Supposed to be Coffined Alive.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 5316, 5 September 1888, Page 2

Supposed to be Coffined Alive.

EXTRAORDINARY OCCURRENCE.

[I'KR PEESS ASSOCIATION.]

Nkw Plymouth, Last night. An extraordinary occurrence is reported in connection with the body of Capt. Bailey who was drowned at Wellington Heads on Thursday last. The body reached Waitara by train from "Wellington last evening at 5 p.m., and was taken to the deceased's residence. Father Cassidy, Mr Dickey, schoolmaster, and some others were present on its arrival, and it was decided to open the coffin which was enclosed in a hermetically sealed case. When the outer ease was opened Mr Dickey looked through the glass in the coffin lid and uttered an exclamation of horror. Fathor 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, and the body was taken out. Attempts wero made to reanimate the body by every possible means. Meantime Dr Blunden was sent for, but being away from home his aid could not be procured for '< several hours 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 he admitted that the body had an uuusually lifelike appearanoe, especially considering that the deceased had been drowned five days previously. The deceased was buried this afternoon at Waitara with Masonic ceremonial.