Decidedly Grim

Today’s Inexpressible Yet Truly Morbid Fact!

Henry Moore’s Complete Protestant Martyrology (1809) gives a horribly detailed account of the death of Dr. John Hooper, Lord Bishop of Gloucester, who was burned for heresy during the reign of the Catholic Mary I in 1555:

Being now in his shirt, he trussed it betweeen his legs, where he had a pound of gunpowder in a bladder, and under each arm the same quantity. He now went up to the stake, where three iron hoops were brought… The iron hoop was then put round his waist, which being made too short, he shrank and put in his belly with his hand; but when they offered to bind his neck and legs he refused them, saying, ‘I am well assured I shall not trouble you’ … Then the reeds were thrown up, and he received two bundles of them in his own hands, and put one under each arm.

Command was now given that the fire should be kindled; but, owing to the number of green faggots, it was some time before the flames set fire to the reeds. The wind being adverse, and the morning very cold, the flames blew from him, so that he was scarcely touched by the fire. Another fire was soon kindled of a more vehement nature: it was now the bladders of gunpowder exploded, but they proved of no service to the suffering prelate. He now prayed with a loud voice, ‘Lord Jesus, have mercy upon me; Lord Jesus, have mercy upon me; Lord Jesus, receive my spirit’: and these were the last words he was heard to utter.

But even when his face was completely black with the flames, and his tongue swelled so that he could not speak, yet his lips went till they were shrunk to the gums; and he knocked his breast with his hands until one of his arms fell off, and then continued knocking with the other while the fat, water, and blood dripped out at his finger ends. At length, by renewing of the fire, his strength was gone, and his hand fastened to the iron which was put round him. Soon after, the whole lower part of his body being consumed, he fell over the iron that bound him, into the fire… This holy martyr was more than three quarters of an hour consuming, the inexpressible anguish of which he endured… moving neither forwards, backwards, nor to any side: his nether parts were consumed and his bowels fell out some time before he expired.

Culled from: The History Of Torture

From which only one conclusion can be drawn: Jesus hated that guy.

Facts

So I was reading a news story today about a man in NYC who plunged 40 stories, landed atop a car, and survived. (Apparently, he survived thanks to the rosary beads in the car he landed on; he’s in critical condition so if he dies, I suppose we can blame his death on the rosary beads too?) Anyway, this story didn’t strike me as particularly factworthy, but it reminded me of one of my all-time favorite photographs: a famous Life magazine photograph of a woman who plunged to her death from the Empire State Building in the 40′s, landed atop a car, and managed to pull off the all-too-rare feat of making a stunningly beautiful corpse. I did a search and found that Salon.Com had done a story on the woman, entitled “The Most Beautiful Suicide”. Which brings me to…

Today’s Composed Yet Truly Morbid Fact!

The 102 story landmark, Empire State Building has been the launching pad for 31 successful suicides. Some say as many as 36 people have leaped to their death from the famed structure. The first suicide jumper fell to his death landing on the 86th floor soon after the building had opened. Sixteen more suicides occurred during the period of 1932 to 1947. In one suicide the body struck a pedestrian on the street below seriously injuring her. One 23-year old woman leaped from the building and her body struck a United Nations limousine below. The incident resulted in a famous Life Magazine photograph by Robert Wiles.

The photo ran a couple of weeks later in LIFE – magazine accompanied by the following caption and story:

At the bottom of the Empire State Building the body of Evelyn Mchale reposes calmly in a Grotesque Bier, Her Falling Body Punched Into the Top of a Car. On May Day, just after leaving her fiancé, 23-year-old Evelyn McHale wrote a note. ‘He is much better off without me … I wouldn’t make a good wife for anybody’ … Then she crossed it out. She went to the observation platform of the Empire State Building. Through the mist she gazed at the street, 86 floors below. Then she jumped. In her desperate determination she leaped clear of the setbacks and hit a United Nations limousine parked at the curb. Across the street photography student Robert Wiles heard an explosive crash. Just four minutes after Evelyn McHale’s death Wiles got this picture of death’s violence and its composure.

Culled from: Salon.Com

Facts

It’s always a rare occasion when I can feature a morbid fact that has personal significance to me and today’s fact is just such one occasion. I grew up in Butte County, California, and, as you might expect, frequented the cemeteries of the area. One of my favorites is Clear Creek Cemetery – a tiny pioneer-era graveyard along Clark Road just south of my hometown of Paradise. One of the gravestones in the cemetery has always intrigued me – a modern stone that commemorates the Lewis children, Jimmy and Johnny, with the inscription, “Killed by Mill Creek Indians”. I always wondered the full story of the 1863 murders and my friend, author David Kulczyk, satiated my curiosity by detailing the tale in his excellent 2009 tome, Death In California.

Today’s Notorious Yet Truly Morbid Fact!

The notorious Mill Creek Indians, led by a cruel, six-toed native called Bigfoot, began vicious attacks in the early summer of 1863; the most despicable was the abduction and subsequent murder of the Lewis children on July 5 or 6 of that year.

