Decidedly Grim

Thanks to Trase for the image.

Mirth

Today’s Restrained Yet Truly Morbid Fact!

Bilboes were a method of restraint which consisted of a long iron bar attached to the floor. Free to slide along the bar were a number of hinged iron rings which were riveted about the ankles of the prisoners, forcing them to sit or lie down until the restraint was released. Some prisons in Britain also found bilboes invaluable for securing prisoners who were being flogged, and indeed the punishment cell in Newgate Prison was given the name of the Bilboe or Bilbow. The word is a corruption of the Spanish town Bilboa, for when the Armada was defeated in 1588, chests of these shackles were found in the galleons, reputedly to pinion English captives. In actual fact similar devices were widely used for naval prisoners on board ship and the Royal Navy was equipped with them until the 18th century. Doubtless that was how they found their way to the West Indies, where they were used during the slave trade era. Ten or more slaves would be secured in bilboes, being released each day before being taken to work in the plantations.

Culled from: Rack, Rope and Red-Hot Pincers

You can get your own personal bilboes from Irontree Works. What a nifty Christmas gift!

Facts

Headless Historicals are the perfect gift for the historically-minded morbid doll lover in your life. I am personally quite fond of Anne Boleyn, though she’s a bit out of my price range.

Thanks to Desmodus for the link.

Trinkets

I have been a horribly busy Comtesse lately – literally running around non-stop for the last few weeks – which explains why I haven’t been keeping up with the facts. It probably won’t get much better until the beginning of October when my life finally settles down. However, I will try to get a few random updates in between now and then…

I spent four hours this morning wandering through dew-covered, burr-infested meadows and woodlands in the Midlothian Meadows forest preserve near Chicago looking for a friend of my girlfriend’s who has been missing since last Sunday. There was a huge turnout – maybe about 100 people or more – and it was a well-organized search. He apparently just walked out of his house on Sunday night and hasn’t been seen since. Search dogs tracked him to the railroad tracks near his house, that run through the woods, and then lost his scent.

We didn’t find any trace of him, though I did find some other creepy artifacts in the woods (several of which I photographed), including the foundation of an old house, a creepy rocking horse and teddy bear in a clearing, an empty suitcase (you know I looked in it!), and a deer humerus that I thought at first might be human. (It will become a decoration on my bookshelf now.) I thought for sure we’d stumble across some human remains, even if we didn’t find the man we were looking for, but alas… we came home empty-handed. Every plastic bag was opened, every piece of canvas was overturned, and I am completely exhausted now. I’m off to sleep for a thousand years.

Here’s information on Tariq. I hope he turns up soon.
Tariq Ali

UPDATE: Tariq’s body was found in another nearby forest preserve about a week after our search. He had committed suicide by shotgun blast to the face. R.I.P.

Sundry

Today’s Inadequate Yet Truly Morbid Fact!

The Ballantyne’s Department Store Fire on November 18, 1947, remains the worst fire disaster in New Zealand history. Forty one people died in the blaze, mostly employees who had failed to evacuate the second floor workrooms at the time of the fire. J. Ballantyne & Co, located at the corner of Colombo Street and Cashel Street in Christchurch, employed about 300 people at the time of the fire. Many of these worked on the second floor in various departments, including millinery, dress-making, and bookkeeping. When the fire was first noticed, at 3:31 in the afternoon, the owners were informed and the fire department was called. The shopping area on the first floor was evacuated by sales employees. When firemen arrived shortly after, they initially did not realize there were still people on the second floor of the building. Many of the victims on the second floor died of smoke inhalation as they tried to leave via fire escapes. Kenneth Ballantyne was the last person to be rescued by firefighters. A commission later determined that the fire response was inadequate and the building did not meet fire codes, though it had passed its last inspection.

Culled from: Wikipedia
Generously suggested by: Robyn

Facts

Aimee sends the following delightful euphemisms to add to the collection:

“I was reading a ‘Dictionary of Euphemisms’ and came across these:

Hemp Quinsy or Hempen Fever: death by hanging.
Hemp Widow: a woman whose husband was hanged
Hempshire Gentleman: the man who was hanged.”

Sundry