The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1898-04-21
HER MARROW ESCAPE
MAS. BELL PREPARED FOR BURIAL
DURING SUSPENDED ANIMATION.

she. Rslpsss Her Ezperienos II, 4na.sss..
Of the New York Medioo Legal soo,.&v.
Rhysioisn. Had Prescribed Too M~.x
L.udsann-Hsr Faith In Astrolesy.
Mrs Ida Trafford Bell told me recs.ns.
~ the thrilling details Of her nsrrow
escape from burial alive, Of which shs
gave an inkling the other night a the
meeting of the Medico Legal society n
New York. 1t occurred when she wss a
years old. but Mrs Bell never before
made any public announcement OF IL.
Physicians and lawyers gathered "a
discuss premature burial. Gerald Cha.
pin, q lawyer, toldi-of the bill prepared
by him to preveiS premature burial
which was introduced in the lepislatura
by Assemblyman Redington on March 4
and is now in committee. All who en-.
tered the discussion which followed.
except Carl Hauser, agreed that prema.
ture burial may occur. Mr.. Hauser said
he doubted il there ever was an autben.
tic case.
Involuntarily Mrs. Bell arose TO al.
lence the doubter.
~ am living example Of the posi-
bility of being buried alive" she said.
az was prepared for burial and was
about to be carried to a hearse when
signs of life were discovered and was
saved from the most awful fate that
can be conceived.
"Mr. Hauser says truly that il doc.
tors do their duty premature burial is
impossible. They did not do their duty
in my case. The bill prepared by Mr..
Chaplin may save but one person from
such q fate. The saving of one will
more than compensate for all the trou-
BILE the bill may cause to doctors, un.
dertakers and public officers
Hearty applause followed Mrs. Bells
remark. When I saw her at her home
in New York, Mrs. Bell told me more
about her experience.
~ was only 3 or a years old at the
time" she said, "and was suffering
from some diphtheric affection. We
lived in western Pennsylvania at the
time.
''The attending physician gave my
mother a prescription known then as
black drops. The medicine contained
laudanum, and few drops of it in
specified quantity of water was dose.
Unfortunately the doctor made a
mistake in writing the prescription, and
the wrong proportion of laudanum and
water was given me- For few hours
was apparently dead The doctor wrote
out death certificate, and / was pre-
pared for burial. My body was placed
in coffin, and friends came and mourn
ed for me. Messages of sympathy came
for my mother
1.-The hour arrived for my funeral
Friends had taken the last look upon
the supposedly dead, and arrangements
were being made TO carry the casket to
the hearse waiting at the door. Sudden
ly it was noticed that | was reviviDg.
There was unmistakable evidence that
was still alive, and quickly they took
me from the coffin, and doctors were
hurriedly summoned.
"They worked over me for hours, and
eventually became fully conscious and
began to improve. Until then the at
tending physician had maintained dis
Greet silence as TO the real cause of my
supposed death. He had discovered his
error and frankly admitted it, but not
until it was certain would live.
II soon began to improve rapidly.
and ever since then have enjoyed CON-
paratively good health. 1t was terri
BILE shock to my mother.
Several times since then my narrow
escape, terrible as it was. has proved
source Of anu sement for me. When l
was 10 years old, visited the home Of
my grandfather, and there met an old
friend of my father.
"This friend had viewed me in my
coffin and had then been called away to
another part of the country. He had
never heard Of my recovery. When !
was introduced to him, he gasped in as
tonishment. Ida I he said. 'lda'-star-
ing at NEWLY, saw you lying dead
more than ten years ago. What does
this mean?'
Everything was explained to him,
but it was hard work to convince him
that was really alive.
81 never had any faith in astrologists
until about two years ago." continued
Mrs. Bell, smiling, "but bad friend
who was firmly convinced of their pow
ar. She wanted to consult an astrologist
in New Jersey, and just to please her l
agreed to accompany her.
The man didn't know me from
Adam, nor had he ever seen my friend.
OF that am sure. Just for joke l
gave him the date of my birth at his re-
quest. He began to figure things out ac-
oording to the stars and planets, and
was greatly amused.
Suddenly he stopped, hesitated,
stared hard at me and exclaimed: why,
madam, find an awful blot on your
horoscope. If you didn't stand there be-
fore me, would say that you were
dead; yes, dead long time. l laughed
heartily, for somehow my experience OF
babyhood had not been in my mind.
'NonsenseP exclaimed amusediy.
1 hope don't look as if l were dead.