[ London Times ]
This newspaper, most correctly known simply as The Times, began publication in 1785 and continues to this day.
The October 7, 1825 edition of The Times carried the following story involving a disobedient young man, a corpse, a funeral, an astonishing surprise — and, of course, a Newfoundland:
THE DEAD ALIVE
A case appeared in the papers last week, when a gentleman, named White, made an affidavit at one of the police-offices, that a youth, who was supposed by his friends to have been drowned in the river Thames a few days before, and the body identified by them and interred, was alive at present, and well. If this case had not been so clearly authenticated by affidavit, it might be supposed, with some colour of truth, that the story was borrowed from the following very similar case, which occured some time ago in the family of a respectable jeweller, now residing in the Strand: — The tradesman we allude to had a nephew, a fine youth, 18 years of age, an apprentice, who was in the habit of going our early every Sunday morning, in summer, without leave, to bathe in the Thames, and of taking with him, as his companion, a large Newfoundland dog, belonging to the family. His uncle frequently remonstrated with him against this practice, particularly as it led him to neglect his Sabbath duties, as he never returned till after church-time, and at length he promised not to offend in this manner again. On the following Sunday after the promise, he was sure to get ready his Sunday dress, to proceed with the family to church; but when they were about to depart he was missing, as usual, and his Sunday clothes found in his room. . . . and the Newfoundland dog, his constant companion on those occasions, was also missing. The youth, however, did not return home at the usual hour that he was accustomed to do, and the day passed away without any tidings of him. At night, however, the Newfoundland dog returned, seemingly in a very restless and uneasy mood, but there was no account of the youth himself.
After posting notices along the river and paying for a (fruitless) search of the river where the young man usually swam, the family was notified, two weeks later, of the discovery of a body perfectly matching the missing young man, even including a finger deformity and a recent foot injury. The body was buried and the uncle notified his nephew's family, living in Aberdeen, Scotland, of their son's death. Then this happened:
On the very first day, however, that his relatives at Aberdeen put on their sable garments for the occasion, what was their astonishment and delight, to see the supposed drowned youth walk in amongst them in good health and spirits. An "eclaircissement," of course, immediately took place, by which it appeared that the youth, having violated his promise to his uncle not to go to bathe on the Sunday morning, was afraid to return, and having with great difficulty stole away from the Newfoundland dog, he set out on foot for Aberdeen, without a shilling in his pocket. . . .
Passing through a seaport town, the young man meets a ship's captain who, knowing the young man's parents, took the young man the rest of the way to Aberdeen. Who the uncle paid to have buried was never determined.