SUPPOSED CASE OF TRANCE NEAR AUCKLAND.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume VI, Issue 835, 15 July 1879, Page 2

SUPPOSED CASE OF TRANCE NEAR AUCKLAND.

During the past day or two, our telegrams from Auckland have informed us of a supposed case of trance occuring at Pokeno. It will be seen by our 'messages to-day that; the body has "bfeeil Q buried, a medical gentleman testifying r that there was no possibility of the body being m a trance. ' ' We give ttieTpWticulars which led to the supposition : The body looks even more natiiral than' ever and unless deolded symptoms of . "■"'• decomposition appear, the funeral fixed for to-morrow will nob take place. The ' corpse has been" laid out, atid last night several members of the family; and. a number of neighbours sat up with it. At a quarter to 12 o'clock to*day (when our informant left) the limbs wefe quite - supple, and the eyes full , and round, while the face was of a healthy ruddy colour, such as nearoontiguity to a fire would produse. The body, however, is cold bereft of motion or pulsation. Mrs. Austin is inclined to belieeve her husi : • band is dead, but she tenaciously holds to the hope that life may still be m the trunk. Acting upon/ this - idea |the body has been covered with ■■' ; blankets, and a constant watch is kept upon it. Singularly enough, no medical man has been sent for, and consequently none has arrived. The death took place on Monday last, and on Tuesday Dr. Dalzell, of Pukekohe, gave a certificate as to the cause. It does not even appear that anyone has adopted the ordinary means of ascertaining whether life exists, namely, the. application of a mirror to the face. There seems, , however, from the statements made no : reasonable ground for doubting that the man has been dead since Monday. We understand that the deceased man was possessed of a strange presentiment that his end would be very; sudden and short. He enjoined his wife to bleed him immediately that death appeared to be approaching. This last commission has not been carried out possibly m consequence of the antipathy which many people have of touching the body of a deceased person. The latest information that has come to hand is that the body of Mr. Austen is not buried , yet. The funeral takes place to-morroW at two o'clock. No doctor has been at Pokeno since the inquest. The body still lies, m the coffin. The cheeks have assumed a redder tinge, the joints are still supple, and deceased looks as well ~ as ever he did. There io no , smell m the room nor no sign of decomposition set m. :; '