St. Johns review. (Saint Johns, Or.) 1904-current, 1913-08-29
WHIMSICAL WILLS
Human Nature as Shown In
Queer Requests and Bequests.
FEAR OF PREMATURE BURIAL.

This Dread Has often Been the Cause
Of Curious Provisions In Last Tests.
msnts-The Grave Of a Man Who
Disliked the Society OF Women.
The remarkable will Of n man who
died not long ago directing the under
taker 20 stab him through the heart
after he had been pronounced dead by
his physician Is not n unique one The
fear OF being buried alive has driven
many a man to stlpulnte In his will
that extraordinary steps be taken to
make sure Of death.
Thus. for instance, n magnate Of
Plymouth, England. dccrccd by his
will that his wife should cut or one
Of his toes or fingers 20 make sure he
was dead, adding that he mnde the
request so that ''as she had been trou.
bled with one old fool she viii not
think OF marrying n second"
The will OF Lord Lytton contained
special directions az 10 the cXamiua
ton OF bis body in order to provide
against the possibility OF his being
buried while IN trance. which ap
peared TO be an apprehension OF his.
A farmer Of Hcrtfordghire England
who died In 1870. was 20 certain that
his lethal slumber was 70 he not really
death, that he inserted IN his will his
written wish that. ms he was about
TO take thirty years nap. his coffin
might be suspended from n beam In
his barn and by no means nailed
down" lie. however. permitted Il to
be locked. provided n hole were made
In the side. through which the key
might be pushed. no that he might let
himself out when he nwokc His
nephew, who inherited the property.
obcycd his within and did not bury tho
coffin tlll 1861. allowing him an extra
year of grace.
Tho Sieur BODY. who died In 1915 NJ
the age OF nlnety.slS. said In his viii
"Eight and forty hours after my de-
ccnse desire that pust mortcm cN
animation I've made. that my heart be-
taken out and placed In an urn. which
shall be lntrustcd 10 NJ. linudoin dhe
undertaken. In conformity with mn
arrangement between him ana myself
my heart " 10 be- conveyed 90 u
mausolcum In the department Of IN
Maycnnc and there TO be- deposited. M
agreed"
Robert. the famous Earl OF Mcllcni
and Leicester. ono Of the early cru
sndcrs In the holy land. died in MS
In tho abby OF pronuN. where his
body was buried. but his heart was
conveyed 10 the hospital nt Brncklcy
there % be preserved IN salt Isabella
daughter Of he Earl Of Pembroke, who
died In 1880. ordered her heart 10 be
sent In n silver cup 10 her brother
then abbot OF Tewkcsbdry. To be buried
there before the high altar Tho heart
OF John Ballot. lord of barnard Gus
tie. who died In 1863. WIS by his wild
ow's desire inclosed In an ivory casket
richly enameed with silver
Hut all these examples. strange ~
they may he. are not especially -
mnrkabe among the countless mum
bers OF curious Wills which ARE record
ed through many generations.
There H. for example, the Will of
rich old bachelor. who, inrensed nt |
what he considered the attempts OF bic |
fnmlly 20 put him under the yoke 81 |
matrimony. vented his spite ON the |
whole sex OF women boy saying In his |
will. Il beg that my executors will |
see that am buried where there IN no
woman inferred, either to the right or
Co the left OF me. should thls not be-
In the ordinary course ~
things l direct that they purchase
three graves and bury me In the mid
die one of the three, leaving the two
others unOccupied"
John Reed. gnslightcr ~ the Walnut
Street theater. Philadelphia. iilled thnt
post for forty-four years There n
not on record single performance 40
the theater at which he was not pres
ent lie never aspirod 10 appear on
he stage in his iifctimc. but he was
not without his mute ambitions, and
before he died he contriycd ingenious
~ 60 make sure OF assuming a Shake
.pearean role after his death A clause
In his viii read
my head In 10 be separated from
my body Immediately after my death
he latter 20 be buried Ia "a grave the
former. duly macerated ana prepared
% be brought 10 the theater where :
nave served all my life, ana 90 be EN-
lloyed 10 represent the skull Of NorlcS
,nd 20 this end bcqueath my head 4"
he progresses New York sun
~. Ein..rt.ss CIo,s.