Life-Moments
from the 1800s
Richard Parker Robert Fallon Joseph Aigner
Richard Parker
In the 19th century, the famous horror writer, Egdar Allan Poe, wrote a book called ‘The narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym’.
It was about four survivors of a shipwreck who were in an open boat for many days before they decided to kill and eat the cabin boy whose name was Richard Parker.
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Some years later, in 1884, the yawl, Mignonette, foundered, with only four survivors, who were in an open boat for many days.
Eventually the three senior members of the crew, killed and ate the cabin boy. The name of the cabin boy was Richard Parker.”
Robert Fallon
In 1858, Robert Fallon was shot dead, an act of vengeance by those with whom he was playing poker.
Fallon, they claimed, had won the $600 pot through cheating. With Fallon’s seat empty and none of the other players willing to take the now-unlucky $600, they found a new player to take Fallon’s place and staked him with the dead man’s $600.
By the time the police had arrived to investigate the killing, the new player had turned the $600 into $2,200 in winnings.
The police demanded the original $600 to pass on to Fallon’s next of kin – only to discover that the new player turned out to be Fallon’s son, who had not seen his father in seven years!
Source: 17 Chilling Real-Life Coincidences You Won’t Believe Are Actually True
Originally quoted in: Ripley’s Giant Book of Believe It or Not!
Joseph Aigner
Joseph Aigner was a fairly well-known portrait painter in 19th century Austria who, apparently, was quite an unhappy fellow: he several times attempted suicide.
His first attempt was at the young age of 18 when he tried to hang himself, but was interrupted by the mysterious appearance of a Capuchin monk.
At age 22 he again tried to hang himself, but was again saved from the act by the very same monk.
Eight years later, his death was ordained by others who sentenced him to the gallows for his political activities. Once again, his life was saved by the intervention of the same monk.
At age 68, Aiger finally succeeded in suicide, a pistol doing the trick. His funeral ceremony was conducted by the same Capuchin monk – a man whose name Aiger never even knew.
