Henry County Genealogical Services home page. Henry County Indiana township history. Genealogy resources on the internet. HCGS midi section. Henry County Indiana Pioneer Photo Album. Henry County Indiana Cemetery Commision Henry County Indiana Pauper's Asylum history. Henry County Indiana family links. HCGS recent updates. Email HCGS Henry County Indiana public records. Henry County Indiana Military History. Henry County Indiana cemetery information. Historic churches in Henry County Indiana. Historic buildings in Henry County Indiana. Black history in Henry County Indiana.
Henry County Genealogical Services

Man Buried Alive In City Cemetery Workmen Disclose

New Castle Times 1928

Evidence of Struggle by Captive in Earthly Prison Found When Casket is Unearthed

   That a man was buried alive in a local cemetery is the weird and gruesome story told by a city employee here. This man who made the startling disclosure of a man believed dead, but still alive, has witnesses who saw evidence of the fact, while working in the old North 14th street cemetery, some time ago. The horrible affair occurred about the year of 1865, according to available records.
   When the city employees were engaged in he work of removing some of the bodies, so that the drain from the wading pool could be built, they came to a casket badly decomposed, that attracted their attention because of its unusual length.
   As they started to prepare it for removal to another resting place, they opened its shattered lid, and found to their horror that the skeleton was laying almost face down. People are never so buried--- not even back in 1865 and this set the men to thinking.
   Further investigation showed that the man had apparently turned over to brace himself on his shoulders, apparently in an effort to lift the lid of the coffin. His skeleton was in such a position as to indicate that he had been in great strain and strengthened the belief that he had been buried alive and had apparently tried to release himself from this horrible prison.
   The officials on looking up the records, found that the man whose name is withheld, for obvious reasons, had died during the yellow fever epidemic about the year 1865. Further investigation shows that none of his relatives or descendents is now living.
   The story told by one who requested that his name not be used, was substantiated by several others, including the workmen engaged in digging the ditch.
   The remains of the body were carefully removed to another burial place and nothing was ever said of the event for fear of unwanted publicity over the spread of yellow fever.
   See: http://www.hcgs.net/14th.html


2007 UEB

www.hcgs.net

Black History | Buildings | Cemeteries | Cemetery Commission | Old Churches | County Home | Email HCGS
Families | Music | Military | Pioneer Photos | Public Records | Resources | Townships | Updates