The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1908-07-14
Recalled.
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Eleanor Rrownlee lay in her coffin, |
dressed in one of the costumes she !
had worn In life, surrounded by her
husband, her children, relatives and
friends.
Before the coffin was closed a sister
of the dead woman attempted to re-
move a large solitaire diamond ring
from the third finger Of the left hand,
but found it impossible to get the ring
over the joint. She whispered to the
widower, who told her to let the ring
remain where it was. The coffin was
closed, and those in attendance accom-
panied the body to the cemetery,
where it was lowered into the grave,
and the funeral party returned to their
homes.
Paul Anderson, sexton Of the church
and the churchyard, sat with his wife,
who was sewing, while their children
were In bed in an adjoining room.
Pauls pay was a mere pittance. His
children were poorly clothed and often
hungry, without the wherewithal to
satisfy their hunger.
wife" he said, "she was buried
with a large diamond ring on her fin
GER
Better that it had been sold and the
money given to the poor" replied his
wife.
1T will lie there in the grave the
same as it lay in the ground before it
was dug up and cut. 1t will do no one
any good. No one is its owner Why
can't we have it to get money for the
children?"
"They could all be dressed well and
sent to school"
And Totty could be taken to the
city to have her back Strengthened.
Suppose go and take it?"
Wouldn't it be wrong. Paul?"
There can be no possible injury to
any one so long as it's not known. The
Brownlee family would alone be injured
and even then merely as a matter of
feeling"
81 don't like to have you do it, Paul"
mot for the childrenT"
This appeal elected no answer. Pres
emily the wife went to bed. Paul An
derson took a pick. shovel and
screwdriver and went out into the
cemetery. Threading his way through
the paths, he at last stopped at
newly made grave, the grave of Flea
nor Brownlee. The ground was loose,
and he was not long in digging his
way TO the coffin. Unscrewing a por-
ton Of the lid, he uncovered the body.
The moon was at the full and stood
on the meridian, almost at the zenith
and poured its illuminating rays right
down on the body. The diamond spar
kled and the sexton, taking up the
hand on which it was, tried to remove
it. He found it impossible Again and
again he tried, only to fail With sigh
he dropped the hand and was about to
Chamber out when the thought occurred
to him that to cut off the finger of q
dead person would give no pain. Whip
ping out his knife, be cut q circle
around the bone.
! lie felt something wet on his own
finger and, holding it up to the moon
light, saw that it was red Could it be
blood blood from a corpse?
At the same moment Eleanor Brown
lee opened her eyes. Selling the sides
Of her coffin, she pulled herself into a
) sitting position. On her face was a
wild. terrified expression
what is this? Am l dreaming?"
Paul Anderson leaped from the grave
and ran like deer to his home, where,
| painting, he incoherently related what
had occurred to his wife.
That cases sometimes occur wherein
persons in a cataleptic state are sup
posed to be dead and are buried alive
is an undisputed fact. Such a case was
e that of Eleanor Brownlee. The heart
: bad ceased to pump the blood through
the system. The moment Anderson cut
the finger he produced a shock. the
| nerves responded. and the heart com
menced to beat
, John Brownlee lay awake in his
) lonely bed. His children, worn with
/ the events Of their mothers death and
t burial, were asleep. Suddenly there
e was ring at the doorbell Brownlee,
: wondering who could have come to
the house so late at night, got up,
threw on a dressing gown, went down
stairs and opened the door
There stood his wife!
Brownlee felt his senses leaving him
! and caught at the doorpost. Eleanor
, Brownlee in making her way through
: the cemetery had been Mortified to see
. that she had been buried alive. but, re
' membering the shock she would give
her husband and children. had com
y posed herself for the meeting.
: John" she said eagerly, st is really
l, Eleanor There was an awful mis-
take. I have been saved l don't