REMARKABLE FATALITY

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXII, Issue 19433, 20 October 1925, Page 8

REMARKABLE FATALITY

STICK EMBEDDED IN HEART. DEATH THREE DAYS LATER. With his heart penetrated and transfixed by a piece of wood, a South African native at Inyati lived for three days and was able to walk about, according to a statement made in the High Court, Bulawayo, recently. The first case on the roll of the criminal sessions had been called and a native named Siamkaptama, alias Cabbage, had pleaded guilty to culpable homicide. It was alleged that he had stabbed a native named Matibini with a stick, and that the latter died as a result three days later. Dr. Martin, the medical officer at Inyati, in reply to Mr Justice Russell, said that the deceased native had been stabbed in the heart by a sharp piece of stick which had snapped off and left a piece about three inches in length in the man’s heart. The Judge: Then the popular superstition that injury to the heart itself is immediately fatal is not correct? Dr. Martin: Well, yes. It is the most extraordinary case I have known. I have never known a man with a piece of wood, or something of the kind, in his heart to live for so long —three days —and also to be able to walk about. Replying to further questions, Dr. Martin explained that the stick embedded in the heart as it was' might have stopped the hemorrhage for some time. Mr A. E. Speight, who appeared on behalf of the Crown, stated that his view was that the accused was guilty of a not very great crime in this matter. The accused had been awakened during the night by Matibini and had been struck by him. Very naturally ho struck back and it was unfortunate that the first thing that came to his hand was the sharp-pointed stick. Matibini at the time was very drunk. Under the circumstances ho did not press for heavy punishment. Accused was told that the Crown accepted his story, and that he was sentenced to six months’ imprisonment with hard labour.