Sam Lewis owned a ranch near Dry Creek off Cherokee Road. His children – eleven-year-old Jimmy, nine-year-old Arenia, and six-year-old Johnny – left their school together, along with their teacher and a couple of other students. They parted ways at Littlefield Creek. Little Johnny wasn’t old enough to go to school, but Mrs. Lewis had allowed the little boy to go with his siblings that day.

Stopping for a drink of water, Jimmy was shot and fell face first into the water. Natives sprung out of the bushes and threw heavy rocks onto his lifeless body, while his sister and little brother trembled in fear.

A group of ten natives grabbed the surviving two children and headed for the hills, with Chief Bigfoot leading them. They forced the barefooted children to run through the rocky terrain, until they came to Nance Canyon, where they camped for the night. Arenia cuddled her little brother throughout the chilly night.

They left the camp early in the morning, and when Johnny started crying, four of the Mill Creek Indians took the little boy away and killed him. They rejoined the band, wearing his clothes.

After crossing several creeks, the band came across some of Captain Bidwell’s cattle. They killed one and ate strips of meat raw. After making moccasins from the cowhide, the natives were ready to start hiking again, taking much of the beef along with them, but only after two of the natives expressed their desire to tear Arenia’s two gold earrings out of her ear. The girl took the earrings out, causing the two natives to fight over who would get them. Arenia settled the matter by handing each of them an earring.

The native in charge of Arenia was crippled, and he was additionally encumbered by the stolen meat. He told the girl that he had been shot by a white man. The two lagged farther and farther behind the rest of the group and when they got to Big Chico Creek, Arenia asked if she could sit down. The lame native told her yes, but he told her he would shoot her if she moved off the boulder that she was sitting on. As soon as the natives were out of sight, Arenia rolled off the rock and scurried through the brush and down a creek. As she hid in the water, she could hear the natives looking for her. They eventually gave up and Arenia ran to the nearby Thomasson Ranch and safety.

After her ordeal, Arenia Lewis changed her name to Thankful. She lived to a ripe old age, marrying three times.

Culled from: Death In California by David Kulczyk

While I was back home visiting my family last February, I took an excursion to the cemetery with my Holga and took a shot of the Lewis grave. Unfortunately, the focus was off so the gravestone is not legible, but you can get a sense of the beautiful, lonely atmosphere of the cemetery, in any event. Next time I go back home, I’ll be sure to get a better shot of the grave.

Oh, and I’ll have a full review of Death In California tomorrow.

Facts

Today’s Questioning Yet Truly Morbid Fact!

Famous Last Words: On her deathbed in 1946, American writer Gertrude Stein asked, “What is the answer?” When no answer was given, she laughed and said, “In that case, what is the question?”

Culled from: Death: A History Of Man’s Obsessions and Fears

Facts

Today’s Legendary Yet Truly Morbid Fact!

The facts: On August 27, 1891, a passenger train jumped the tracks on a tall bridge near Statesville, North Carolina, sending seven rail cars below and about 30 people to their deaths. The legend: On the wreck’s anniversary, the sounds of screeching wheels, screaming passengers and a horrific crash might still be heard. You might also see a uniformed man with a gold watch. Shortly before 3 a.m. Friday (8/27/10), on the 119th anniversary of the Bostian Bridge train tragedy and at about the same time, between 10 and 12 ghost hunters were on that approximately 300-foot long span. They were hoping to hear the sounds of the crash, and perhaps see something. Instead, a real Norfolk-Southern train — three engines and one car — turned the corner as it headed east to Statesville, about 35 miles north of Charlotte, authorities said. The terrified “amateur ghost watchers” ran away, back toward Statesville, trying to cover the nearly 150 feet to safety, said Iredell County Sheriff’s Office Capt. Darren Campbell. All but two made it. Christopher Kaiser, 29, of Charlotte, was struck and killed. A woman who witnesses say Kaiser pushed to safety fell about 30 to 40 feet from the trestle and was injured. Her name and condition were not known Friday night. She was being treated at Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte. “There was no way out, said Campbell. “They almost made it.” The engineer of the train, which was traveling at its customary 35 to 40 mph, hit the horn and “stopped as fast as he could”. A woman who did not want to be identified, but who was part of the group of onlookers, told CNN affiliate WCNC, “We were there looking for what people say happened. You hear the train wreck or hear people screaming. We were just watching.”

Culled from: CNN

Can’t wait to hear the EVP’s and see the videos for *that* ghost hunt. Way more fruitful than a normal one, that’s for sure.

Facts

(Yeah, I’m back… did ya miss me?)

Today’s Exasperating Yet Truly Morbid Fact!

Have you ever heard of Fox’s Book Of Martyrs? It’s a circa-1563 morbid delight – tale after tale of early Christians suffering imaginatively brutal fatalities. It’s online for your perusal… and here’s a taste.

