The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1883-01-03
Pierced from Above.

Pierced from o
The erection of buildings of six, eight,
ten stories height, at the North, has
created a new peril. In Buffalo. N. Y,
last week, an huge icicle fell, and trans
fixed two men who happened to be pass
ing on the sidewalk. One was killed
instantly, being pierced through the
top of his head, as if by an heavy spear
The other is badly crushed, and his arm
broken. Wretched climate! We recol-
lect seeing at Albany. on the 3rd dav of
April an icicle fully ten feet in length,
depending from one of the towers of the
prison, that would have cloven an OK in
twain.
BURNED on HORSEBACK.
Death. however, is more apt to come
by fire than by ice. At Lexington, Ken
lucky, on Wednesday night a man, nam
ed Patrick O'Neill, was burned to death
on horseback! He was the town lamp
lighter and had just ridden up to a gas
oline lamp when it exploded. f~linging the
flaming fluid over himself and horse.
The terrified animal flew down the street,
like an immense ball Of fire, and in turn
iug a corner threw O'Neill, who rushed
into a house in agony. Both man and
horse died in a few hours.
BURNED n BED.
A telegram from Portland, Oregan,
tells of three young men who went to
bed drunk on Monday night (Christmas),
leaving a large fire. The women escaped;
the men never walked!
SUICIDES.-Did you ever hear the
like! The effect of Christmas gayety
and extravaganza is very depressing to
persons whose circumstances make a
marked contrast with both the past and
the present. Hence it is. we suppose,
that such an epidemic of self-destruction
is reported from all parts of the land.
North Carolina had two cases last week
which will be narrated elsewhere. Two
notable cases come from the Regular
Army. A brother o. Gen. Schofield
cut his throat in his quarters and
Lieut.. Somerly blew out his brains in
front of his company while drawn out in
dress parade.
At Trenton. New Jersey, two young
men. twins. aged 90. named Rusk,
drowned themselves, deliberately tying
their hands and feet, to make a sure job
of it. Their brother claims that they
were driven to desperation by the Phil
adelphia police, who took a pique
against them, and repeatedly arrested
them for trivial ofienses Finally they
GIT into a row with policeman Jarvis,
and stabbed him 50 severely that he is
likely to die. The twins fled to Tren-
ton, and spent one day hiding in their
sisters house. She was cool, and they
told her that they would end all bother
by killing themselves. The police, of
course, say-'Good Riddance!" But
we say that when two young men have
sufficient feeling to deliberately resolve
to die,-there must be in their charac-
ter qualities of good which might have
made them honest citizens if properly
encouraged. Young men of 26. who
are inately wicked. d., not commit sui
eide. The more deviltry they commit.
the more hardened and reckless they be-
cOme.-A tall, well dressed man Of
so, named Isaac Batten, stopped at the
Continental Hotel, in Phila.. wrote a
letter to Ills sister telling her that he
saw no relief for his throat disease, and
would therefore step down and out.
He went to his room, arranged the stove
to throw out all its gas, stopped all the
cracks of doors and windows. and calm
ly laid down to sleep. And ''Life's fit
full sleep soon was o'er!' (Happy
man y--The most noted suicide of
the year stepped off the day after
Christmas. Baron Wimpfen was one
of the oldest Austrian noblemen, and
held the lofty post of Royal Minister at
the French court. Tired of living, he
babe good bye to his children, walked to
a nice quiet place in one of the fashion,
able str, cts of Paris, Che had just
bought a new house, and didn't want to
bloody the carpets, etc., where he
leaned against a wall, and cut his throat
from ear to ear! Such is life, both lofty
and low!