The Savannah morning news., 1900-09-05
THEY TRY TO DODGE DEATH.
strange Freaks of aIch Men 60 Es-
cape the Grim Reaper.

From London Answer
A man who. while poor. rs no, more
afraid to die than most people. often de-
velops a haunting terror OF death after
he has made a big fortune. and spends an
unhappy life aud huge sums OF money in
trying 20 avoid the coming fate. frequent
~ hurrying himself into a premature
grave through sheer worry and fear. THIS
passion has turned The brains Of a good
many wealthy people and made mono
maniacs OF them. They resort 60 the most
childish oxpcdients to keep death from
their doors
You remember kipiinga character who
had his chair alung on ropes from q beam
that the world might spin under him lu-
stead Of carrying him along 20 grow Older
There was an actual cnsc very like this
a few years ago. when John Islip an Eng
lishman. who made huge fortune out
Of silver In Mexico, drove himself mad
through worrying abogt his death.
After exhaustiug all the safeguards Lon
don could ofcr. ne bought small rocky
island called Brychl on the west Irish
coast. taking with him one faithful Fervi-
cor. Here. In feverish haste he had four
stone pillars raised and small one
stored cabin. with three rooms. rather
like a houseboat. slung on chairs from iron
girderr that crossed the pillars aud swung
ciear OF the ground. once inside this
he shut himself up with some books
and pet lackdaw Tor company, aud never
iet his swinging house until his death
The attendant. who lived In a small
house close by. used 10 row to the main
iand-a mile ana a half-whcn the wealth
er permitted for provisions The master
spent his time reading and looking out
over the Atlantic from the cabin win
dows. His brain had given way. OF
course. and he imagined HIS life stood
SIN while the earth revolved under him
He had no relatives 10 insist on his
entering a private asylum and he died
three years later In the cabin. worried
out OF life by the fear OF death. Ills
heir was snow white. though he was
only a.
Another wealthy man. Jean Inglesant
though he had made n fortune by shrowd
speculation. also gave way 60 the dread
Of death. He conceived the idea that an
movement sna easort wasted the TISSUES
Of the body. and this notion sunk so
deeply into his mind that he went 10 bed
In quiet country house and hardly NOV
"a hand or foot for years. N he even stir
red a finger he did u with dread. believing
u used up his vitality and shortened his
life BY so much time. He spoke aa lit-
Gle - possible. sometimes not opening
his lips for days and was fed by at
tendants with spoons All his food con
sisted Of ''slops." 60 save him the fatal
exertion OF chewing. and his one amusc-
ment was being read 20 BY the hour to-
gcther. for nc would not hold q book OF
turn The pages. Even the reading he did
away with toward The close Of his life
believing that listening shortened his cx-
istcnce.
one Of the queerest cases was that OF
Mrs. Holmes. a very wealthy widow. who
had terrible fear Of germs and baciili Of
all kinds. She had studied the subject
deeply and Il affected her reason. 10 an
appearance. The dread Of death seized
her. and she was convinced she would
de BY come wasting disease inspired by
microbes Knowing that cold r. fatal 10
the average germ. she had two rooms
adjoining each other htted as rcfrlser-
atorH and kept constantly NJ q tcmpara-
ture Of about - degrees. or Just below
freezing point. one would suppose this
10 be more trying than any quantity Of
microbes. but the owner was happy in
her consciousness Of freedom from germ
diseases. Winter and summer the rooms
were kept nc the same point and the ID
joining rooms and hall were also kept
cool. that no current Of warm air might
bring bacllii IN.
This lady lived clad IN nrs throughout
the hottest days thai blazed outnlde. and
her attendants and servants were obliged
10 constantly diainfect themselves before
entering her presence. They lived IN
pcrDetuai atmosphere % carboilc acid.
and their mistress had 90 pay very high
wages 20 induce any servants TO stay wi.h
her