Thursday, October 17, 2013

Accidental Death of John Stone of Scarborough

The following report appeared in the Newport Mercury on January 25, 1773 reporting the accident that led to the death of John Stone. The accident occurred on December 28, 1772.

Scarborough (probably a now non-existent town in Rhode Island, but it could refer to a town in Maine or New York as well).
"Last Monday morning a sorrowful accident happened at the house of Mr. William Hurman, in this town, as three of his neighbors, viz., John Stone, Paul Thompson, and John Waterhouse, were about to assist him in butchering a large hog. Waterhouse with an ax went into the pen and struck the hog on the head, in order to stick the hog, but the stroke not being effectual, the hog rose, ran between Thompson's legs, and brought him up against one corner of the pen, where in order to secure himself, he placed his arm and hand in which he held the knife over the side of the pen. Stone unfortunately came up to the place, and reaching over to seize the hog by the bristles, received the knife into his bowels, which wound put a period to his life in less than 48 hours, to the inexpressible grief and loss of his poor widow and 7 small children. Thus died a very honest, industrious member of society, who in the anguish of death, as it were wiped the tears from the eye of his neighbor that held the fateful knife."

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