Death
Alfred Schmitz’s Casket with Internal Body Supports
A casket designed for upright burial. From Schmitz's 1975 patent:In the past, caskets and vaults have been buried in a substantially horizontal position. Burial space, especially in urban areas, is becoming more scarce. A solution to such a problem may be found in burying caskets in a substantially vertical position. With such burial techniques, the amount of space required for each burial is substantially reduced.
While previously known caskets could be buried vertically, rather than horizontally, it should be realized that their use might be found distasteful by those who have been close to the party to be buried. An objection to the use of prior caskets may be found in the fact that in prior caskets generally there is nothing to support the body against shifting toward the foot end of the casket when buried in an upright position. Thus, if a conventional casket is tipped upright the body would slump to the foot end of the casket.
Related post: Upright Burial
Posted By: Alex - Thu Oct 21, 2021 -
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Category: Death, Inventions, Patents, 1970s
Japanese Encoffiner Contest 2016
I had no more luck than Alex in searching for "Miss Metallic Casket." But I did find a Japanese competition for "encoffiners."
Posted By: Paul - Thu Sep 23, 2021 -
Comments (3)
Category: Body, Contests, Races and Other Competitions, Conventions, Death, Asia
Yes, It’s True!
Really! It's true! It wasn't just a fantastical rumor! Metallic caskets are available again!
Springfield Daily News - Apr 14, 1946
Incidentally, I came across this ad after reading a 1948 article by columnist Doris Lockerman in which she wrote that, "It was reported, but not confirmed, that a convention of morticians once crowned a Miss Metallic Casket."
This led me to a long, and ultimately fruitless, search for any evidence of a 'Miss Metallic Casket'. The above ad was the only minor curiosity related to metallic caskets that I came across.
I'm wondering if the rumor of a 'Miss Metallic Casket' may somehow have been inspired by the pin-up girl calendar that a mortuary released in 1948, which caused a bit of a scandal.
Posted By: Alex - Wed Sep 22, 2021 -
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Category: Death, Advertising, 1940s
Unlikely Reasons for Murder No. 6
From the ST. JOSEPH NEWS-PRESS, August 4, 1924
Posted By: Paul - Sun Sep 19, 2021 -
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Category: Crime, Death, 1920s, Russia
Isaac Parker, the Hanging Judge
His Wikipedia page tells us:Parker became known as the "Hanging Judge" of the American Old West, because he sentenced numerous convicts to death.[1] In 21 years on the federal bench, Judge Parker tried 13,490 cases. In more than 8,500 of these cases, the defendant either pleaded guilty or was convicted at trial.[2] Parker sentenced 160 people to death; 79 were executed.
Read a memoir that appeared two years after his death at this link.
Posted By: Paul - Fri Sep 17, 2021 -
Comments (2)
Category: Death, History, Wild West and US Frontier, Law, Books, Nineteenth Century
The Death of Pierre Beaumard
1979: To help cure his shyness around women, Pierre Beaumard's therapist had him lie sandwiched between two mattresses. This was meant to simulate the womb. Four people then walked on top of the mattresses to "stamp out his complexes". Beaumard died of suffocation.I'm skeptical about whether this story is true. For some reason it makes my BS spidey sense tingle. It was definitely reported in papers as legitimate news, but it's been known to happen that reporters will hear an urban legend or joke and then (knowingly or not) put it out on the wire services as a true story. I'm suspicious that's what happened here. I'd believe it more if I could find an original French source, which I can't.
The Santa Clarita Signal - May 27, 1979
The Ottawa Citizen - May 17, 1979
Posted By: Alex - Sun Sep 05, 2021 -
Comments (2)
Category: Death, Psychology, 1970s
Crocodile Teasing at the Sriracha Tiger Zoo
The head in mouth bit comes after the four-minute mark.The Wikipedia page.
Posted By: Paul - Thu Aug 26, 2021 -
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Category: Animals, Death, Fairs, Amusement Parks, and Resorts, Asia
Please Kill Me
Unsolved after 20 years, and from what I can see, unsolved to the present day.Source for first clipping: Joplin Globe (Joplin, Missouri) 11 Nov 1948, Thu Page 4
Source for second clipping: The Emporia Gazette (Emporia, Kansas)17 Aug 1968, Sat Page 11
Posted By: Paul - Wed Aug 25, 2021 -
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Category: Death, Unsolved Mysteries, 1940s, North America
The Reid Flying Submarine
More pix and article here.
It wasn't a high-tech machine, despite its abilities. In the air it was powered by a 65 horsepower four-cylinder Lycoming engine. While underwater a 1-horsepower electric motor provided propulsion. Conversion from aircraft to submarine was a clumsy affair. The pilot first had to remove the propeller, and then cover the engine pylon with a rubber diving bell to keep the engine dry. The pilot used an aqualung to breathe. Maximum depth was roughly 10 to 12 ft (3.5 metres).
From THE SATURDAY EVENING POST for January 1, 1966.
Posted By: Paul - Sat Aug 21, 2021 -
Comments (1)
Category: Death, Disasters, Inventions, Oceans and Maritime Pursuits, Air Travel and Airlines, 1960s
Unlikely Reasons for Murder No. 5
Suicide is self-murder, and offing oneself because your murderous insurance scam has come unraveled seems a bit more unlikely than accepting the punishment. Extra points given for swallowing poison in front of the cops. How did he have it so handy?
Source: The Daily Journal (Commerce, Texas) 09 Nov 1956, Fri Page 1
Posted By: Paul - Thu Aug 19, 2021 -
Comments (5)
Category: Death, Suicide, Scams, Cons, Rip-offs, and General Larceny, Stupid Criminals, 1950s
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| Alex Boese Alex is the creator and curator of the Museum of Hoaxes. He's also the author of various weird, non-fiction, science-themed books such as Elephants on Acid and Psychedelic Apes. Paul Di Filippo Paul has been paid to put weird ideas into fictional form for over thirty years, in his career as a noted science fiction writer. He has recently begun blogging on many curious topics with three fellow writers at The Inferior 4+1. Contact Us |