CASE OF SUSPENDED ANIMATION.

Southland Times, Issue 998, 5 August 1868, Page 3

CASE OF SUSPENDED ANIMATION.

(From the " Cleveland (Ohio) Plain Dealer," May 30.) On Lorain street, above Jersey, there resides with her step-father, a young lady, Miss Ellen K. White, who is probably between 17. and 18 years of age, very prepossesaing in her manner, and very finely educated. About six weeks ago she was taken dangerously ill with what the family physicians pronounced, typhoid fever, and for some days she was so low that all hopes of her recovery were given up. She rallied, however, and under careful nursing and skilful treatment, she was in the fair way to recover, when about two weeks ago she had a relapse, and sank . rapidly, until the breath seemed to leave her body and she was prepared for the grave, and preparations were made by her bereaved parents and friends for the funeral ; when her mother, who could not be made to realise the fact that her only daughter was dead to her for ever, noticed that though the limbs of her daughter were rigid, yet the body retained its warmth. Physicians were called, but they decided that she was dead,' and every attempt to resuscitate her failing, it was determined last Sunday to consign her to the grave, and a coffin was procured. On Saturday, while one of the neighbors and the mother were standing by the side of the supposed corpse, the door, which had been left open, shut with a loud noise, which had the effect of so acting upon the girl as to bring her to, and set her life blood in motion. She sprang up in bed, and ; throwing' her arms' around her mother's neck, wept tears of joy over ber escape from the horrid death of being buried alive. Our, reporter yesterday visited the house, and was granted an interview with the young lady. Miss White said that when she felt herself sinking, she had no fear of death, but turned upon her side, and as she did so all pain disappeared, and she sank to sleep as peacefully as a child. She lay, she thinks, unconscious for an hour or more; for when she came to herself, though she could not move or speak, she found that she was laid out ready for burial. She could see her mother by her side, and all those who came to see her ; could hear them talk and understood all they ssid. - She tried to speak to them, but her tongue refused to do its office ; she tried to move, but could not; and there she lay, blessing her mother for her refusal to allow her to be buried. Upon two occasions, when her mother was alone in the room with her, it seemed as though she left the body, and, standing by the side of her body, could look down upon it as she could upon her mother. She said she was unable to describe the feelings that she experienced upon those occasions. When not tortured with the fear of being buried alive, she was perfectly at rest, perfectly happy, and when the door slammed, which brought her to, it seemed as though she was, to use her own words, " compelled to commence a hard day's work."