I read a short horror story in an anthology when I was in sixth grade
about a man who wakes up in a casket in a vault, breaks out of the
vault and wanders around town dressed in a suit with no
identification. No one believes that he is alive, and eventually he
gets discouraged and goes back to the vault and climbs back into the
coffin. Can anyone tell me the title and author of this story? I
believe it is set in the Victorian era, but I could be wrong.

One way to get the answer would be to ask in the newsgroup rec.arts.horror.written

You can reach it via Google groups and the link
http://groups.google.com/groups?hl=sv&lr=&ie=UTF-8&group=rec.arts.horror.written

I, too, rememember this short story.

This is very vague, but I believe the story was written by either
Robert Bloch or Richard Matheson. A perusal of short story collections
by these writers may be worthwhile to you.

Hi Jay.

While I have found a Robert Bloch that has many similarities to your
description, I'm also sure it is is not the one you're after as it has
no casket, no vault and identification is not an issue. It's also not
set in Victorian times.

However, should it be of interest as a side issue, it is Robert
Bloch's 'A Case of the Stubborns', which can be found in 'Such Stuff
as Screams are Made Of'. It starts with the classic line, 'The morning
after he died, Grandpa come downstairs for breakfast.'

Grandpa is dead but is too stubborn to believe it. The doctor can't
persuade him and the priest can't persuade him, even though his limbs
are going stiff, he's turning blue and the flies are flocking around.
Eventually a local conjure woman tells the family how to convince him
and it works. Grandpa goes back upstairs, lies down and is no more.

Thanks for bringing this one back, if you pardon the expression.

Poe