The Man Who Sold Death by the Bottle

In 1924, a traveling salesman appeared in small towns across America, carrying only a black suitcase and a sign:

“Guaranteed: One Death You Deserve.”

He claimed each bottle contained a custom fate — painless, poetic, or perfect. Those who bought from him were found later in strangely peaceful positions: smiling, sleeping, or surrounded by flowers out of season.

When police finally caught up, the man had vanished. Only the suitcase remained — filled with hundreds of unpaid IOUs, each signed in the buyers’ handwriting.

And one more slip of paper:

“One left — yours.”