The Wahpeton times. [volume] (Wahpeton, Richland County, Dakota [N.D.]) 1879-1919, 1908-06-25
Recalled.
lOriginul.l


Eleanor Brownlee 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 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 tc, 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.
Paal's pay was mere pittance. His
children We're poorly clothed and often
hungry, without the wherewithal to
satisfy their hunger.
:, Wife," he said. "she was buried
with large diamond ring on her fin.
ger.'
Better that it had been sold and the
money given to the poor" replied his
wife.
ut 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 we'll 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 matter of
feeling"
Il don't like to have you do it, Paul"
"Tot for the children|
This appeal ELECTED no answer. Pres.
emily the wife went to bed. Paul An
derson took pick, shovel and a
screwdriver and went out into the
cemetery. Threading his way through
the paths. he at last stopped at a
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. Cnscrewing por-
ton Of the lid. he uncovered the body.
\ M 1n f,,11 ,<o
on the meridian, almost at the zenith,
and poured its Illuminating rays right
down on the body. The diamond spar
killed., 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 of the finger of q
dead person would give no pain. Whip
ping out his knife, he cut a circle
around the bone.
He felt something wet on his own
finger and, holding it up to the moon
light, saw that it was red Could It he
blood-blood from corpse?
At the same moment Eleanor Brown
lee opened her eyes. Selling the sides
of her coffin, she pulled herself into q
sitting position. On her face was a
wild, terrified expression.
"What is this? Am 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 cataleptic state are sup
posed to be dead and are buried alive
is an undisputed fact. Such case was
that Of Eleanor Brownlee The heart
had ceased to pump the blood through
the system. The moment Anderson cut
the finger he produced 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
burial, We're asleep. Suddenly there
was q ring at the doorbell. Brownlee,
wondering who could have come to
lut louSc 80 Ltlt ut hight, SOC I'D,
threw on 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
posed herself for the meeting.
"John." she said eagerly, ut is really
I, Eleanor There was an awful mis-
take. have been saved. l don't
know how But I'm really here. Don't
wake the children yet"
And, taking his hand, she caressed
him. Then, when convinced Of the
truth, food Of JOY came to his heart
He went upstairs, awakened his chill
dren and, with great prudence, reveal
ed to them that their mother lived
AS soon as he permitted them to know
the truth they sprang from their beds,