A Burglar Caught by a Skeleton & Other Singular Tales from the Victorian Press (30 page)

A few days after the sale one of the buyers took it into his head to make a careful examination of his newly-acquired property, and found a small canvas bag neatly sewn up in the waistband. Upon opening this bag an agreeable surprise met his gaze, in the shape of ten one hundred dollar notes.

The tidings of this amazing discovery spread like wildfire throughout Brooklyn and New York, and each fortunate possessor of a pair of these precious pantaloons was rejoiced to find his investigations rewarded by the acquisition of a sum equivalent to two hundred pounds sterling.

It seems that the eccentric testator’s heirs have instituted proceedings to recover the amounts secreted by him in the linings of his trousers from the present proprietors of those garments, on the ground that he was obviously out of his mind when he made such an insensate will.

The Star
, Guernsey, February 24, 1880

An Extraordinary Will

A cabman has committed suicide in Paris in a fit of disgust at things in general. In his pocket he left a most singular will. It directs that in the left pocket of his trousers will be found a ten-franc piece, which is to be given to the doctor who signs the certificate of his death. The body is to be carried to the Jardin des Plantes and dissected. The flesh is to be cut into slices and divided among the lions, tiger, and bears. The testator adds, ‘I intend that these animals shall regale themselves upon my flesh.’

The Western Daily Press
, Bristol, August 23, 1888

The Astonished Photographer

A well-known artist of the camera, says the London correspondent of the
Sheffield Daily Telegraph
, was lately called in to photograph the body of a young lady who had just ‘died’ under peculiar and distressing circumstances.

The body was laid out on the sofa in the drawing-room. The photographer, who was left alone in the room with the body, took a negative. After inspecting it, he took another. And then, to his amazement, he discovered that the two negatives were not alike. The body must have moved!

He instantly summoned the nurse and a doctor, when it was ascertained that the poor girl had never departed this life. Her sleep had been only that of a trance.

The Hull Daily Mail
, March 19, 1889

Incredible Carelessness

A tragic occurrence is reported from Widnes. On Saturday night, a youth named Hague was sent by his master, a wholesale draper named Birchall, to his lodgings for a four-chambered revolver, which the master intended presenting to a policeman going to Australia.

At the lodgings Hague shot himself through the mouth with the revolver, it is supposed while inspecting it. The domestic servant was showing a neighbour how it occurred, when the firearm again went off, and shot her through the mouth. Both are dead.

The Sunderland Daily Echo and Shipping Gazette
, October 10, 1881

Strange Attempt at Suicide

On Thursday morning a strange attempt at suicide was made by a gentleman named Isaac House, aged sixty-five years, residing at No. 16, The Grove, Stockwell Green.

About nine o’clock he went up to his bedroom, and having procured a toy cannon, loaded it with powder, placed it on the dressing table, and procured a match. He then stooped down, placed his mouth over the muzzle, and with his right hand fired the cannon. Mrs House, hearing a heavy fall, rushed upstairs and found her husband bleeding.

Assistance was procured, and Mr House was immediately removed to St Thomas’s Hospital, and attended by the surgical officials, who found the roof and other portions of the mouth frightfully lacerated, having no less than sixteen irregular gashes. These were successfully stitched up, but in consequence of not being able to stop the haemorrhage, little hopes are entertained of Mr House’s recovery.

The Western Daily Press
, Bristol, January 1, 1876

Fearful Scene – Women Torn to Pieces by Cats

A report of a dreadful scene has reached us from Javat. It appears that a lady who is as rich as she is eccentric has for the last three or four years become a sort of cat fancier, she not only breeds these domestic pets, but has been accustomed to purchase any choice specimen of the feline race that might take her fancy.

A few weeks ago a fire broke out at the house of the cat fancier. Two maid servants were dispatched to a sort of shed or cage on the basement of the premises to unlock the door of the same, and release the cats. The devouring element was by this time in the ascendant, and the cats were in a state bordering on madness.

The moment the door was unlocked, they flew at the unfortunate young women, whom they bit and tore most unmercifully. The injuries were of such a nature that both have died there from.

The Illustrated Police News
, July 22, 1876

A School Teacher’s Suicide

Miss Cora Brummer, teacher in a public school at Napoleon, in Cincinnati, committed suicide yesterday in an extraordinary fashion.

She asked her pupils for a pocket knife, and having obtained one, stood on the platform in the class-room, and in the presence of them all deliberately cut her throat, inflicting two frightful gashes, death ensuing shortly afterwards.

The reason assigned is that the summer vacation was about to begin, and that she saw no means of living after her salary was exhausted.

The Nottingham Evening Post
, June 10, 1895

Killed by a Drunken Bear

A strange and terrible accident has just occurred in the neighbourhood of Vilna, in Russia. A few days ago, a large tame bear, which had been trained by the servants of a country gentleman to drink votky (whiskey), entered a village tavern, and killed the tavern keeper and three members of his family in a fit of intoxication.

The tragedy was brought about by the owner of the tavern, Isaack Rabbanovitch, attempting to snatch from the bear a keg of votky, which it had commenced to drink, after staving it in with its paws. In the conflict that ensued the infuriated animal hugged to death the tavern keeper, his two sons, and daughter.