Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-09-10
OR THE DEAD.
DILSEY BOOKER'S BODY TURNED
OVER AFTER DEATH.
4 BADLY FRIGHTENED POLICEMAN,
lie Was Present When the LifeIess
Tenement Begnn to Move, and,
Ends.

"M 80 NAN ana 4IA1
trict. who. for obvious reasons. shall be
namsiess in this story. had an experience
yesterday which. according to all reports,
viii not be forgotten by him in the very
near future. and if his hair is not now
gray it is not because he did not have
lt standing on ends.
This policeman saw a ghost. or thought
he saw one. and it amounted to the same,
SO far as sensations so. He was with
Coroner Taylor, however, and the Doc
tor. who is used to seeing the ghost walk.
soon reassured him, but not until he had
received a severe fright, and had given
vent TO his feelings in most vehement
terms.
NOT DEAD AT FIRST.
The experience came about in this wise.
Dilsey Booker, an old negress, who re-
aided at No. 914 north First street, died
yesterday morning under what were con-
sidered rather suspicious circumstances.
and the Coroner was summoned. The
woman had lived with her daughter,
Leila Payne, and on Thursday afternoon
Leila, who thought her mother was dead,
went after Undertaken Harris, to get
him TO attend TO the funeral arrange
ments. When she returned with the un-
dertaker the woman was alive, and Har-
ris went back to his place Of business.
Yesterday morning, however, Leila again
paid a visit 10 the undertaker's rooms,
and this time when Harris visited the
house the mother was dead.
This aroused the suspicion OF the over
superstitious ~neighbors, created some cx-
element i'm the nelghborhcOd, and q
crowd quickly gathered around the house.
The Coroner was sent for, as were also
the police, and the officer who happens
TO be the hero of this story made his
appearance on the scene. When DR.. Tay-
lOr arrived he went into the room where
the corpse was stretched out on the bed
and began making an autopsy.
THE BODY TURNED OVER.
The policeman followed him, and when
the Coroner had concluded he laid the
body on a pillow in a semi-reclining pos
ture. after which he and the policeman
took seats near the bed, facing the
corpse. n began TO discuss the matter.
While the Doctor was busily engaged in
eXp0unding his theories TO the officer the
body careened and turned over, making
all the movements of a person about to
rise.
The Doctor had not observed these
movements, but MS attention was at
tracted 70 the bed by seeing the police
mans eyes distend and his hair rise. Ere
he had time 10 say aught or to inquire
what the trouble was. the officer ex-
claimed, "My God, Doctor, she is going
TO get upi' and with this exclamation
the now thoroughly terrified Officer rush
Ell TO the door. calling to Undertaken
Harris TO come up at once, as his corpse
was coming 20 life again. The under
taSer rushed up into the room, but see
ing the Doctor sitting quietly by he walk
cd over 10 the corpse, and. putting mis-
hand on il, said, "Lor', Mr.. Policeman,
you amt 'fraid Of no dead oman, is you?
She amt coming 10 life now. after de
Corner n me done pronounced her
dead"
The Coroner gave a certificate setting
forth that the woman had died from
natural causes; and, armed with this. the
officer soon left the room and quieted
his nerves by dispensing the crowd which
had assembled around the door.