The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1867-03-06
Erlgntful Death Of z Drrnkard

The indianapolis journal of Saturday week saws:
" e are indebted to DR.. N. L. WLitcsille dentist Of
TINS city Tor the particulars Of most singular and
appalling catastrophe that occurred yesterday morning
IN the town Of Columbus about forty miles sonth Of
this city, on tue Madison railroad
About clock, the attention of some citizens On
tile street was attracted to LIQUOR shop of Gar1on
by the name of Andrew Note by a sigl,t sn,ol,, is
SUNG from It, lie had long been known to be a very
incorporate man, and recently it was supposed in
consequence OF bis wife leaving him. and aDpIvnr Tar
divorce on account of his confirmed dr,InEenIes,
more constantly and beastly drunk than usual. On
entering, they found him lying dead behind the coun-
ter, upon board which used to keep his feet off
the wet floor, with his head near a whisky barr,I
lis clothes were still burning. Ills lips had been en-
tIreiy burned away, leaving CHASTITY hole in v.lr1
MS tongue was seen burned to crisp as was the in
sac OF MS mouth and his throat His nose also was
burned as II by fire coming out of the D0sris Tho
remainder Of the body was scorcled where the bnrnir
clothes had touched but showed no other nGjr,tioG
OF IRE. The hands drawn up to the month a, =
TO close 1t, or shut off some dreaded thing from it
mere was no tire IN the room that Dr. Whitesit could
see, and certainly near the horrible cor1so 4
revolver was found besidcit but all the CHARGES nra
IN IT. and no marks of injuries, except from the fir,
were discovered that the death could not have hoo
caused by Suicide But if had BEEN the iDs burned
ehTe'? oil, and the crsped tongue, throat and nose
"oo'a my 1ee' sun more lnexlc'b1" the fire
was ha'llest'y OF very recent occUrccr Tie clothes
SUN ourhnS-alld 1t could not have been 2T,n}ial ac
ter death by some other person without Diet, elton or
some mark Or other that aoul Indicate where tIn
IRE came from and how it WIS used But if it could
have been thus applied it is impossible 10 believe that
1t was, Tor there could be DO motive to burn dead
man, especially about tie mouth and nose TH..saue
iact OF the singular character and iorli:y Of tie burn
ing involving only the air passages precu4c5 all idea
OF a death by violence.
No murderer or lobbcr would try to kill man by
scttrg him Oh fire. Or il lie should he would not and
could not, pat FIRE to bis mouth and nose only No
HYPOTHESIS OF murder seems to be enlbIc and that OF
suicide IS even more absurd We must therefore con-
cude that the death was caused by spoat49cous cam
bustion, or by the burning of irlaat!e gases oana
E rat III the y-rottcd corgas, an" escaping by
the lungs and air passages. This n.i.c have been
caused byan attempt light cigar y isA match or
other flame. ''' VI
There are several authenticated cases Of sponaue
D1S com3uStIon on record, cur physicians know:
orHeh% has cited few in Justification of the incident
""'eh 1oF"'s SO triShiua Of bis " Bleak To,,s2
3:S W qne>'o1 It more clearly marked case than
''s at Columbus has ever occurred We may add t
a' ne I'"d on soldiers House, flannel undcr-shirt
md " cotton ovcrstrt, and that lis hair was not a
)urned. " &