|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Stumpage Reports
|
|
|
|
|
|
Thursday, November 04, 2004 :::
Latest Coolest Thing We Found At Work #582
Here is a coroner's inquest, New Hanover County, April 11 1854. These were done when somebody died under mysterious circumstances.
[scroll down]
Yeah, so what, you ask. Here's what. If you look at the cause of death in the detail below, it says "by visitation of God."
At first we thought it might be a quaint old euphemism for "natural causes," but we saw a bunch more that said "by reasons unknown to the jury," so that's what they said when they didn't know. I don't know what a visitation from God is like, but if you aren't ready, I can imagine how that would kill you.
I mentioned it to someone at work, and he said "Oh yeah, coroner's inquests are great, they're way more fun than criminal action papers."
Other cool things in the same folder: an unidentified two-week old body in the Cape Fear River, a whole boatload of about 10 people that drowned in early March, their bodies were washing up on the beach for weeks, a slave passing out drunk on the railroad tracks with expected mayhem and decapitation ensuing.
We even found the poor slob who we think may be the inspiration for the story of The Maco Light. Even though our date disagrees with most versions of the story. (That's the reason we were in those records in the first place).
Yes, yes, some days I love my job.
P.S. My boss claims to have found a death certificate where they gave the cause of death as "He just withered away."
::: posted by tom at 10:00 PM
|
|
|
|
