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The Times, 4 October, 1665.

Man killed by tree

A most tragic event was reported yesterday when a man was found dead beneath an apple tree. The young man, Mr Isaac Newton, was said to have had a promising future and excelled particularly in the sciences and mathematics.

Mr Newton was apparently relaxing in the shade of the tree from the surprising warmth of the autumn Sun and enjoying the peace and quiet of the surrounding area. Upon discovering the body the gardener called the local physician who rushed to the scene, but alas to no avail. Mr Newton's head had received a bruise to the forehead, possibly caused by a falling apple. It appears that the surprise resulting from this event caused the young man to topple backwards where he received fatal knock to the back of his head.

The gardener attested that the apple tree has never posed any danger in the past and was unlikely to be cut down.

Pennsylvania Gazette, 29 June, 1752.

Storm claims one life

This newspaper is sad to report the death of its former editor Mr Benjamin Franklin. Mr Franklin died after being struck by lightning during a storm near his home. Police say that nobody else was involved in the death and they are not looking for anyone in connection with their enquiries.

The circumstances surrounding the death are somewhat mysterious. It seems that Mr Franklin was attempting to fly a kite during the storm. Whether the storm blew up while the kite flying was in progress is not known. Locals say that the area is popular among kite flyers because of the wide open spaces, but that flying a kite during a storm is not generally regarded as a good idea. The main problem would be the kite being caught by the strong winds and carried away or destroyed. In this case it was the lightning that proved fatal.

There have been suggestions of foul play. The strangest part of the puzzle is the fact that Mr Franklin's door key was tied to the end of the string. Experts among the kite flying community have theorised that the handle for the kite had been broken and Mr Franklin had improvised with a key. It seems unlikely that the key could have become tangled by accident. Others suggest that someone had taken the key and tied it to the kite as a prank and that, in fact, Mr Franklin was trying to recover said key when the tragic accident occurred. A darker rumour is that Mr Franklin tied the key himself in a symbolic gesture to rid himself of earthly possessions. A rumour of suicide was quickly denied.

Whatever the outcome of the case proves to be, the newspaper industry has lost a great figure in Mr Franklin.

The Detroit News, 4 November, 1863.

Apprentice in railway death

A sixteen-year-old apprentice telegrapher was killed yesterday after being hit by a train that passed through the station where he worked. The young man, Thomas Alva Edison, known to all as Alva, was a popular figure among the staff in the telegrapher's office. He had only worked there for a short time, but was described by colleagues as a quick learner and full of ideas for improving the network.

Railway deaths are a sad part of modern life, but this story has an extra twist that makes this young man's death yet more tragic. Alva Edison was hard of hearing. His colleagues noted that this did not affect his work, but presumably affected his ability to notice the train bearing down as he crossed the track. Those at the scene said there was nothing to be done for the young man.

An ironic end to this story is that the details of the accident were transmitted to this newspaper from the very office where Mr Edison worked. It's another instance that illustrates how life must go on despite tragedies that surround us.