Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1890-01-11
STRANGE ACCIDENTS.
Killed by Wonan's Embrace-Living
with His Head Cut in Half.

with His Head Cut in Half.
A remarkable accident is one reported by
DR.. Eaton. of New York, who tells Of a
woman embracing a man with fatal effect.
| She had the pernicious habit so common
among women of sticking pins and needles in
the bosom of her dress, and on this occasion
she had a common sewing needle stuck there.
! The embrace was a close one, and the needle
penetrated the mans clothing and flesh,
reaching his heart and killing him instantly.
The same physician reports a~case in his own
| practice which probably has no parallel
When he was practicing in Mobile, Ala,
he was called to attend a man who had fallen
under circular saw in mill, and found his
patient with his head literally sawn one-half
through, from the top down to each temple
One eye was destroyed, but the other was
not harmed. He supposed, as a matter of
course, that the man would die directly, but
was astonished to find that he was getting
well. For eight days he convalesced, and ate,
drank and slept as usual. A surgeon was
called in consultation, and he proposed to
stitch up the open wound. DR.. Eaton OPP
posed the proposition, saying that if such a
thing should be done the pus forming inside
the head could not escape, and the man would
die at once. On the ninth day, however, the
surgeon sewed up the gap and the man
prN2ptly died
similar case to this came under my own
notice about dozen years ago. l was sent
by one of the New York dalies to city in
New Jersey-Elizabeth, think-to report
strange accident, and found that boy less
than II years old had fallen squarely against
circular saw in such way that his head
had been cut almost in two. The cut ex-
tended from between his eyes to the back OF
his neck. He picked himself up and walked
unaded to a drug store, where he complained
that he had bad headache. Thence be
walked home alone, nobody then realizing
how badly he was hurt. He was taken to
hospital and lived for a week l was I'M
able to get any further history of the case,
for the hospital was religious, not civic
institution, and | was refused access to the
records. l remember distinctly being sur
prised to learn that no less than three men
were then living in that city in good bodily
health, with bullets in their brains. Since
then l have learned of a number of similar
cases.
One of the most remarkable of these was
that of young man in Texas, who when a
mere boy had large portion of his skull
over one of his temples blown off by the dis
charge of a gun About two tablespoonfuls
of brain matter were spilled out and lost. vet
he recovered and became quite brilliant
scholar afterward- Very few cases are
known, it is true, which show such wonder
full vitality, but there are enough of them
recorded to make it seem almost an imposSi-
bility to destroy human life, instead Of being,
as 1t sometimes is, one of the easiest things in
the world to do. The two cases that have
Just come to notice prominently, through the
newspapers, of persons surviving the break
ing OF the neck, are not unprecedented, for
DR.. Ernest McNeill of New York, had a
case OF the kind In his practice more than
dozen years ago, and accomplished a COM
piete cure.
Sometimes desperate efforts at murder or
suicide fail by reason OF extraordinary vital
ity. Such was that of Thomas Han
Ion, one of the Hanlon brothers who were
famous gymnasts some years ago. In one of
his performances he fell from his trapeZe and
injured his head SO badly that he became
violent maniac. 1t was found necessary to
put him IN hospital and confine him in a
padded cell, for he struggled violently to Kill
himself. 1t was thought that be could not hurt
himself III the cell, but after he had been left
there over night he was found nearly dead
and still trying to kill himself in the morn
ing. BE had managed TO strip the padding
from portion of the floor, and had discov-
cred an iron nut placed there TO aosd bolt in
position 1t projected slightly from the
planilng, and he had spent the night II leap
ing up and dashing himself, head downward,
on the nut. From the frightful condition Of
the top of ais head it vas estimated that he
had done this not less than sixty times, and
he was dong 1t again when discovered and
overpoverei by the hospital attendants
Even more remarkable than his was the
resolution displayed by Louis Lingg, the Chi
cago anarchist, for Llngg was not, so far as
known. luna.sc. He procured small dy-
nanaate bomb IN some way while In prison,
and rather than die on the scaffold be put il
IL his mouth, and in some manner-it Is sup
posed By chewing on if-he managed 70 ex-
pAode it AID blow his head to fragments
i very curious case OF death IVES reported
on Staten Island few years ago In winch a
man died Of hydrophobis caused by the bite
OF blue fish, but it hardly belongs in this
hist, ance II was not a murder. bIt death
by natural disease Natural diseases, how
ever. have often been used as the means Of
murder OF wllltuN spreading of contagion-
1t has been many fzInes proposed IN tunes OF
wsr 20 adopt THIS means OF depopulating the
e1e.nys country, but no civilized nation At
least in modern times, has been known 70
adopt it.
Whistler nationally or confradrcmi}y.
pubic opinion while juss1 ring war. refrsss
70 sanction the use Of unHsssi methods Of
killing. On this ground tire German SCENTS:
was severely sIluhbed when Ire proposed 10
produce chemically such foul v.pcr t.a2. 70