AN ANIMATED CORPSE.

Temuka Leader, Issue 272, 22 July 1880, Page 2

AN ANIMATED CORPSE.

The following account of an’extraordinary circumstance, which is from-an; Americn paper, reminds us foiciby of Edgar Allen Poe'a cleverly written tale, “Thou art the Man!”:—“ Dead men tell no tales,” but they sometimes frightthe people out of their paragraphic wits and humours. Some days ago -Mr s A.. M'Clood,. of Faulkner country, died of rheumatism of. the stomach.. He was very highly respected ,in his vicinity,, and when-it became known that his soul had gone frem. a body that had been of such a use to rgricultural society, a gloomy shadow, that the sun- could not lift- seemed to hang over the new ..grown fields. The .men left their grubbinghoes sticking in the ground, and went, to the scene of sorrow, an .I the woim n, leaving half-cooked meals in charge of their childicn,accompanied them. A largeparty volunteered to sit up with the corpse, and when night came many sad faces of many sad women and men were tu seen, sallowed by the melowing light of tallow candles. The minister came, and entering the door, remarked, “ earth to, earth and ashes to ashes.” The corpse lay on a table cevefed with a sheet. He has gone over to the road we must all: travel,” said the minister! “I thought T saw the sheet move,” 1 ■said one of the watchers. “ See if there is a cat under it.”

The company sat still. “ I am (onfident that the sheetmoved,” said the man.

The minister arose and lifted the sheet - and standing he looked at the face of the dead man. The corpse’s head leit. ' the table. The 'minister fell back.. Stiff, star';’ and terrible the corpse slowly arose from the table and attained a sitting pcsturc. The legs remained ; out, and the annos remained folded. The women shrieked and ran from the - rooE), and the minister reprimanding them for their weakness and want of confidence, climbed a fence and stood in a turnip patch- When the frightened people saw that the corpse did not intend to follow they went back into the . house. The corpse still retained the upright, rigid posture, stiff as the attitude struck by an amateur, of the* stage.

With fears somewhtt allayed the minister advanced and placing a-'' hand on the dead man’s breast, pressed him backward. Proportionately as his heead went down his heels went , up, and whlsr his head touched the boards his heesu went high in the air. The cause of the dead man’s freak was then discovered. The muscles, of the stomach, distorted by' rheumatism, were contracting. It required the efforts of t " - i . jhten the corpse. A gentleman who was declares that he never betoro passed

a fearful night, and with Clarence a “,I would not pass another such a ny t shougb twere to buy a world of ha

days ; so full of dismal terror was

time.”