Year: 1867

We have before US private letter detail
ing events that recently occurred III south


western Ohio town, that gives peculiar force
to the old adage that " truth is stranger than


fiction" We can give the main particulars
of the letter without violating confidence or
giving disagreeable prominence to the chief
actor in the strange incident, or his friends


Mr.. Delos W. is wealthy and influential
man, residing near the village of P. On


Thursday preceding the prize fight between
Gallagher and Davis the old gentleman was
thrnwn into a high state of excitement at


learning that his only son John had gone to
Cleveland with the avOwed purpose of attend


ing the fight, and his excitement was inten


sitied at still further discovering that John


had helped himself to his THE fathers


pocket book, containing two hundred dollars


Mr.. W. fumed and fretted over the conduct of


his son, and went to bed on Thursday night


with a raging headache and marked symp-
toms of fever. lie was about the place in
more composed state of mind on Friday, hut
the interview with John on Monday after


noon, Immediately after the sons return
threw the old gentleman into a paroxysm of
rage and grief, which was rendered doublv
severe by Johns insolencp, and his acknnwl
edgment that he had lost $3.50 of the money
in a bet on Gallagher. Mr. W's frenzed
feelings finally got the better of him, and he
telled his son to the floor with a blow Of his
fist, and Immediately threater fell down
himself in a senseess condition. Great ex
element in the family ensued. The mother
ran. screaming. for assistance, which was
soon forthcoming in the persons of several of
the neighhOrs Mr.. W. was found in an
apparently lifeless condition, with blood
flowing from his mouth and nose A subse.
quent examination by physician led to the
announ ement by him that Mr. W. had died
from the bursting of blood vessel. So evi.
IDENTIFY had the vital spark fled that no efforts
at resuScitauon were made, and the IRE
mains" were prepared for burial as promptly
as it was possible.


The funeral of the " deceased took place
the following Wednesday. Mr.. W.'s body
had only been con6Led the previous day, up
to which time it had lain draped in its
shroud in the parlor. Notwithstanding the
wonderful life-look of the skin, and the col n
of the face, it occurred to no one to suggest
postponement of the burial till death was
absolutely certain. The funeral was very
largely attended, and every body remarked
the life like appearance of the deceased


The remains" were temporarily placed
in one of the vaults of the cemetery, owing
to the fact that brick tomb, commenced for
their reception, had not been completed


At 10 o'clock, on Thursday night, the vii
lage was thrown into great excitement by the
report that ghost had been seen in the Gem
etery a short time before. and that the old
lady who had seen it had been frightened
into a fit, from which it was doubtful wheth
er she would recover. Thinking that prob
ably the ghost was persOnated by some
scoundrel, who had played the same trick
several times before, number of persons
armed themselves with shOtguns, proceeded
to the cemetery. and commenced a cautious
spection-their hearts keeping up an anx-
iOus humping in their bosoms, in spite of
their assumed bra radO.


They had not long to wait. for there, fit.
ting among the tombs was a white object
plainly to be seen. With trembling hands
the guns were fired, when-strange fact for
q ghost-they saw the white creature fall
between a couple of graves Plucking up
courage, they cautiously approached the
object and turned dark lantern upon it.
Their feelings can be better imagined than
described, when they found that the ghost
was the lately deceased Mr.. Delos w. i
Whilst portion of the party picked up the
bleeding and senseless bOdvof the old gentle
man and started homeward with it, the
remainder hastened to the vault. There
they found Mr.. W. IS coffin broken open. and
lying upon the floor, and the coffin of
deceased lady, that had been placed upon it,
likewise thrown down from the shelf, and
standing on end, partially broken, displaying
its CHASTITY inmate. The vault door, which
was rather weak affair, had been forced
open by the resurrected w.


The party then went to Mr.. W.'s house.
where they found that his wounds were not
and tt at he had recovered his senses.
His story was briefly told. He had been
carried to the cemetery in trance. Early
on Thursday evening consciousness returned
to him, and the hOrrid truth flashed upon his
mind that he was cOfined alive. This lent
additional strength to his struggles TO get
free, and he finally succeeded in bursting the
coffin.


Mr.. W. is now fast recovering. and seems
good Tor long lease of life yet Cleceland
PdiRdedler.