The Washington herald., 1912-10-13
Burial Alive Is Bugaboo
OF the Average Person
Thought Alone Of Premature Internent Arouses
Terror in Mind Of Man Some Historical
Gases of Burial Before Death

u0a0 VI ou0 W kk0 0IBltD 2k10 - 8OO0k
to remove the largest Of the rings when
the arm slowly moved out Of his reach.
He leaped from the narrow confines OF
the grave and sped like q streak Of sum-
mer lightning for his humble abode. Nra
HoFnisch had been buried alive. Upon
regaining consciousness she called loud.
ly for help. but none came. and al that
she could hear was the echo Of her own
voice among the surrounding hills. FL
nally she made . supreme effort and
climbed out Of the grave. with the grave
digger's lantern In her hand she stag
gered to the door Of her house.
On May II. 1891, the Pail Mall Gazette
published a detailed account Of an ex-
tremely interesting case. Mra Sarse-
Vile, the wife Of q farmer. was In the
cow house attending to her daily duties.
when. through . small hole in the floor.
she suddenly caught sight Of Q nest Of
squirming snakes. Stricken with fright.
she uttered . weird shrek. and fell to
the ground. Mr.. Sarsevilie heard the
unearthly cry and hurried to the struc-
ture- He found his wife apparently life
less. Her face was beginning to turn
black, and her body was chilled and
rigid.
An undertaken was notified and the
body was placed in a comm. All night
the daughter kept watch by the side OF
the casket In the stiffness of the early
morning Just before daybreak. the young
maiden was startled to see her mother
gasp and then open her eyes. The daugh-
ter sbrank backward in fright. while
the figure in the comm assumed q sitting
posture. Mrs. Sarseville was helped from
her somber resting place and was given
stimuiants. She was soon completely re-
vived. and by breakfast time was ready
to participate in a hearty meal to-
gether with the family
Noises from Hearse.
On July s. 1894, at Sprakers. near Rand
out, N, T.. Miss Eleanor Markham. q
popular young woman. was pronounced
dead by DR.. Howard. the family physi-
clan. after experiencing short illness.
The weather was excessively warm, and
1t was decided upon the suggestion OF
Undertaken Jones to hold the burial
service as soon as possible. On the aft
ernoon of July 10 relatives took their
parting look at the fair face. and the lid
Of the casket was fastened on. As the
hearse was passing slowly and solemnly
bell was tolling sadly noise was heard
to issue from the mortuary vehicle 1t
increased in volume. and the driver of
the hearse was ordered to stop. The
doors were hurriedly opened: the casket
was removed, and the lid was un-
fastened.
There. in her narrow prison house.
struggling and weeping. was Miss Mark
ham. unmistakably alive. Her face was
white and contracted. Her large eyes
were distended.
MY God! Where am Ir' she gasped
with great effort, as the lid Of the comm
was removed. you are buryins me
alive!''
Hush, hush. Eleanor" said Dr.. How
ard blandly. you are all right. Eleanor.
This is a mistake very easily rectihed,
my dear"
The young woman was helped into .
carriage and rushed to her home, where
she tainted. After about an hour she
regained consciousness. and seemed to
have recovered from the illness with
which she had been stricken. although
she was still very 'aint.
Il was conscious all the time you
were making preparations to bury me-"
she said. The horror Of my situation
is altogether beyond description. / could
hear everything that was going on. even
a whisper outside the door. and, although
I exerted all my will power and made
a supreme physical effort to cry out, I
was powerless. At first I fancied the
pallbearers would not hear me, but
when I caught the sound Of the hearse
doors being opened and felt one end
Of the cofiin dropping suddenly. knew
that my cries had not been in vain.
feel now-as IL a new Nease Of life has
been granted me-
A most interesting case has been cited |
by DR.. Richard Bird Mason. NJ. r. c. g.,
L. s. A., a famous London physician. |
In August, 1855, he began to treat Miss
Amelia Hicks. twelve years Of age, of
Bridge Street. Nuneaton. for pulmonary
The condition OF the girl
gradually became worse, and at 3:30i
o'clock on the morning Of October ISL
she apparently died. She groaned heav-
lily. waved her hands in parting, turned |
her head slightly to the right, dropped |
her jaw, and expired. She was imme- |
diately washed and attired in clean linen. |
Her jaw was tied with q handkerchief, |