John Sandy Covington Reports That He Is Not Dead, 1922

From the Rockingham Post-Dispatch, Richmond County, September 7, 1922

No, Mr. John Sandy Covington is not dead. He himself says he is not. But the report became circulated in town last Monday that he had kicked the bucket, and the undertaker actually got a couple of miles on the way to laying him out. No, John Sandy says he is very much alive, though he is really sorry to have disappointed those who had so freely expressed regrets over his supposed death. In fact, he received for a brief time Monday more words of praise than had come to him during all his 60-odd years on this mundane sphere.

It came about this way. On last Thursday his wife with three daughters and four sons left their home in Wolf Pit for the mountains, going in two cars. On Saturday he felt indisposed, probably bilious, and took some medicine; the slight fever attending biliousness doubtless went to his head and caused him to talk rather disconnectedly. At any rate, he wasn’t really sick, though he spent part of Sunday in bed and part of Monday. Towards noon Monday some one coming to town casually made the remark that Mr. Covington was sick. This spread through several second-hand channels, until finally the report became so magnified that it made Mr. Covington to appear as dead. His family came back from their trip Monday afternoon and stopped at a gasoline station near the depot for water and gas. While at the curb some one came out and informed Mrs. Covington that they had just heard that her husband was dead. This naturally threw the family into confusion worse confounded, and they hurriedly started on towards home.

Fortunately, E.B. Liles had heard the report and a few minutes later had seen a man from the Covington neighborhood who told him it was not true; he had seen Mrs. Covington pass the store in her car. It occurred to him that some one might have told her of the false report, so he put a driver in his car and sent him to overtake the Covingtons and reassure them. They were caught up with about a mile from town. Not only that, but W. Cole Nichols heard of the death and wishing to be of assistance, secured the undertaker and with him started down to the farm to render the necessary aid; however, they met Mr. McCroskey about two miles from town, and stopping, learned that Mr. Covington not only was not dead but was very much alive.

When Mrs. Covington reached the farm, she found John Sandy at the Wall club house, fairly well, and sitting on the side of the bed cracking jokes. The next morning she took him home. No, his death was very much exaggerated.