Year: 1874




The very singular circumstances
connected with the supposed death
of Bertha Miller, child seven years
old, of Yonkers, Westchester county,
as related exclusively in the Herald
of yesterday, form a case which is,
perhaps, without a parallel in the
wonder-causing catalogue of sublun-
ary phenomena. The fancied death
of the little girl last Wednesday
night, the laying out of the body,
and it's then being placed on ice in
cold room, it's remaining in that frigid
state until Sunday afternoon, the sur
prise of the undertaken on finding it
limp and pliable when transferring it
from the ice-coffin to the burial casket,
the obscquies interrupted and num-
Der of physicians called in, who,
after various tests, found indications
Of animation, and accordingly gave
the sorrowing parents reason to hope
that their darling might yet cheat the
King of Terrors of his prey-all these
present concatenation of facts which
must leave the most approved extrav-
agances of fiction far in the shade.


Although it appears that the doc
tors were satisfied from the scientific
experiments which they effected on
the child, that the circulation of the
blood was still going on to a limited
extent, they were unable to utilize
their professional skill in administer
ing restoratives or in endeavoring to
increase the action of the heart. In
this extraordinary dilemma they were
forced to content themselves by adj
vising the parents not to attempt the
burial of the child at present. Last
evening a Herald representative call
ed at the house of mourning and
was invited into the humble abode of
the child's parents, who occupy the
upper floor of a small two story
frame building Oh Riverdale avenue.
Neither the father nor mother OF the
ambiguous corpse was at home, the
former, as the writer was told by
some Of those present, having gone
to the village on some little errand,
while the poor mother, who is almost
worn out by constant watching day
and night for nearly week past in
the hope of witnessing the dawn of
returning consciousness in her child,
had been prevailed upon to 60 and
seek sleep in the house of kind
friend. In neat coffin, resting on a
couple of lightly constructed trestles
such as are commonly used by NOR
turary men, lay the little girl, with a
childishly placid and singularly sweet
expression of features, the tringed
eyelids resting lightly on the sight
less orbs, the lips slightly parted, and
the little hands folded over the intan-
tile bosom, as though their owner
was wrapped in a profound, peaceful
slumber. Artificial flowers were
strewn on the coffin lid, while an ap-
propriate wreath Of the same homely
materials adorned the brow of the
occupant. The body is still soft, and
the hands were found to be as yield
ing and supple as those of an infant
in the enjoyment of good health.
Although the child will tonight have
remained in an apparent inanlmate
state for six days and nights, strange
to state no indication of approaching
decomposition or change Of any other
character can be detected, the corpse,
if such it is, remaining as fresh as
though death had only just occurred.
A number of doctors from various
sections Of the country called to see
the child yesterday, one of them
puncturing the little ones side with
a lance, but falling to draw blood.
They all, however, agree that it
would be highly improper to bury
the child at present, a conclusion IN
which the poor parents eagerly com
cided. 1t is understood that little
Bertha, when two years old. narrowly
escaped being buried alive, she having
remained in similar state of appar-
ent suspended animation for nine
consecutive weeks.