WEBVTT - A Grave Escape?

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<v Speaker 1>This is our American Stories, and today we bring you

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<v Speaker 1>the story of Tom Ryan. And Tom is a ninety

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<v Speaker 1>five year old listener of our show in Los Angeles.

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<v Speaker 1>Tom had an unusual upbringing. He grew up on Long Isle,

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<v Speaker 1>New York, living behind a funeral parlor run by his family.

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<v Speaker 1>Here's Tom.

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<v Speaker 2>I was there on Saturday morning when the sheriff arrived

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<v Speaker 2>to talk to Grandma. It was the day after the

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<v Speaker 2>big snowstorm. My folks were away and I had stayed

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<v Speaker 2>with Grandma overnight. At age ten, I was too young

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<v Speaker 2>to stay home alone, but staying at Grandma's was not

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<v Speaker 2>too cool either, because you see, she ran a funeral home.

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<v Speaker 2>Sometimes there were dead bodies only a few steps from

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<v Speaker 2>the living room at the back of the house where

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<v Speaker 2>we watched TV. It was hard to get too relaxed

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<v Speaker 2>when I looked over at the dark doorway leading to

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<v Speaker 2>the bodies. That Friday night, there was a very old

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<v Speaker 2>lady being waked in one of the chapels, Missus Jackson,

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<v Speaker 2>a friend of Grandma's who had died of cancer. The

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<v Speaker 2>sheriff sat at the kitchen table with his notebook in

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<v Speaker 2>front of him. He asked Grandma if anything unusual that

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<v Speaker 2>happened the last night because they were searching for an

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<v Speaker 2>escaped convict from a prison two towns away. He is

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<v Speaker 2>a murderer and very dangerous. The sheriff said they were

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<v Speaker 2>setting up roadblocks to try to catch him. Grandma didn't

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<v Speaker 2>answer directly, but said, we have a going out this morning,

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<v Speaker 2>old missus Jackson. We had to put her in a

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<v Speaker 2>closed casket because the cancer was so bad. Will the

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<v Speaker 2>herds and almos to be able to get to the cemetery?

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<v Speaker 2>Grandma asked yes. The sheriff replied, the road is open

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<v Speaker 2>to the cemetery. What about anything happening last night? Grandma

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<v Speaker 2>gave me a stern look that he couldn't see, and

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<v Speaker 2>told him nothing had happened. It was real quiet, she said.

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<v Speaker 2>I didn't say a word, but as soon as the

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<v Speaker 2>sheriff left, I asked her what was going on. It

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<v Speaker 2>wasn't like Grandma to lie. She just shook her head

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<v Speaker 2>and started to cry. I thought back about last night

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<v Speaker 2>and remembered that shortly before dark, Grandma kept walking out

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<v Speaker 2>the side window on the driveway every few minutes since

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<v Speaker 2>she was expecting a delivery of new casket. Suddenly there

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<v Speaker 2>were yellow headlights shining on the snow outside the window,

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<v Speaker 2>and a loud knocking came on the side door where

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<v Speaker 2>the caskets were brought in. Fred the driver, shouted, I

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<v Speaker 2>have to hurry before I get snowed in. He had

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<v Speaker 2>unloaded two caskets and started on another one. Wait, Grandma said,

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<v Speaker 2>I only ordered two, not three. I have to leave

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<v Speaker 2>this one too. Fred said, I'll never get to the

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<v Speaker 2>funeral home in the next town, and I don't want

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<v Speaker 2>to weight on my truck. Okay, Grandma said, if it

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<v Speaker 2>helps you out. After he was gone, Grandma closed up tight.

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<v Speaker 2>My folks were supposed to call to see how things were,

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<v Speaker 2>but the phone wasn't working. The TV weather man said

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<v Speaker 2>the lines were down all over and roads were closed,

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<v Speaker 2>so we were all by ourselves. After a while, I stopped.

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<v Speaker 2>I had to fall asleep, and Grandma helped me upstairs

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<v Speaker 2>and put me into a soft feather bed. She left

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<v Speaker 2>the door open a little so some light came in.

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<v Speaker 2>I remember that I fell asleep, but woke up later

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<v Speaker 2>when I thought I heard voices downstairs. I had started

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<v Speaker 2>to get out of bed, but it was so cold

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<v Speaker 2>I crawled back in the Next morning, I asked Grandma

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<v Speaker 2>about it, but she said I must have dreamed it.

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<v Speaker 2>Later in the morning, the men who worked for Grandma

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<v Speaker 2>came in and then loaded the casket into the hearse.

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<v Speaker 2>When my folks came to pick me up, I saw

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<v Speaker 2>Grandma holding onto my father's arm and talking to him.

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<v Speaker 2>I heard her say, I need your help. She took

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<v Speaker 2>him into the office and closed the door. I thought

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<v Speaker 2>I heard her crying. It was five years later when

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<v Speaker 2>Grandma died and my folks told me the real story

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<v Speaker 2>of what had happened that Friday night. It seemed that

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<v Speaker 2>the voices I thought I had heard with those of

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<v Speaker 2>Grandma and the escaped convict. The caskets that were delivered

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<v Speaker 2>that night were made by prison labor, and the convict

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<v Speaker 2>with the nickname of Rabbit had hidden in one of

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<v Speaker 2>those empty caskets. When the delivery man had left, Rabbit

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<v Speaker 2>had opened the inside latch and let himself out of

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<v Speaker 2>the casket. He didn't know, however, that Grandma had fallen

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<v Speaker 2>asleep in her big chair in the living room, and

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<v Speaker 2>she woke up, startled and scared to see him standing

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<v Speaker 2>near the fireplace holding a large knife he had taken

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<v Speaker 2>from the embalming room, threatening how to silence by holding

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<v Speaker 2>the knife under her throat. He asked for car keys

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<v Speaker 2>and money, but Grandma didn't have a car and didn't drive.

