The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-12-12
THRILLING TALE.
An Old Soldier at the Dodge
City Soldiers Home
Almost Buried Alive - Pro-
nOunced Dead He Is
LAID IN HIS COFFIN.
Breaks Out of His Grave House
and Startles Attendants
LAID IN HIS COFFIN.

John Clark, an old soldier at the
Dodge CITY home. came about as near
being buried alive as ever falls to the
lot of a man who lives afterward.
The story of this startling incident
was told to a State Journal reporter
last evening by Thos. H. Grisham, pres
sdent of the board of managers OF the
institution. Mr. Grisham had repeated
this wonderful tale before, but it APP
pears to have never gone into print
The details only prove what has been
so many times esta blished that truth
is stranger than fiction.
John Clark, now alive and well and
one of the $50 at present at the well
conducted home at Dodge City, enlist
ed in the Union army from the state of
Michigan. He was wounded in the leg
at the first battle of Bulls Run.
At the Dodge City hospital he lay
sick with typhoid fever. He died from
this malady. At least, he was officially
charge. A shrOud was put about him,
he was prepared for burial and placed
in the coffin. The lid was put over the
top, but not fastened down. He was to
be taken to his last resting place on
the following morning.
The coffin and body were left in the
room reserved for such cases. During
the night the attendants IN an adjOln-
ing Office heard a great noise, as that
of heavy object falling to the floor, in
the room for the dead. In CONSERVATION
they rushed to the door when they be-
held the corpse sitting upright in his
grave habiliments, the coffin on its side
near by. Frightened at what appeared
to them a ghOStly appariatiOn, the at
tendants fed from the room and told
what they had seen. They Immediate
" returned with others and found the
body prone on the floor, but with evil
denceS of life.
EfirY147IaY7tc vra7-a c7,foIxTvr ha
limbs and body of Clark rubbed with
alcohol He soon opened his eyes. At
ter careful attention and nursing he re-
covered entirely and today tells the
story of his narrow escape from being
buried alive.
Mr. Grisham has talked with Clark
about this strange experience.
Tell me- said Grisham to Clark one
day since the dead came to life, chow
did you feel when you died and how did
you first know that you were aliVe?"
When I appeared, to myself" said
Clark, ito be dying, the experience was
a very pleasant one. seemed to be
entirely free from trouble and to be
passing into a new realm. When I be
gan to recover consciousness I
found myself in what seemed to be a.
coffin, but at once knew that I was
not dead because my feet were cold and
I was hungry"
Z don't understand what you mean,''
said Grisham.
4 knew" replied Clark. that if I
were in Heaven would not be hungry,
and if were in Hell my feet would not
be cold
Attorney General Boyle, who was sit
ting beside Mr.. Grisham, enjoyed this
story immensely and from time to time
opened his eyes as the thrilling points
were brought out in a telling manner
by the president of the board.
Great Scott" said Boyle, what if
this story had come out during the
campaign. It would have been even
colder for US than it was on the 9Th of
November last. We would have been
accused of burying old slider Republi-
cans alive
Well said Grisham, there is an
other part of this story which I have
not told you This incident, none of
which has ever been published to my
knowledge, took place a year ago last
March, just after the new board of
Which am a member took possession
of the home and before any changes had
been made in the physicians or attend
ants who had been in charge of the in
stttution during the preceding state ad-
That's different said Boyle with a
sigh of relief. 'tAnd by the way said
the attorney general, while there have
been some scandals in connection with
a number of our state institutions, new
er a word nor a muTnur has come from
the Dodge City Soldiers home under the
charge of the board appointed by the /
present administration
That" said Mr.. Grisham, sis a bou-
quet which greatly prize, coming from
a member of the executive council
This story, as told to a Journal report |
er, Mr.. Grisham vOuches to be literally
and accurately true. 1t is certainly
worthy a place in a collection of weird |
and strange, but truthful, tales.
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