Weekly independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1887-1914, 1908-03-13
Stranger Than Fiction

The hackreyed saying about truth
being stranger than fiction is constantly
broush, t" mind by incihe nls Of every
day life. things happen which no
novelist wonld dare invent, and lives arc
lost Ia the most wildly improbable
fashion.
Great Western train WIS rurnng
between Bristol and London when an
extraordinary tragedy took place in
third-class carriage. \ woman trying
to open bottle of whiskey broke the
cork. Having no corkecrow she tried to
force the cork INTO the Lottle with Ter
thumb. The bottln exploded, aud II
jagged splinter Of glass gashed her
thigh, cutting an artery. She bled to
death in few minutes.
Another woman, wife Of miner nj
place called Cheboygan, Mich, lost her
life III strange fashion. Her 7 , ear old
boy had played tTuRnt from .cho0l, and
when tie came home she, remembering
The old prorerb ahou; srariug the rod,
chastisrd him with IA strap At the very
hrst blow there was a fearful explosion.
The boy WIS killed Instantly and his
mother received iujnrics from nhIch he
did no; recover. Investigation ;,coved
that the little fellow had stolen ii d, ma
mite cap and slowed II IN one of his
trousers pockets. The blow from The
strap had exploded it.
One does not expect to lose ones life
through a visit to the dentist. Yet such
case happened in August last A
worklprman went to the dentist to hnyc
an aching grinder extracted. The tooth
was an obstinate one, and in trying tu
get good Gup ua 1t with lis fOic ccps
the deutist forced the patients head
back further than usual. There was a
sudden crack, a2h the man collapsed.
Horror stricken, the dentist realized
that i'll forcing the head ho had Erokep
his patients neck.
Strnngc things happen III the sir,eis.
One day in September last a horse,
hhrnc ssed to van, pulled up suddenly
in the middle Of the main thoronyhfnre
on the south side "f Trafalgar square
and stood there rs il rooted to the sIot.
Everything possible was douc TO induce
the animal to proceed, but it natly re-
tnfcd io bulge. a huge crowd collected
ana traffic became abfolutoly blocked.
For two hours and half by the colck
that horse remained where he stood.
Even when the haTuCss was taken OIL
anu dozen men tried lo lift him away
he refused to surrender. Al las, the
verdict went forth thni hc must die, and
gun being brought he was shoi. The
poll % sRy that the incident in unique in
the history OF LDDdOn's streets.
a much moro terrible accident wag
witnessed In Sloane square on Sunday
night IN the samo month. Tho cock OF
the petrol tnnk Of a London motor omni.
bus broke oil. Tho bus was stopred md
the driver got down and plug rcd the
hole with his thumb while the con.
ductor went back with lamp to look |
Tor the plug. When hc got back Tho |
driver was still holding on 10 tho leak, |
but by tbis time wius soaked with petrol. |
Tho conductor paused to nsk Indy |
t2 get of. Suddenly there was a fph
and II report, md the omnibus buts,
into ilnmes. Next instant Tie horrible
sight wRs seen Oi the driver uii ubInze
running up the street, "a living tcrcb. |
Men ran to The rescue ard flung coats
over hin. Bot It was too late. lie died
OF his Injufice. Whit had Enrrcncd
was ihtA: Tho osca,1inR petrol l., ] run
away IN n stream down The pu'ter. A
passcrny had dropped match or a
cigarette end, and the irl'immable hduid
bad burst into flame, and tho lire had
run back up the gGtter 10 tho bus, and
thus set lire TO tile clothes Of tho un.
Tor luunic driver.