July 03, 2012

Choked by a Billiard Ball

A singular fatality occurred on Wednesday night at a public house in Soho, London.  Some men were in the billiard-room when one of them attempted to get a billiard-ball into his mouth.  This feat he had previously accomplished and had successfully removed the ball.  This time, however, he failed to extract it, and it became fixed in his throat.  A cab was immediately fetched, but while being removed to the hospital the unfortunate fellow expired.  (Yorkshire Evening Post, November 3rd, 1893)

5 comments:

  1. This was in a movie or tv show...a guy was swallowing billard balls and then getting the back up. Another man bet that he couldn't do it again but this time the ball was chosen for him. He was given the cue ball. It's slightly larger. The man couldn't get it back up and then he died. The man who gave it to him knew it was slightly large. And I can't remember what show/movie this was in. Sounds like that scene was inspired by this.

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    Replies
    1. 1000 ways to die.

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    2. Boardwalk Empire ... Arnold Rothstein references this almost exactly in Season 1.

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