Eagle River Democrat. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1893-1896, 1896-02-24
PLEASE DON'T BURY Me-
With These Words Hattie Senedict
AWoke from Her Five
Weeks Sleep.

Miss Hattie Benedict of Marengo, n.
Y, has at last awakened from her five
weeks of cataleptic sleep. Her story is
indeed Il remarkable one. To lie for
weeks as one dead, to be sensible of
what is taking place about you, to be
utterly deprived of voice, hearing and
muscular action, to be in constant ter
rOr of being entombed alive is perhaps
one of the most dreadful and agonizinG
experiences that can befall human be-
ing. Such, however. has been the con-
dition of Miss Benedict. -Four months
ago this young woman fell into a coma
tose state, which continued almost unin-
terruptedly for over five weeks. Then
a period of five weeks ensued during
which the young lady was in q semi
cataleptic condition. Then she again
lapsed into a state of complete coma.
from which she became conscious for
the first time six weeks later.
The young woman IS a daughter of
Elisa Benedict, a wealthy and we'll
known farmer residing near the village
of Marengo, q small hamlet six miles
southeast of Lyons, n. Y. Miss Bene-
dict is 10 years of age. When the first
trance condition appeared it crept grad
ually over her without any apparent
cause. Sitting in chair or busted about
the house, she suddenly became aware
of growing feeling of drowsineSs, and
then gradually lapsed into 4 semi-coma-
tose state. And though, as she after
wards related, in the seeming full pos
session of her intellectual faculties, she
was utterly without the power to move
or stir single muscle. Her restoration
was always sudden and complete The
aWakenings were attended by cold
sWeats.
Everything that the skill and ingenuity
of physicians could suggest was done to
llSt n,
was pinched about the limbs and body,
her hair was clipped close about the
head, her body cupped and blistered and
powerful medicines given, but all to no
purpose. Even the shower bath and
electricity were used without effect.
One day, shortly after a galvanic bat
terry had been used on the breast, an en-
tire cessation of the motion Of the heart.
together with that of every other vital
function, seemed to take place. Even
the most careful examination and tests
failed to detect the slightest operation
of the heart or lungs. In this condition
she continued several days, and those III
attendance seriously believed that the
girl was dead. During the morning
of that day the doctor reSOrted to the
experiment of holding a mirror near
her lips to ascertain if there was the
slightest indication of respiration, and
was overjoyed to find that q slight film
of moisture could be observed on the
glass. At length slight Quivering of
the eyelids was noticeable. and imme-
diately thereafter a shock of terror
shook the attenuated body Of the girl.
A cold sweat followed, and the horror
of her thoughts We're plainly depicted on
her face as she exclaimed in an almost
inaudible voice:
81 am alive. Please don't bury me"
The trance has left Miss Benedict in
a very weak condition. and she is scarce
ly able to speak. The cause of hey
singular disease is mystery. A local
physician who is familiar with the case
thinks it probable that it is due to a
constitutional defect superinduced by
III health