DEATH AFTER 17 HOURS’ BURIAL.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XL, Issue 1773, 8 January 1918, Page 1

DEATH AFTER 17 HOURS’ BURIAL.

HYPNOTIST PROFESSO It'S TALE.

An astonishing story of a young compositor who was hypnotised and practically buried alive by a selfstyled professor is disclosed in Hie latest 'West Indian newspapers.

“Professor" Albert Seaton was recently arrested at Bridgetown, Island of Barbardos, on a charge preferred by Lance-Corporal W. C. Wharton, of “unlawfully and feloniously killing and slaying” Randolph Soden, aged 20, compositor, in Queen’s Park, Bridgetown, on September IGth.

It appears (bat, the professor, who is a native of Trinidad, and has for some years been touring the West Indies giving displays as a hypnotist and illusionist, announced with the usual fanfare that he would hypnotise and bury a woman in a grave live feet dee]) in Queen’s Park, bringing her back to life after an interval of three days. At the last moment, however, the woman begged to be excused, and Sedan, a coloured man, volunteered to take her place. A crowd of 300 spectators was admitted at (id a head to witness the new twentieth century “miracle." THE BURIAL. Sedan, according to the evidence, at the inquest, mounted and sat on a, canvas-covered table when the. burial moment arrived, removed a portion of bis clothing and donned a sleeping-suit handed to him by the professor, who, in turn, attired him--self in a red-flowered ceremonial robe. The professor then proceeded to make the familiar “passes” with his hands over Soden’s face and forehead, the young man’s eyes slowly closing and his body gradually becoming rigid under the treatment.

Sedan’s body was now placed in the coffin, which had a glass panel in the lid at the head, and the coffin was lowered and covered with earth, a wooden shaft or periscope running from above the glass panel to three feet above the ground. The spectators were thus able to see the neck and shoulders of the hypnotised man.

The next day was Sunday, and as the authorities refused to permit the professor to charge admission on that day, he decided to disinter Sudan after 17 hours’ burial; when it

was quickly seen that the youth’s condition was hopeless. Dr. T. G. Williams, senior resident physician at the General Hospital, and other doctors, testified at the inquest that the disinterred man was pulseless and roasting hot, his nails and lips were purple, a. vein in his arm refused to bleed when opened, and particles of sand were lodged in his eye. Various drugs wore vainly injected in an effort to save his life. He died two hours after entering the hospital without recovering consciousness. HOW AIR WAS OBTAINED. Mr IT. W. Reece, K.C., the Solici-tor-General, appeared on behalf of the police at the inquest. Further evidence showed that the sliding glass covering on the lid at the head of the coffin could he left partially opened, the professor apparently relying on this camouflage to permit the patient to obtain air, but at the same time to deceive spectators, to whom the arrangement was invisible. The medical evidence, none the less, showed that Sudan's death was due to asphyxiation caused by imperfect ventilation, although the jury brought in a verdict of “Death due to misadventure." Seaton left the court amid loud cheers (Tom a large crowd.