MOURNERS FLEE IN TERROR

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 80, Issue 133, 7 June 1937, Page 8

MOURNERS FLEE IN TERROR

MAN “RISES FROM DEAD.” PIETERSBURG, April 26. A man came to life yesterday morning after having been a “corpse” for 18 hours. In coming back to life he almost frightened the life out of the large assembly of mourners who had gathered to bury him and they scattered in all directions. Some of them have not gone back to the kraal yet. The story concerns a native, William Mkonto, who lives about 10 miles from Pietersburg. He is an elderly man and has been ill for some time. William “died” about five o’clock on Saturday afternoon and, according to members of his family, his heart stopped beating altogether and they had not the slightest doubt that he was dead. Weeping and mourning began. Members of the family not present were -informed and arrangements made for the funeral on Sunday morning. At noon yesterday, when William had been “dead lor 18 hours, the arrangements were completed and the mourners all gathered outside the hut to move off for the funeral procession. Then something happened that sent a chill of fear through the assembled mourners. A noise was heard in th*hut where the dead man lay alonp wrapped in skins in which he was tn be buried. Then William was heard to rise and he appeared at the door. There was yelling and screaming about witchcraft, and the whole party of mourners broke up in confusion and scattered into the veld. The district surgeon, Dr. Van der Lith, has gone out to the kraal to see what can be done for William, who must have been in a state of coma during the 18 hours he was believed to be dead. If he had “died earlier” on Saturday he would, according to native custom, have been buried that same afternoon, and only the fact that he “died” so late on Saturday evening saved him from a premature burial.