in this vicinity.
Inc peculiar aHilction from which Miss
Benedict suffers is not characterized by
the same symptoms as those reported in
the medical treatiSes When the first
trance appeared it crept gradually over
the young woman without any apparent
cause Sitting in chair or busted about
the house. without regard to excitement
OF ehnul' she woald become aware OF
growing feeling of drowsiness, and then
gradually lapse into a semi-cOmatose
state. And though, as she afterward re-
lated in the seeming full possession of
her intellectual faculties, she was utterly
without the power to move or stir single
muscle of her entire body. On these oc-
casons her upper eyelids had a decided
downward tendency, and she has a full
consciousness of the presence of those
who come within the range of her vision.
She could even see their lips moving, but
was utterly unable to comprehend a word
of their conversation or to hear the loud
est noise made in the room. To the atten-
dants there was no sparkle or glitter of
the eye to show that she was conscious of
their Notwithstanding but a cold, dull
lustreless stare like that of dead person.
she experienced no pain or physical SEN
sation of any kind, though a brisk pinch
of the fingers or the insertion of a pin
point into her flesh would sometimes cause
a slight, almost undesirable movement
or start of the body. The operation of
the heart was slightly perceptible, some
traces OF physical warmth remained, a
slight color fingered within the centers
of the cheeks, and, upon application of
mirror to the lips, a torpid, Irregular, and
validating action of the lungs was To- be
detected. These are the symptoms that
characterized her five weeks trance, from
which she awoke at rare Intervals, and
retained sensibility only for a few mo-
ments at a time. Her restoration was al
ways sudden and complete. The awaken
1nSS were ATTENDED by cold SWeatS, and
every feature of her countenance was eX-
pressiVe of the most intense terror. On
every occasion of her return to conscious
ness her first words, uttered in weak and
broken syllables, were:
Il am alive Please don't bury me-
Mrs. Benedict, the girls mother, with
tears in her eyes, each time tried to calm
her daughter, assuring her that she was
not going to die, and that she would soon
be restored to health. Once during this
period when the girl awoke the mother
hurried to get her some food. She had
time to get her a cup of tea and a slice of
toast. Her daughter had the toast in
her hand and was raising it to her mouth,
when she sank back into the trance,
crushing the bread in her rigid fingers.
Thursday morning, Nov. 10, 1895, she par
TALLY awoke from her trance, complaint
ing of an acute pain at the base of her
brain. She had been in practically I'M
interrupted trance for over five weeks.
Then followed nearly five weeks during
which the young lady remained in what
may be termed a semi-cataleptc state,
characterized by frequent intervals OF
complete consciousness. The distinguish
ing features of this mysterious condition
were that the young woman became sue
denly motionless; the body and limbs were
flexible and retained any position in which
they might be placed; the action of the
heart and lungs was easily perceptible
and vet 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 r.
She was reclining upon q sofa in the sit
ting room when she complained of feel
ing of faintness, and had scarcely spoken
the words when she fell into a deem
sleep. Her mother hurried to her side.
and. finding her numb, stiff and chilly
and her limbs in a drawn-up position
placed her upon the floor and straightened
her eXtremities This she had been in
structed to do by the attending physician
lest death-lilze rigidity that had charac-
terized her preceding frances should stiff
fen her limbs in an unnatural position
The young woman was then carried to.
her room, where she continued in a
death-like stupor until Wednesday last
When the attending physician, DR.. f. A.
Hubbell arrived he found the pattern
pale and white as marble, the extremities
stiff and cold as in death; the eyes. which
were dull and fixed, turned upward and
inward; the iriseS greatly contracted: the
eyeids motionless; the lips chalkv white
and somewhat drawn over a dropping ten
dency of the lower jaw. There were no
indications of physical warmth There
was no pulsation at the wrists and. with
the exception of faint, irregular action
of the heart, the unfortunate woman pre-
scented every appearance of a dead per
son.
Last Tuesday evening as Or. Hubbell
and two or three assistants We're still pa
tiently working TO restore the patients Vi