Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1904-06-16
Stopped His Own Funeral.

I'm, bound up with grave clothes in a
besrse and on the perilous edge OF the
cemetery-tbis was the experience a
year ago of Joe Smith, the negro port
er of J. L. Onarato' real estate office,
says the new Orleans Picayune.
Had Joe awakened from his trance
10 minutes later he would have found
himself buried alive-stretched out IN
the eternal darkness beneath the
ground, and heard the dull clump OF
clods of earth falling upon his head
felt the deadly chill Of the underground
creeping upon him and seen the awful
eyes of death creep closer and closer
upon him until at length, unable TO
move, he suffocated to death in the
rigid confines of his tomb, or went
raging mad and died in wild agony
of terror. Ten minutes was all that
stood between him and this awful fate,
and still Joe speaks Ct it unmoved, and
even chuckles when he pictures what
might have been. His hair is not
gray, nor would one suppose on look
ing at him that he had come go close
to living hell.
That many men are buried alive Is
a growing opinion. How many living
souls are yearly doomed to such awful
agony no man can know. But there
are many men in this town who wake
up in the night time with the terrible
remembrance that their child, their
brother, their sister or their wife died
in the morning and was buried before
night, only few hours apart, and
there are at least three men in New
Orleans today, high and respected in
business and professional circles, whose
hair is white with the fear that their
loved ones woke up afterward in the
darkness.
Joe Smith had habit of falling
into frances ever since he was 7 years
old. His first trance occurred at that
age, and lasted for y hours. His
second occurred some II years after
ward and lasted for 20 hours, and his
last occurred year and half ago
and lasted Sc hours. Had the last
trance endured but a few moments
longer Joe would have had no more.
Joe tells his story without the faint
est show of reluctance, and even
seemed mildly proud to have it ap-
pear in the paper. 81 jes' drapped
off fer a sleep" said Joe, 'jes' ord
mar sleep, 'cuz de weather was hot
en- I'd been wu'kin. When l woke
up I couldn't see. Twas all dark
'roun' about, and smelt sumpn like
a pine hoard. I tried to move an l
hit against a board. tried to raich
up my han an my han hit sump'n
hard. l tried to open my mouth an
l found my jaw was tied. Then l
felt a joltin' an a stumblin' an
shakin' along, an I knowed l was in
a coffin an boun fer de graveyard.
den 1 raitch up my han an l
break de glass over my face. Den l
used all my strength an break de
board over de top of de coffin an I
rise up"
Here Joe paused to chuckle and
luminous grin spread over his face.
81 b'long to three societies" he said,
can every member of every society
was followin' dat hearse. We was
Just tuinin frum Canal street into
Rampant dat time, an dey was
crowd aroun'. But when l bruk
through that glass n bust out de
hearse, all wropped in grave clothes
an with er handkerchief roun' my
jaws an sort o wild look in my eyes,
in a minnie l was all alone on Ram
part street"
What's the matter, Joe I? Did your
friends leave you ?" inquired the lis
tener.
Dem niggers had 'nough," said
Joe. call de same" he continued
minute later, "next time l die I'm
gwine be mighty certin for shore lam
dead befo' they gwine bury me. I'll
liant EN- shore; I'll liant any doctor
tibet calls me dead befo' my spirits in
heaben, sho's I'm alive right owl
will dat"