Timothy was the celebrated disciple of St. Paul, and bishop of Ephesus, where he zealously governed the church till A. D. 97. At this period, as the pagans were about to celebrate a feast called Catagogion, Timothy, meeting the procession, severely reproved them for their ridiculous idolatry, which so exasperated the people, that they fell upon him with their clubs, and beat him in so dreadful a manner, that he expired of the bruises two days after.

Culled from: Fox’s Book Of Martyrs by John Foxe
Generously submitted by: Louise

It’s also available from The Library Eclectica if you’d prefer a copy of your own, complete with woodprints of the tortures. (That is, if you want to help the Comtesse out by buying it through her store.)

Facts

Today’s Striking Yet Truly Morbid Fact!

On December 28, 2006, a ball-style trailer hitch killed 32-year-old Sean O’Shea of Encinitas, California, when it bounced up from the roadway and through his windshield, striking him in the head before coming to rest in his vehicle’s back cargo area. The 5 or 6 pound hitch either fell off a truck or came off the back of a vehicle.

Culled from: Snopes.Com
Generously submitted by: Paradox

Facts

Here’s another excerpt from a fascinating book I’m currently reading called “Curse Of The Narrows” which is about the horrifying munitions ship blast that devastated Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1917:

Today’s Flying Yet Truly Morbid Fact!

Dorothy Lloyd and her sister Dolly arrived at the school grounds panting and out of breath, asking about their sisters Margaret and Hilda. The four sisters had been caught up in the blast, which then dropped them briefly to the ground. This did not strike Dorothy as nearly as unusual as the long pieces of tubing tumbling above them. “Dolly, look at the stove pipes flying in the air.” “Those aren’t stove pipes,” Dolly corrected her. “They’re sailors.”

Culled from: Curse of the Narrows

Facts

Here’s another excerpt from a fascinating book I’m currently reading called “Curse Of The Narrows” which is about the horrifying munitions ship blast that devastated Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1917:

Today’s Horrifying Yet Truly Morbid Fact!

Sixteen-year-old Elizabeth Fraser arrived at her house on Roome Street shortly after nine. No sooner had she arrived… than she awoke in the yard, confused. People were screaming and everyone she saw was covered in blood. Looking south, she saw the fire start to take hold near her parents’ house… and she started running, but found it tough to see through her tears. On Gottingen Street she passed her father. “I saw my poor father, down on all fours crawling like an animal, moaning and crying, but I did not stop. I had to get home even though I expected to find them all dead. My path was strewn with debris of all sorts, fallen wires and trees, and even dead bodies.” When she arrived home she found her mother, seven sisters, and an aunt lying on the ground. She did not see her brother Arthur. The women appeared disoriented, unable to answer her questions, barely able to speak. The house was flattened. “Mother, where is Arthur?” Maude Fraser pointed to the ruins… [Elizabeth] turned to her mother but stopped in horror. “I saw my aunt, who was expecting a baby, dragging her little six-year-old boy by the hand. Her eyes were both blown out of her head and she was telling him to hurry; he was dead but she did not know it.”

Culled from: Curse of the Narrows

Can you imagine a more horrifying sight? Now there’s a memory that a 24-pack won’t wash away!

Facts

I’m back from a short trip back home to Catatonia, and on the plane home I began reading a fascinating book called “Curse Of The Narrows” which is about the horrifying munitions ship blast that devastated Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1917. I thought I’d share some excerpts as I go

Today’s Explosive Yet Truly Morbid Fact!

On December 6, 1917 in Halifax, Nova Scotia, a munitions ship (the Mont Blanc) collided with a vessel in the Narrows of the harbor, triggering a catastrophic fire and explosion that destroyed much of the city and killed over 1,600 people. Altogether 2,925 tons or 5.85 million pounds of powder exploded, giving off over 9,000 degrees (F) of heat. All 6,880,627 pounds of the Mont Blanc‘s iron hull shot up over a thousand feet, roiling within the initial flame ball until much of it vaporized. The air blast blew through the narrow streets, toppling buildings and crashing through windows, doors, walls, and chimneys until it slowed to 756 miles an hour. The blast crushed internal organs, exploding lungs and eardrums of those standing closest to the ship, most of whom died instantly. It picked up others, only to thrash them against trees, walls, and lampposts with enough force to kill them. Roofs and ceilings collapsed on top of their owners. Floors dropped into the basement and trapped families under timber, beams, and furniture. This was particularly dangerous for those close to the harbor because a fireball, which was invisible in the daylight, shot out over a 1/2 to 3/4 mile area surrounding the Mont Blanc. Richmond houses caught fire like so much kindling. In houses able to withstand the blast, windows stretched inward until the glass shattered around its weakest point, sending out a shower of arrow-shaped slivers that cut their way through curtains, wallpaper, and walls. The glass spared no one. Some people were beheaded where they stood; others were saved by a falling bed or bookshelf. It pierced the faces and upper chests of anyone unlucky enough to be standing in front of a window. Many people reported passing out. Many others who had watched the fire seconds before awoke to find themselves unable to see.

Culled from: Culled from: Curse of the Narrows

Facts