The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1883-11-23
I, FRIDAY. NOVEMBER %. 1883.

toned il. At once they all began
to wonder whether there was water
in the large boulder. Two Of the
smaller ones had been broken,
showing in the centrelarge crystals,
and had contained water, accord
lug 10 the assertion of the young
lady who had gained her informa-
tion as some other time in pre-
yious visit.
THE FATAL DRAVGHT.
At once it was proposed to break
the large one, and several inaftec.
tual attempts were made by them
with a geological hammer always
present, They called to aid a
colored man, servant on the place,
who was requested to break open
the rock, MS they called ii. He
readily assented, being willing to
thus render his first service to the
new mistress, A pitcher being
placed underneath the boulder rs
the man held it, one sturdy blow OF
his slalwart arm cracked it, and
the fluid within ran out aud was
collected in the pitcher, scarcely
losing drop, there being halt u
pint OF it. A few additional blows
opened the boulder, presenting
large, fine, transparent crystals of
quartz. These were much admired,
aud other friends were called from
the parlor to look at tho novelty.
The bride without over giving o
thought, conceived the notion of
drinking the water from the boult-
er. She poured most Of it into .
glass tumbler, nearly filling it, aud
lifting it to her lips she drank first
to the health of her husband, then
to that OF the unmarried friends in
the room, wishing them shortly to
be happy brides like herself, and
drained the glass, NIL being done
50 quickly that no one had time to
interfere or to think that any con.
sequences might follow.
RIGID IN DEATH.
At first it was thought that No
harm was done, and 1t was cousid'
cred . fine joke and much mcrri
| ment was made. But In . few min
utes the youthful bride complained
of excessive PAIN In the stomach
and she began to realize the rash
ness of her action. A messenger
was sont IN haste for her hVsbaut
| and myself. Mr.. Hallcr's Office he
ing near my own, we received th'
message almost simultaneously, an'
We rapidly drove together in m.
buggy to his house. When We ar
rived she was dead, q period o
fifteen minutes having elapsed frou
the timc of taking the fatal draugh
10 tho timo of extinction Of lite
They were just laying her out OF
our arrival. To my surprise
found she had grown in that shor
period so rigid as to render l
difficult to straighten her limbs
In the course of three-quarters o
an hour her entire body became g.
hard and inflexible as boue.
| pass over the grief and con
sternation of the husband and th'
family as something too sacred TO
remark, conGning myself exclu
sively to the scientific facts. !
was plain that something akin t
ossofcatiol had taken place, Ol
more minute examination and in
quiry / found that the dissolve,
silica she had taken into he
stomach had Deen absorbed All,
transmitted BY the chylopoietic ap
paratus and bloodvesels through
ont the system, and that her whole
body was
| PETRIFACTION.
The case being so singular an,
sudden the husband and the BRIDE
family consented to u partial pos
mortem examination, other medics
men coming to my assistance. w
found it impossible to cut throug
any portion with our scalpels. ID
Fergurson broke his scalpel In th
Rrst attempt: We were able onl
to break through the chest with
hatchet, finding extreme difficult
in entering the thoracio cavity, tll
/ contents being all solidified. IT
heart we found as firm and as soil
, as stone, resembling . piece
cornelian as to both color aud col
sistency. Entering the abdomin;
) cavity only by means OF rcpeate
/ blows of the hatchet we found I'll
! contents of the stomach, the foo,
the bile, the liver and other neigl
boring organs solidified. 1t
needless to say We found it impo
sible to remove anything except
l fractured pieces. The arteries an
/. veins were perfectly ridid, Il
+ blood itself being
FL CHANGED TO STONE.
Having satisfied ourselves Of Il
:, stony character OF the entire bod
3 and its contents 1t was delivered
4 the family and inferred. Some 81
2 picions having been aroused thl
l there might have been poison In Il
/ pitcher which held silica solution
0 all the Witnesses haye boon swal
t and have testified under oath.
Q My first object was to secure u
b remains OF the sQlution of silica y
o in the pitcher, there being about
Y ounce, which ] carefully put into
IS vial, carking clpsely. Portions
% this have been yariously tested, &
| ~~..xlk - al tsr.a ckn - ~t.< ~