Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1883-09-15
miscellaneous.
Deaths From Fright.

ought always to be borne in mind. Fear
can be mastered by an effort; fright has
come and gone before the brain has had
time to come to the conclusion that an ef-
fort Is possible. There is no fear 50
strong in human beings as the fear of
death. and vet There is no passion in the
mind OF man." says Bacon truly enough.
$50 weak bnt it mates and masters the fear
Of death. Revenge triumphs over death;
love sligths it; honor aspireih to it.; grief
fiveth TO it; fear preoccupateth it," PITY.
which Is the ''tenderest Of passions" led
MANY TO kill themselves from compassion
for Otho's suicide. Even iridium rit9.
mere utter wearine-s of doing the same
thing over and over again, will lead a
man to defy his Unborn fear of death. But
what passion can guard against fright?
A jew, according TO Lodovicus Wives,
once crossed narrow plank over tor
rent in the dark. and. visiting the place
next day, saw the extremity of his last
nights risk, and died of-what? Not of
fear, obviously, because there was nothing
to be afraid Of; but pos IDLY of fright. So,
again persons have been known who al
ways tainted at the scent of certain flow
ers. notably that Of the May blossom. but
it would be ridiculous 10 accuse them OF
! being afraid of hawthorn.
Surgeon General Francis, of the Indian
medical servic, tells OF drummer who
was suddenly aroused from his sleep by
something crawling over his naked legs.
| He imagined it was a cobra, and his
friends, collected by the cutlery. thought
so too, and be was treated accordingly.
Incantations, such as are customary with
the natives on these occasions, were re-
sorted To, and the poor fellow was flagel-
| leted with twisted cloths on the arms and
legs, in view partly to arouse him, but
principally to drive out the evil influence
| (spirit) that for the time being had taken
possession Of him. With the dawn of
| light the cause OF the fright was discOv-
cred in the shape of harmless lizard.
which was lying, crushed and half killed,
BY the side of the poor drummer, but it
was too late. From the moment when he
believed that a poisC nous snake had bitten
him he passed into an increasing collapse
until be died. The drummer was not a
strong lad, and the shock was too much
tor him.
The most remarkable death from the
accident Of fright was that OF the Dutch
painter. Penteman, in the 18th century.
He was at work on a picture in which
were represented several death heads.
grinning skeletons, and other objects cal
culated to inspire the behOlder with a
contempt for the vanities and follies of the
day. In order to do his work better he
went to an anatomical room and used it
as studio. One sultry day, as he was
drawing these melancholy relics of NOR
talitv by which he was surrounded he fell
off into "A quiet sleep. from which he was
suddenly aroused. Imagine his horror at
beholding the skulls and bones dancing
around him like mad. and the skeletons
which hung from the ceiling dashing
themselves together. Panic stricken, he
rushed from the room and threw himself
headlOng from a window to the pavement
below. He sufficiently recovered to learn
that the cause of his fear was a slight
earthquake, but his nervous system re-
ceived such severe shock that he died in
few days
Frederick OF Prussia was killed by an
accident of fear. He was. one day. Sleep
ing in an armchair. when his wife, Louise
of Mecklenberg. who had for some time
been hopelessly insane, escaped from her
keepers and made her way to the Kings
pilNdtc Il itluitIitS DIedAfUr through
glass door she dabbled herself in blood,
and, in raging fit of delrium, cast her.
self upon the King. The latter, who was
not aware of the hopelessness OF her lun-
acy. was SO Mortified at the appearance of
woman clad only in linen and covered
with blood, that he imagined, with su-
perstition characteristic of the age, that it
was the White Lady, whose ghost, accord
ing to time-honored tradition, invariable
appeared when death was around the
house of Brandenburg. He was seized
with fever and died in six weeks.
More ridiculous was the death of the
French marshal, De Montrevel, "whose
whole SOUL" says st. Simon, twas but
ambition and lucre. without ever having
been able to distinguished his right hand
from his LETT. but concealine his universal
ignorance with an audacity which favor.
fashion and birth protected He was
very superstitious man, and one day
saltcellar was upset at public dinner in
his lap. and so frightened was he that he
arose and announced that he was dead
man. He reached home, and died in
few days, in l7l6. literally scared to death