River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1885-07-02

breath anu Gdlitu lDf uTiflk. w men
his eyes fell on the water handed him
he instantly threw up his hands with
the exclamation, ''For God S sake take
it awayr' He became composed in a
moment or so and rested fairly we'll
until he arose. He complained con-
siderably and vomited freely. The
physician was sent for and came in
the forenoon. He was puzzled. He
said but little of anything, and moth
ing that was definite. He departed,
but in several hours returned, accom-
panied by another member of his pro-
fession They viewed the patient,
said nothing, did nothing and depart
ed The afternoon wore away and
the restlessness and changed APPEAR
ance of the man became more per-
ceptible. And now we near the hour
when the dreadful poison in his sys-
TEN broke loose with horrible violence.
How can | describe the deep agony OF
that night, when ey6ry nerve Of the
poor fellow seemed pulled asundef,
aud the screams that accompanied
each death-struggle were hoartrend-
ing and distressing beyond the power
OF language. AT q clock he sent for
his nearest neighbor to come and pre-
pare his will. He was entirely IA
tional; dictated and signed the docu-
ment disposing OF his property. He
gave directions about his matters with
noticeable clearness and minuteness.
At o'clock he was sitting in the chair
in his yard with his family and several
neighbors around him. He complain
ed of being cool His wife took a
small shawl and maize the motion to
lay it over his shoulders. Then came
the first scream and the torturing
struggle that came at short intervals
until two hours before his last breath
He sPRANG FROM THE CHAIR
and jumped about violently, calling
to those present to tie him. Ropes
and straps were quickly procured, and
after seating him he was securely
fastened to tree. Every three or
five minutes came those terrible
screams. He was heard three quarters
of a milo away. At the same time he
would pant and struggle as though
sulfocating, splitting and coughing in
cessantly. He was entirely rational
and conscious, calling those present
by name and describing his pains, eX-
cept during the paroXysms of torture.
In an hour it was decided to take him
into the house. A storm was brewing,
and altogether the setting in of that
night was TO the attendants of the dy-
ing man one the reader may never
wish to experience We cut the ropes
that secured Toellc to the tree, but
were careful to provide against any
effort he might make to attack one OF
our number. Once IN the room, to
which he walked with some support,
we laid him on the bed and at once
securely fastened him down, leaving
him sufficiently free to sit up, use his
hands and change his position. The
room was somewhat close, nothing
being open but the door. He scream
ed as soon as he laid down, struggled
for breath and complained of sutfoca-
ton | took my hat, and, leaning over
the bed gently famed him. Oh, but
what Il cry and what a scene. There
was torture and agony in the extreme,
and scream of For Gods sake,
DON'T" The windows were thrown
open at his request, but the first touch
of the current of air threw him into a
paroxysm of torture. He called for
water, but as soon as he looked at it
his muscles contracted, his teeth
clenched and he presented the picture
of rigidity' and terror. But water he
must have; his throat is parched, slime
and saliva are choking him, and the
painting. struggling, the wild cries of
anguish and the fearful tossing and
twisting of his body are calling for re-
lief. At the suggestion he closes his
eyes and opens his mouth; a table
spoon of water is dashed in; but IN
stantly he commences more violent
struggling.
MORE TERRIBLE COMMISSIONS FOLLOW,
and receiving the water seems more
agonizing than the want of it. At 10
o'clock the physician comes again.
At least an hour is consumed in the
attempt to put the sufferer under The
influence of chloroform. Saturated
cloths are held as best possible in the
struggling to his nose; large doses OF
morphine are administered hypoder-
mically, but without the least effect.
The physician says nothing, goes away
without any instructions and leaves
two of us to watch the night through.
The condition of the sufferer re-
mains unchanged. He is all the time
conscious and rational. The priest
comes, the wife enters, and we, the
watchers, step from the room. When
the voice of the priest is raised in
prayer the dying man becomes COM
posed and peaceful. The violent
struggling ceases, the paroxysms and
commissions come no more, and | in
voluntarily looked through the win
dow expecting to see that death had
come. Full fifteen minutes pass, and
when the prayer is ended the hydro
phobic victim gently takes his wife s
hand, draws her to him, kisses her
aud says Good bye" Al once the
agonizing struggle commences and
the scenes already described are re-
peated from every three to five min
utes. And thus the night and the
greater part of the next day wore
away.
at o'clock in the afternoon the
legs of the man seem as though par
alyzed. He ceases to struggle. We
are obliged to tie his hands from him,
for he is inclined to bite them. His
mouth opens and shuts firmly as
though he were swapping. He is now
entirely unconscious. Little by little
there issues from his mouth white
froth like clean soap suds. The face
begins to turn upward. The respira-
ton is seen to decrease. Life is eb'
bling away. A watch is opened and
the beating of the heart is timed. The
swapping of the man grows less vio-
lent; and at ) o'clock John Toelle is,
in fun possession of death 1.-THE lib
orator of HIM whom medicine cannot
cure and the comforter of him whom
time cannot console.
l carefully noticed the cries and
screaming of the man in all his death
struggles and failed to discover the
least IN them that was like the bark
ing or the noise of any animal.
| have been SO frequently questioned
to tell of the above case that | narrate
1t in detail for any one who may have
sufficient interest to read of it. W. n.
.AlderS0n, IN Kansas Cjfy Times.
Brown Bread.