BRINGING A ‘CORPSE’ TO LIFE.

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 478, 7 June 1890, Page 6

BRINGING A ‘CORPSE’ TO LIFE.

An ingenious female, living in the Boulevard de Roche chouart (says the Paris correspondent of the ‘ Daily Telegraph ’), lately failed in business, and a writ was issued for the sale of her elTects. On Saturday an officer of the Court, or hulssier, went with a police inspector to the woman’s abode, in order to seize her goods, but he rang the bell of her door in vain. As the key of the dwelling, however, wasjin its place, the inspector turned it and the pair then entered the rooms of the debtor, in one of which a strange and sombre scene was presented to their startling sight. On a bed in the centre of the room was tho apparently dead body' of the female fraud, laid out in all tho trappings of woe, and ready for the French equivalent of a ‘ wake.’ Around the presumed corpse were ranged six tall candlesticks, with lighted tapers therein. The huissier, deeming that he had to deal with a genuine dead body, instantly prepared to withdraw with his writ, but the police inspector, more inquisitive and suspicious than the processserver, went over to the bed, and, attracted by theextraordinaryplumpnessoftboarmsof the corpse, pinched them with considerable vehemence. There was an instantaneous bringing of the dead to life. The corpse chalked carefully as to its face —sat up in its shroud, spoke words to the effect that the trick had failed, and confessed all. The candles were quickly snuffed out, the mourning drapery pulled down, and the process-server proceeded speedily to confiscate everything appertaining either to life or death in the domicile of the deceitful female debtor.