DEAD OR ALIVE? AN EXTRAORDINARY OCCURRENCE.

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 297, 8 September 1888, Page 6

DEAD OR ALIVE?

AN EXTRAORDINARY OCCURRENCE.

New Plymouth, Sept. 4. Ax extraordinary occurrence is reported in connection with the body of Captain Bailey, who was drowned at Wellington Heads on Thursday last. The body reached Wai. tara by train from Wellington last evenin c at five o'clock, and was taken to deceased's residence. Father Cassidy, Mr Dickey, schoolmaster, and some othoib wore present on its arrival, and it wa<* decided to open the coffin, which van enclosed in a hermetically-sealed case. When the outer case was opened, Mi Dickey looked through the glas-< in the cofnn lid, and uttered an exclamation oi horror. Father Cassidy also looked, and he states that he saw the eyes of the deceased open and shut several times. Mr Dickey also declares that he saw the eyes open and shut. The coffin was at once opened, the body was taken out, and an attempt made to re-animate the corpse by every means. Meantime, Dr. Blunden was sent for, but being away from home, Ins aid could not bo proem ed for several )toui> later. The means for resuscitation were kept up for over an hour, but without success, and when Dr. Blunden arrived he pronounced life to be extinct, although lie admitted that the body had an unusually life-like appearance, especially consideiing that deceased had been drowned rive days pieviously. Deceased was buried this afternoon at Waitara -with Mavonic honours.