The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1908-09-18
HIS WEIRD EXPERT
ENCE While drunk.
Taken to MOrgue as Dead He
Wakes on Slab Surrounded
BY CadaverS. n

=
davers, and to see assistants of the
Coroner preparing to inject embalming
fluid in his body was the experience
of William Hayes a butcher employed
by the Flood Grocery Company.
,, The narrowing and unique experience
was the result of a nights alleged fire,
imbibing on the part Of Mr.. Hayes,
who had gone in the alley between La
renee and Larimer streets on Fifteenth
street to sit down for few minutes
until his car should come along.
The long wait for the owl permitted
Hays to fall asleep. Patrolman Lon
Meredith happened along and, seeing
the man lying in the alley attempted
to arouse him, and then telephoned for
! the patrol wagon. A few night strag-
glers had gathered about the seeming
ly dead man and some one telepnOned
the Coroner's office. The NOR
que is only a few steps dis
lance and Deputy Coroner Ha
sen and Young, without waiting
for the dead wagon picked up one
of the wicker baskets and hurried ava
down the alley.
The body gave no sign of life
There was no pulse and the man
seemed not to be breathing. Hays was
lifted into the wicker basket, the lid
was closed and he was carried away
to the morgue. The corpse" was
taken in through the rear door, the
dim lights in the morgue were turn
ed up and the clothes were stripped
off.
The limp body was placed on q
marble slab. which mad been Occu-
pied by murderers, suicides, people
killed in accidents and many VINO
had TO be buried at the expense of
the county.
Embalming fluid was brought. Dep
uty Coroner Young remarked that he
thought he would give him snot."
No intimation that they We're deal
ing with a live man crossed the mems
minds. Pale and silent, without sign
of life, the corpse" was not differ
ent from the others in the morgue.
A knife was brought for the incision
whereby the fluid could enter the
, body.
Fortunately for Hays, ne came TO
sudden consciousness. He rolled over
and his eyes upon the hard features
of an unknown ma VINO had met deaIn
at the hands of the gambler George
Ziegler, 10 days ago. He looked above
him. but only the white, gnastly walls
of the mCrgue met his eyes. Then
the Sitting smell OF the ingredients
employed IN the embalming prepare
ton assaulted his nostrils. He shud-
dered and rose up, to find himself
naked and a man standing about MIN,
with open mouth and a knife, also
open.
In spite of his stupor, Hays began
10 take a lively interest in the pro-
ceedings. Deputy Young, VINO mad
been about to inject the fluid stood
back aghast and then recovering his
voice called the other assistants, who
were sleeping in the next room.
Hayes saw his trousers lying in a
white sheet near him. They were
about to be wrapped up and retain
ed as evidence for mis- identification.
At that moment there came a luod
rapping at the rear door Of the Cor
oners office and Captain Garter and
Patrolman Meredith burst into tie
place. Hayes was quitely putting on
his trousers and made TIE remarl
tnat he couldn't see the joke Then
it occurred to MIN 20 ask wuere Iu
was. Finally some one told him. If
lie had not awakened as he did, in
another second a knife would nave
been plunged into his throat and he
would nave been a corpse in Teali-
ty. In spite of the humor of the sit
uation no one was exactly prepared
to laugh until a broad grin broke ov-
er the features of Hayes.
will some one kindly hand me my
shoes from under that slab?"
Patrolman Meredith brought his
shoes to MIN. Hayes dressed slid off
the slab which had been prepared for
accommodation, and borrowing car
fare, walked out the morgue door.
Hayes was a guard in an insane asy-
lum for nine years, and he says it
was this fact that helped him in
keeping his head during the thrilling
awakening of yesterday morning
! Denver Republican.