The Story of Octavia Hatcher

Tweet

In 1889 Octavia lost her only child in infancy. She fell into a deep depression and she was bedridden for several months. Then she began to show signs of a mysterious illness. After a time she went into a coma-like state. She was pronounced dead in May of 1891. She was buried quickly because it was unusually hot. Others in the town began to fall into this same coma-like state. A sleep-like state with shallow breathing. But, they did awaken a few days later. They discovered it was an illness caused by a tets fly. James, Octavia's husband, feared she may have been buried alive. He had her grave exhumed. He was right. She had awakened. The coffin was airtight. He found that the coffin lining had been shredded and her fingernails were bloody. Her face was frozen in a contorted expression of terror. He reburied her and erected a life-like monument of her that was set in the cemetery where she rests. Back in the 18th and 19th centuries, a doctor was not needed to declare a person dead. With all the diseases during this period, many were buried quickly. At one point a coffin was built that had a rope inside which led above ground to a bell. This could alert anyone passing by that the entombed wasn't dead.