The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-02-07
DESCRIBED BY DEFOE.
His stories of the Great Plague I'm
in London.

sons falling dead in the streets, terrible
shrieks and screenings of women, who in
their agonies would throw open their
chamber windows and cry out in dismal,
surprising manner 1t is impossible to de-
scribe the variety of postures in which
the passions of the poor people would eX-
press themselves.
Passing through Token House Yard, in
Lothbury, of a sudden a easement violent
~ opened just over my head and a xo-
man gave three frightful screeches. and
then cried: "Oh, death! death! death"
in a most inimitable tone, and which
struck me with horror and a chilliness in
my blood. There was nobody to be seen
in the whole street, neither did any other
window open, for people had no curiosity
now in any case, nor could anybody help
one another; so went on to pass into Bell
alley.
Just in Bell alley, on the right hand of
the passage there was a more terribly cry
than that, though it was not so directed
out of the window. But the whole family
was in a terrible fright, and l could hear
women and children run screaming about
the rooms like distracted, when a garnet
window opened and somebody from VIM
dow on the other side of the alley alled,
and asked, What is the matter?" Upon
which from the first window it was an
swered, "Oh, Lord, my old master has
hanged himselfp The other asked again,
rs he quite dead?' and the first answered,
swered, "Ay, ay, quite dead; quite dead
and cold! This person was a merchant
and a deputy alderman and very rich.
l care not to mention his name. though 1
knew his name, too; but that would be a
hardship to the family which is now -four
ishing again
But this is but one. 1t is scarce credible
hammered n rti vi
lar families every day-people, in the rage
of the istemper or in the torment Of their
swellings, which was, indeed, intolerable,
running out of their own government, raw
ing and distracted, and oftentimeS laying
violent hands upon themselves, throwing
themselves out of their windows, shooting
themselves. etc; mothers numbering their
own children in their lunacy some dying
of mere grief as a passion some of mere
fright and surprise without any infection
at ALL others frightened into idiotism and
foolish distractions, some into despair and
lunacy, others into melancholy madness.
The pain of the swelling was in partic-
uar very violent and to some intolerable.
The physicians and surgeons may be said
to have tortured many poor creatures even
to death. The swelings in some grew
hard, and they applied violent drawing
plasters, or poultices, to break them; and,
if these did not do, they cut and scaritied
swellings were made hard, partly by the
force of the distemper and partly by their
being too violently drawn, and were so
hard that no instrument could cut them;
and then they burned them with caustics,
so that many died raving mad with the
torment, and some in the very operation.
In these distresses, some for want of help
to hold them down in their beds or TO look
to them, laid hands upon themselves as
above; some broke out into the streets per-
haps naked and would run directly down
to the river, if they were not stopped by
the watchmen or other officers, and plunge
themselves into the water wherever they
found it.
1t often pierced my very soul to hear the
groans and cries of those who were thus
tormneted. But of the two this was
counted the most promising particular in
the whole infection; for if these swell
ings could be brought to a head, and to
break and run, or, as the surgeons call it,
to digest" the gatient generally recov-
cred; whereas those who, like the gentle
womans daughter, were struck with death
at the beginning, and had the tokens come
out upon them, often went about indiffer-
emily easy till a little before they died,
and some till the moment they dropepd
down, as in apopleXies and epilepses is
often the case. Such would be taken sud
denly very sick, and would run to a bench
or bulk, or any convenient place that offer
ed itself, or to their own houses, if posi-
BILE, as 1 mentioned before, and there sit
down, grow faint, and die This kind of
dying was much the same as it was with
those who die of common notifications
(gangrene, death of the soft tissues) who
die swooning, and, as it were, go away in
dream. Such as die thus had very lit
tie notice of their being infected at all till
the gangrene was spread through their
whole body; nor could physicians tnem-
selves know certainly how it was with
them till they opened their breasts, or 9TH
er parts of their body, and say the tokens
We had at this time a great many
frightful stories told us of nurses and
watchmen who looked after the dying
people chat is to say, hired nurses, who
attended infected people,, using them bar
barously. starving them, smothering
them, or by other wicked means hasten
ing their end--that is to say, numbering
of them. And watchmen being set TO
guard houses that were shut up. when
there has been but one person left and
perhaps that one lying sick, that they
have broke in and murdered that body
and Immediately have thrown them out
into the dead cart; and so they have gone
scarce cold to the grave
l cannot say but that some such MUIR
ders were committed, and l think two
were sent to prison for it, but died be-
fore they could be tried and I have heard
that three others, at several times, were
executed for murders of that kind. But
l must say l believe nothing of its being
so common a crime as some have since
been pleased to say: nor did it seem to be
so rational, where the people were
brought so low as not to be able TO help
themselves for such seldom recovered,
and there was no temptation to commit
murder at least not equal to the fact,
where they were sure persons would die
in so short time, and could not live.
That there were great many robberies
and wicked practices committed even in
this dreadful time / do not deny, The
power of avarice was so strong in some
that they would run any hazard to steal
and to plumber; and, particularly In
houses where all the families or nhabi-
ants have been dead and carried out,
they would break in at all hazards and,
without regard 70 the danger Of infection,
take even the clothes off the dead bodies
and the bedclothes from others where
they lay dead.
II is most certain that IT, by the shut
ting up of houses, the sick had not been
confined. multitudes, who in the hight Of
their fever were delirious and distracted.
would have been continually running up