The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1901-11-19
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KISSES THAT WERE FATAL.
One Started a War and Another
Decimated a Town.
New York Wnr1dl


kissing may be fatal That is. OF
course, the belief in d general way of
many modern enthusiasts in the field
of hygiene. At more or less regular
intervals the cry goes up that kissing
is barDarous and unnecessary. that
a handshake ought to satisfy every
emergency of human affection. and
that the poets ought to be deprived
OF the chief stock in trade Of the con-
ventiOnal sonneteer.
These campaigns, however. are
1 usually the OutgrOwth Of theory. There
are facts, 1t now appears, which adorn
the tale with far more startling
emphasis.
IL IS not so many weeks ago that a
Chicago girl died from a kiss. Her
lover had had an attack of scarlet
fever While convalescent she went
10 see him. There was little prudence
/ IN their manner of greeting. and the
next week the girl herself fell i'll from
the maladjy that had been transmitted
10 her through her lovers Ifps. 1t was
a tragedy in the end. And the girls
parents successfully sued the in
cautious lover for heavy damages.
g 9 @
On two occasions kisses have cost
the lives of many brave soldiers. The
beautiful Duchess of Gordon in 1874
raised the famous Gordon Highlanders
by giving 1000 recruits a kiss and a
golden apiece. This method of recruit
ing proved so successful that the regi-
ment was raised to its full strength in
few days, and the duchess placed her
son in command The men were then
sent out against the French. and in
the very first battle in which they took
part more than $50 fell either killed
or wounded, so that it can be truth
fuliy said that they paid for the Ouch
ess' kiss with their lives
But prior to this, in I71S. a war was
brought about by a thOughtless kiss on
the part Of a young Bavarian prince of
somewhat reckless character, named
Ferdinand. During a visit to a neigh
boring state he inadvertently kissed a
Deauuful member of the royal house
hoid, Princess Thyra, ignorant Of the
TACT that she was already afiianced and
that her betrothed happened to be
standing near and witnessed the incl
dent. High words ensued, followed
by blows. and a duel was arranged.
which led to diplomatic relations be-
tween the two nations being discon-
tinued. Ultimately a war broke out
which, although it only lasted barely
more than LOCO men before peace was
finally declared
3 g
One Of the most fatal kisses ever
known was that given by young
Spanish sailor to his fiancee nine
years ago, for it brought about the
defamation of a town. The Madonna.
a Spanish vessel, put into the little
seaport Of Candalo. on the coast of
Florida, flying the yellow flag. and
was accordingly ordered to remain in
quarantine, for more than one mem
Der OF the crew exhibited symptoms
of bubonic plague. But the sailor in
question disobeyed orders and put off
in a boat for the shore one evening.
where, having sought out his fiancee,
whom he had not seen for some years.
he embraced her.
A few days later the effects of the
kiss became painfully evident, though
the culprit returned to his ship by
stealth the same night. The girl sue
eumbed to the plague, which spread
through the town so rapidly that more
than 200 persons died out Of a total
population of 500.