Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-01-29
DOES ELECTRICITY KILL:
A Remarkable Case of Resuscftation
After Suffering n lightning Stroke.

Remarkable Case of ResuscitatfOn
After Suffering n Lightning Stroke.
From the Quincy Daily Herald
This case came under the writer's obser-
walton on the 18th of June, 1869. 1t was
near Stanwood, Cedar county, Iowa, on
clear and extremely warm day. Theodore
Clothier, a carpenter. twenty-nine years
Of age was riding along the road bestriding
saddleless horse. In all the sky there
was only one cloud visible, and it compar-
atively small one. Two men in light
wagon had just passed Clothier when a
tremendous thunderclap was heard. Look
ing back they saw horse and rider prone
on the ground. The lightning struck
Clothier in the right breast, passed down
his body, through the horse and into the
ground. The horse and rider were in
stantly killed The rider tumbled over
backward and was apparently as thoroughly
killed as ever a lightning killed man was
when the two men reached him. They
found his clothing on fire and eXtinguished
it. The vest was found to have been
charred from the armhole to the lapel on
the right side. The hair was burned from
his forehead, and his eyebrows and eye
lashes were burned off. From near the
shoulder to below the ribs was black. scar
red flesh that rubbed off on being touched;
as a mans hand. and SO deep that when
the incinerated cuticle was removed the
internal organs were exposed. FROM TINS
point the lightning shot to rule carried in
a pocket made for it in the trousers hip.
The rule had brass tips that were melted
by the heat and were found in the form
of a ball in the pocket. His keys and
the ring to which they were attached
and the nail set he carried in the pocket
We're likewise melted into a solid mass, as
Wer' the blades of his knife.
While the two men were discussing what
was to be done, a local character living in
the farmhouse near which Clothier was
killed, veteran of the war, generally
garded harmless, well-meaning crank,
approached and declared the intention of
bringing the man back to life. The group
who had gathered were not inclined to con-
slider the cranks proposition seriously, and
decided to remove Clothier's remains to
his house, and aid In preparing them for
burial But the fellow was determined
character, and exhibited such capacity for
having his own way, that the crowd sur
rendered and let him have 1t. He rolled
the body over on its left side, and as he did
so the burned flesh from the right side fell
off. The people who had congregated beg
ged him to desist, but he didn't.
IF he's dead l guess it won't hurt him."
was his reply, and he continued to rub the
body vigorously where it had been burned.
He never let up, and in three or four hours
the dead man showed signs of life. Water
was sent for ana his face was bathed. He
was removed to house near by and turn
ed over to three doctors who had been
summoned.
When restored to full consciousness he
was in such excrucating pain that he had
to be placed under the influence of opiates.
This course was continued for nearly four
days. He suffered greatly even after that,
but his burns healed and he recovered his
health.
He is now ffty-fve years old, and is
proprietor of a boarding house at Olin,
Iowa. In two senses he still suffers from
the effects Of his experience when