The Pioche weekly record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1877-1900, 1891-11-12
QUEER WAYS OF DYING.
Some of the Thousand Doors by Which
Men Make Their Exits.

Some Of the thousand Doors by Which |
Men Make Their Exits.
The recent catastrophe on, or rather
in, Mount Vesuvius probably stands at
the head of the unusual or sensational
ways by which men have lost their
lives, writes James Payn in the Illus
trated London News. There is actual
ly nothing more shocking about it than
in similar accidents elsewhere-as, Tor
instance, those which sometimes occur
to men in our Black country. But the
falling into crater of volcano sew
enty feet deep. and at the bottom
burning marle," has strong claim
upon the imagination. There is, in
deed, one parallel case, that OF Empe-
docles--for Pliny only persisted from
''the vapors" Ia common complaint IN
old fashioned times)--but it happened
Gf it did happen) very long time ago,
and notwithstanding the increased OPP
portunities that are now afforded for
ending life in strange ways the ancients
beat the modern record.
The Emperors Anastasius and Garus
were both killed by lightning-a finale
which, if it happened to modern mon
arch land far more to two of them),
would certainly give occasion for much
journalistic enterprise. But in those
days it really seems as though great
sovereigns, by no means admirable in
other respects, went out of their way
in the manner of their exits to give
their subjects sensation. Thus 10
ham, emperor of Constantinople, in
drawing a bow at bear too strongly,
shot the arrow through his own hand,
and, since the barb had, as usual, been
dipped in poison, died in consequence.
Tarquinius Priscus was choked by
fish bone. Charles II. of Navarro, hav-
ing become paralyzed, was sewn up in
sheet dipped iu distilled spirits, Sin
hopes to recover his benumbed joints"
and the surgeon, wanting knife to
cut his thread, made use OF the flame
of a candle, which caused the poor
king to perish miserably. Henry l. of
Spain was killed by tile falling from
housetop. Pope Clement VII. died of
the fumes from a poisoned torch, and
Pope Adrian VI from swallowing a fly
in glass OF spring water.
Among lesser persons, the fate OF
Heraclius, the Ephesian, would have
been most singular had he not been act
ing under medical advice; but now that
SO many people are killed "by the doc
tors ORDERS" it excites less surprise.
The particular fad of his family physi-
clan was mud baths (of a peculiar
kind; and having anointed himself all
over with this beastliness, and "sitting
in the sum-" the dogs, ''supposing him
to be a wild beast" tore him to pieces.
Similarly, the poet Anacreon, giving
to his physicians statement that the
Juice of raisins would prolong his life,
shortened it by swallowing grape
stone.
In English history, perhaps the most
sensational catastrophe in the way OF
''exit" is that of the outbreak of Jail
fever at Oxford in 1877, when there
arose such sudden damp in court" that
all present were in danger OF being
smothered. The gentlemen on the
yrand jury "died that instant" The
ord chief justice and the high sheriff
sickened and died within the week. In
all 'perished five hundred persons,
amongst whom there was neither wom-
an nor child" The means by which the
abbot of Tavistock got the manor of
Plumstock into his possession is indi-
rectly connected with this subject, for,
though the manner of death was COM
mon enough, the device used for evad-
ing it Though in vain) was most pecul-
lar. One Child. rich landowner in
Devonshire, was lost on Dartmoor in a
deep snow. He killed his horse and
crept under the carcass for warmth,
having first written with his blood
.hese words:
He that finds me and brings me to my tomb
My land Of Plumstock shall be his DOOM"
The monks Of Tavistock found him
and took his land under that singula
will.