Bizzarre Friday

With all the famous deaths in the news, I thought today would be a good time to highlight a few others.

I'm sure all my readers know once a woman gets married, things change and she is in charge. This is nothing new - it happened way back in the times of Attila the Hun.

I wonder how many of you remember Attila the Hun from your history books in school?


Attila the Hun died on his wedding night. Hard to believe such a nice guy would die on his wedding night, don't you think?

He did, after all, die under mysterious circumstances.

Sometime after his marriage, Attila’s nose began to bleed excessively, and he died in a blood-loss induced trance.

Rumor has it his wife was displeased and smacked him in the nose.



Fast forward to 1923 and Frank Hayes.

Not a household name, huh? Well, Frank Hayes was a jockey.


Frank Hayes was a jockey who, in 1923, suffered a fatal heart attack in the midst of a race at Belmont Park in New York.

His horse, Sweet Kiss, finished and won the race with his lifeless body still atop, making him the first, and thus far, only jockey to win a race after death.

Belmont Park was the scene on June 4, 1923. Jockey F. Hayes, riding a sterling finish on Sweet Kiss, a famous steeplechaser, was stricken with heart failure as he charged into the stretch in the lead. To the spectators it appeared as if Hayes with victory assured, was hand-riding his mount in the closing stages, slumped as he was over the horse's neck. Sweet Kiss had hardly crossed the finish line, however, when Hayes toppled from the saddle. All rules were waved by the Jockey Club in this instance, the result being declared official without the customary formality of weighing in.

The New York Times reported that Hayes was an apprentice and "...the attack probably [was] brought on by severe training to make weight and the subsequent excitement of riding his first winner." The 22-year-old jockey was buried in his racing silks three days later.

Which proves the theory that the horse is actually much more important than the jockey.

Rumor is that Sweet Kiss was the mother to two other would-be racing horses but no jockey would ride them. They were named Dead On Arrival and Kiss Of Death.



Maybe more of you are familiar with Tennessee Williams.


Do you remember how he bought it?

Williams died on February 24, 1983. The famous writer died a ridiculously unnecessary death in the Hotel Elysee in New York City after choking on…no, not food…but on the cap to his eye drop bottle.

Williams liked to put the cap of the bottle in his mouth, tilt his head back, and drop the refreshing eye liquid in.

Rumor has it there was some alcohol involved prior to the eye treatment.



OK I am working up to the last two entries that I think are the best.

And now the runner up on ways to buy it:

Isadora Duncan

Duncan was one of fashion's most famous victims when in 1927, her signature long flowing scarves became entangled in the rotor of the car in which she was riding. She was pulled from her seat, and her neck was snapped as her body was dragged along the cobblestone street in France.

Those darn cobblestone streets.



Drum roll please..... and for the grand finale:

Felix Faure

Who was Felix Faure you ask? Felix Faure was president of France.

How do you think he bought it?

In 1895, he had the life literally sucked out of him.

He was in his presidential office receiving oral sex from an actress (not a secretary, as more contemporary presidents prefer) when he passed away.

Police at the scene were overheard saying "That's the way to go."

The police are always right.

Have a great weekend.