The Idaho world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1864-1918, 1869-05-06
IDAHO WORLD.
DEATH By SPONTANEOUS COMBUSTION.

The New Orleans Crescent gives the follow
ing account of the horrible death of youcg
Frenchman in that city. 1t says:
CASTOR Luylay, the unfortunate young man
whose singular illness and death we nave 70
chronicle, was a Frenchman by birth, ana was
horn in Nantes. France, of well-to-do parents,
his father being an extensive dealer In FRENCH
linens. =,
He received a fair education at the place OF
the schools of his nativity, and exhibited
GREAT disposition for mathematics and drawing,
in which branches and engineering he perfect
ed himself in two years travel in Europe, and
at the commencement of our war, about seven
wears ago. came to New York in the hope OF
obtaining position in the Federal army, and
promoting his requirements; but failing in this
ne came to New Orleans, and was for several
wears lucratively employed in drafting plans
for our principal auctioneers, and otherwise
exercising his industry He was good look
ing, blonde young fellow, very intelligent and
sober in his habits. with one exception, howev-
er /; his failing was wine, of which he drank ex
cessvely, although he was never known to use
any other liquor, or tobacco in any manner,
and never showed signs of intoxicatiOn. Luy
lay was known to have absorbed, In single
day, fourteen bottles of claret at his meals, no
account being kept of what he may have drank
ut other times.
About two years ago his passion for wine be
gan to tell on him mentally. until he disappeared
from the sphere of his former associates. AT
times he was heard of as a hanger-On at one
horse grocery store, at the corner of Bagatele
and Humanity streets, kept by a greasy and
portly member of the African race, named
Gros Louis, or Big Louis, who assisted Castor
the best he could, in recOmpense for the mental
services which he performed about the shop.
Luylay was reported in a wretched condition,
his appearance showed evident signs of blOat-
edness, and yet no account could be given of
the cause, inasmuch as his purse did not per-
NIT him to buy liquor, of which there was none
for sale at the grocery, and eros Louis, him
self never drinking wine at his table, could
much less afford to supply his protege with the
object of his fondness.
Besides. Luylay was never out of sight of
the grocery except to go to his room on White
street, opposite Union Square. On Wednes-
day of last week, however, Luylay, who had
been left in the shop, was detected by Nine.
Louis actually drinking from a five gallon can
which contained coal oil or kerosene, part of
the stock of the store. Expostulation result
ing, CASTOR left the store and was not heard
of until last Saturday, when he was reported
quite i'll, having, among other things lost the
sense of hearing to a considerable extent He
suffered greatly from interior pain of an acute
character. In company with our friend We
reached the residence of Luylay yesterday.
The building was one of those red painted
kitchens standing back few yards in a picket
inclosed lot and was apparently new.
His room, which was charltably placed 1T
L I 1 Vi .
IRENE, who rented the Kitchen was on the
second floor, and presented such an appearance
of poverty that it was heart-rending to look
upon. The patient was lying on an old single
yellow pine bed, clean withal, and when we
entered, recognizing our friend looked at him
most piteously, without, however, saying any
thing Since eight o'clock, when our friend
left him, the pain had changed its character
and the patient, we were told by Dr. Lamrod
and Mr.. Tenier, druggist, residing in the Vi
cinity, had not changed his position, he having
lost all control of his limbs The pain con-
sisted now of singing sensation in spots all
about the body, as though, in his own words,
circular combs, inside his flesh, at the lower
fxtremitles, especially, were being driven with
the points outwardly, and the singing increased
in intensity until it became so excrutating that
we LETT the scene promising to return, in order
not to hear the piercing shrieks of Lulay.
Walking down stairs with DR.. Lamirud, We
asked him if he could account for the strange
disease. The Doctor answered simply: sly
perds mon Latin l haye never met with any
thing similar during twenty-seven years of CON
slant practice" The only treatment which
had been resOrted to was the application of
wet congresses uIOn the whole surface of the
body. Soothing solutions were also admins
tered, all of which seemed not to have the least
effect. This was about half past eleven, and
about one o'clock we returned, to witness one
of the most horrible sights that has ever come
within our experience. Luylay was nov lying
upon the bare floor, in perfect state of ma
kedness, with his eyes almost out of their or
bits, his whole frame distorted, aud the body
in curious state of ebullition-we might say
the flesh much swollen and perfectly trans
lucent, and the blood coursng in the veins at
an apparently rushing rate, as was easily ex-
hibited by its abnormal appearance, seemingly
filled with foreign gobular bodies.
The epldermis, in spots varying from the
size OF pins head to that of a small apple,
would become inflated and suddenly the bst.
ers would collapse, very like as the bubbles on
the surface of boiling pot of starch or other
thlckened liquid. AS the bsters subsidized they
left on the surface hot liquid of yellowish red
color which trickled down the sides of his BODY
and stained the floor, the idea of wiping it off
having been abandoned, owing to the coplous
ness of the flow. To remain in q room with
such sight in view was more than we coud
do, and we retired once more to return. how.