St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1881-02-25
The Accident Imp.


ed list of singular accidents which it
has inserted under the head of "The
Accident Imp
An insane physician poisoned two
men to death in Lynn, Minn., before
his malady was discOvered. This may
be called an accident because the per-
petratOr was crazy, but if he had been
in his right mind it would have been a
"dispensation of Providence"
Antoine Ashley was found dead in his
bed at Oswego, n. Y, and the physician
who made the post-mortem eXamina
tiOn testified that his feet had been poi
sOned by wearing carpeting slippers.
He had been employed on steamer
in the west. His feet were often wet,
and the poison 10y which the carpeting
was colOred soaked in through the lin
ing and poisoned his feet. If his sad
example breaks up the bad habit of
wearing those OdiOus, tawdry, glaring,
disagreeable carpeting slippers, this
man will not have died in vain.
Mrs. Benaiah Barker of Lebanon. n.
H., pricked her thumb with pair of
scissors, while taking the cork from a
the ann swelled, and on Thursday fol-
lowing she fell dead. This is warn
ing to every man to keep a cOIkscrew
in the house instead of carrying 1t in
his pocket, as he generally does. Forks
and scissors are about the only imple-
ments which the average hOuse-keeper
can find when she wishes to open bot
tie of sewing oil, and these are
neither safe, profitable, nor cOnven-
liant.
In Canaan, Pa, few days since,
John Meybert, farmer, while throwing
bundle of straw from the upper loft
of his barn to the ground floor, 80 feet
below, slipped and fell from the loft,
striking head first upon the knife of a
moving machine. Three teeth passed
full length into his head. OF course
the poor man died in anguish. 1t is odd
how many farmers set traps for them
selves by allowing moving machines
and hay-cutters in the way, and leav-
ing harrows and pitchforks teeth up
ward.
At Climax, Mich, the clerk in a store
was weighing out powder for custom
er. In some manner the powder ignit-
ed and 100 pounds exploded. The store
was blown to pieces and twelve persons
injured, nine very badly. 1t is thought
the clerk and two others will die
Whether he was smoking at the time is
not stated, but he was evidently ex-
tremely needless.
A Pennsylvania doctor poisoned him
self by wetting envelope flaps with his
tongue. He suffered greatly, and q
piece of his tongue came off. As the pa
tient belonged to the sex which never
talks. no cheap wit was expended OF
the matter by the newspapers, and the
doctor will use sponge or somebody
else's tongue to seal his letter hereat
ter.
A woman in New Hampshire, wearing
a lace cap, stepped out of doors with ,
candle in her hand. The candle fiareC
against the lace, which took fire, anC
the poor lady was burned to death
Every well-regulated house should have
a lantern among its cOnveniences.
SO many accidents, so called, resul
from tobacco pipes, that somehow whel
one reads of a man who thus gets hoist
ed with his own petard, after havin:
puffed smoke in unwilling faces fo
years for his own amusement, one feel
a thrill Of-well, Indifference, at least
regarding his sulferings.
In Gainesville, Ga, the other day, {
gentleman was walking on the stree
: smoking a cigarette. A gust of wine
blew spark into his whiskers, whicl
from some unknown cause, supposed t,
be dangerous hair-dye, were ignited
The flame communicated to his hal
aud burned it all off, leaving him bal,
as an apple and badly blistered.
About this time the accident inn
, undertook to show how easy it is to Kill
, man by means of tobacco withOu
paralyzing him or burning him to death
SO as Toronto man named Wates wa
chasing boy, he fell and the stem O
the pipe he was smoking pierced hi
cheek He died from the wound, th
nicoctine having poisoned his blood.
So Mr.. Jonathan Emerson of North
field, VT, recently found out some q
the bad effects of cider without drink
ing it. He was attempting to loose
the bung of cider barrel, which hap
pened to contain some very Testive ci
: der, when the bung flew out and wen
, directly into his eye, knocking him owe
and injuriDg his eye quite seriously.
Nearer home, lady living in Deer
ing accidentally hit her foot against th
fOOt-bo of bedstead in rising. Th
board was cracked and a splinter wen
, under the toe nail. The wound festeI
ed, two or three days later she wen
Q into commissions, and at one time wa
I threatened with lock-jaw. This is Tia
:. only instance, perhaps, which seems t
s justify the much deprecated practice {
wearing boots to bed.
In New York city a varnish kettle
= factory exploded, and badly burne