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<v Speaker 2>When he realized that the storm had blocked the roads

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<v Speaker 2>and there was no phone service, he asked Grandma when

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<v Speaker 2>someone was coming with a car. She told him that

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<v Speaker 2>there was one funeral schedule for the next morning if

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<v Speaker 2>the roads were open and men coming with a hearse

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<v Speaker 2>and limiting. When he saw some of my things on

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<v Speaker 2>the couch and found out that I was upstairs, Grandma

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<v Speaker 2>pleaded with him to let me sleep. She would help

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<v Speaker 2>him get in the casket with missus Jackson and be

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<v Speaker 2>taken away in the hearst next morning to the cemetery.

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<v Speaker 2>He could then sneak out of the casket when it

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<v Speaker 2>was left in the cemetery storeroom for a few minutes

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<v Speaker 2>until the family arrived. Rabbit didn't like to hear deer

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<v Speaker 2>at all, especially getting into the coffin with a dead lady.

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<v Speaker 2>He decided that they had no other choice, but he

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<v Speaker 2>made it very clear to Grandma that if she was

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<v Speaker 2>fooling him and he was caught, he would escape again

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<v Speaker 2>and kill not only her but also all of her family.

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<v Speaker 2>Grandma was terrified by this evil man. There was arrangedent

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<v Speaker 2>early on Saturday morning, Rabbit would get into the casket

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<v Speaker 2>and then Grandma would close it and letch it shut.

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<v Speaker 2>He was very hesitant, especially when he saw and smelled

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<v Speaker 2>old Missus Jackson, but finally he climbed in, holding his

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<v Speaker 2>nose and threatening Grandma with a painful death if things

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<v Speaker 2>didn't work out. He also wanted Grandma to get him

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<v Speaker 2>some hot coffee in a thermos so they could drink

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<v Speaker 2>it when they got cold in the casket, and she

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<v Speaker 2>did so just before closing the lid. The plan did

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<v Speaker 2>work when the man came and took the casket away

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<v Speaker 2>and loaded it into the hearse Grandma hadn't said anything

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<v Speaker 2>about Rabbit being in the casket his private meeting with Grandma.

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<v Speaker 2>My Dad had immediately called the sheriff and arranged to

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<v Speaker 2>stop in and see him. The police still hadn't found Rabbit,

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<v Speaker 2>despite the roadbox and searches of the nearby forests. They

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<v Speaker 2>were mystified as to how he could have disappeared so completely.

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<v Speaker 2>Sheriff my Dad said, as you know, this man was

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<v Speaker 2>a murderer who would stop at nothing to escape. He

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<v Speaker 2>told the sheriff how rabbit had hidden in the casket

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<v Speaker 2>at the prison and had ended up in grandma's funeral home.

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<v Speaker 2>He also explained how rabbit had threatened Grandma and her family,

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<v Speaker 2>so she was forced to help him escape in missus

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<v Speaker 2>Jackson's casket. What said the sheriff, Why didn't she call

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<v Speaker 2>me as soon as he was in the casket? I

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<v Speaker 2>could have napped him right then and there. She was

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<v Speaker 2>too scared, sheriff. But my dad continued a little smile

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<v Speaker 2>playing around his lips and pride in his voice. She

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<v Speaker 2>was also smart enough to have slipped the large amount

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<v Speaker 2>of sleeping pills into the coffee she gave him the

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<v Speaker 2>drink in the casket. The sheriff thought for a moment

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<v Speaker 2>and said, wait, if rabbit drank that coffee, heck, he

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<v Speaker 2>might have been buried alive in the casket with missus Jackson.

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<v Speaker 2>The sheriff almost shouted as he got his phone out.

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<v Speaker 2>We'll have to dig up the casket immediately. If we

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<v Speaker 2>find him in the casket, I may have to take

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<v Speaker 2>Grandma into custody. She could be in a lot of trouble. Wait,

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<v Speaker 2>my dad said, wait a minute, sheriff, before you do anything. Wait, no, no,

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<v Speaker 2>we can't lose any more time. That man may still

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<v Speaker 2>be alive if there was enough air in the casket.

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<v Speaker 2>Maybe he is. The sheriff was now calling to his

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<v Speaker 2>assistance as he rose from his share, Get the car ready,

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<v Speaker 2>ready to roll, and call the corner. No, sheriff, please listen,

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<v Speaker 2>my father replied, quietly, Sit down a minute. You see

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<v Speaker 2>there is no casket. No casket. The sheriff look confused.

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<v Speaker 2>Of course there was a casket. They had the funeral

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<v Speaker 2>and it was buried this morning. No, my father replied, quietly.

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<v Speaker 2>You see, Sheriff, missus Jackson's last wishes would actually be cremated.

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<v Speaker 1>My goodness, it does not get better than that. Folks,

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<v Speaker 1>Tom Ryan's story, his grandma's story, My goodness, poor rabbit story.

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<v Speaker 1>Here on our American stories