Then was it a cordless phone?
No, it would have needed a telephone line too.
Not cellular. A cordless phone like this:
…Okay, actually I take that back. I had always assumed that all telephones took electricity, but I just learned that’s not true. I feel dumb now. It would have been a regular old-fashioned landline, only needing the phone line.
Don’t feel dumb. They do use electricity; it’s just that the electricity comes from the telephone line and not a wall socket.
Was she on a stage?
Was she doing a play or making a movie?
If so: was it her real-life death or the death of her character?
Did Mary have a disability or illness? She had an illness, but it’s not very important
But she wasn’t murdered and didn’t commit suicide and didn’t have
an incurable disease ? No murder, no suicide. She did die of an illness.
I’m confused.
The cause of death is not important. Mary died of pneumonia, for what it’s worth, but if she’d been trampled by angry wildebeests it wouldn’t change the solution.
Was she on a stage? No
Was she doing a play or making a movie? No
If so: was it her real-life death or the death of her character? She died for real
Earlier in this thread, someone asked if the alleged phone was in her house, or a hotel, or a hospital. These would all be perfectly normal places to find a working landline. But this isn’t normal.
Does it happen before 1940?
Before 1920?
Before 1900?
Before 1880?
Before the telephone was invented?
Is the story unusual because there weren’t any phones then? Or just the beginning of the industry, and they were still rare?
Does it happen before 1940?
Before 1920? 1910
Before 1900?
Before 1880?
Before the telephone was invented? No
Is the story unusual because there weren’t any phones then? Or just the beginning of the industry, and they were still rare? No
Were there ramifications of her not having her phone plugged in that affected others?
No.
Was she outdoors?
In a car?
Under water?
In a public place?
Was it “her” phone in the sense that it actually belonged to her?
Or “hers” in the sense that she was using it at the time?
Was she outdoors? Not exactly
In a car? No
Under water? No
In a public place? I guess you could call it that? You can go visit. More precisely, you can visit just outside.
Was it “her” phone in the sense that it actually belonged to her? No
Or “hers” in the sense that she was using it at the time? More like happened to be near it at the time.
In a cemetery?
Was she (allegedly) buried alive?
She wasn’t buried alive, but this is close enough to call it. Mary Baker Eddy was rumored to have had a telephone installed in her tomb. When I learned that, it struck me not only how strange the rumor was, but how easy it was to word it in a way that sounded totally unremarkable.
Congratulations, SurrenderDorothy!
Nice one Ana_Byrd!
Hope this one is enjoyable, or at least you find the story interesting once it’s uncovered. I’ll start with a fictional backstory and bold the real life puzzle.
Some old military types were drinking at a bar, quite an international group, and were swapping stories. The discussion led to tales of their countries’ highly celebrated soldiers, not the famous generals, but the more rank and file members who are still talked about decades later. Audie Murphy, Mad Jack Churchill, and others were discussed, with each story more incredible than the last. One veteran looked glum, however. When asked about it, his friend said “Don’t mind him, he’s not participating because his country’s most celebrated soldier was a corporal in a supply company, who is primarily remembered for loading boxes onto trucks.”
Did the boxes contain military supplies?
Did the boxes contain supplies for civilians?
Did the boxes contain people?
Did the corporal’s country fight in WWII?
Were the corporal’s celebrated actions during a war? And if so, were there members of his nation’s military fighting in that war?
Did the corporal’s actions have significance for military intelligence?
Would the corporal have known at the time the significance of his actions?
Did the corporal at the time know what was in the boxes?
Was the content of the boxes a secret?
Are nuclear weapons relevant?
Is the corporal’s country in Europe? Asia? Africa? North America? South America? Oceania?
Is “truck” here the usual meaning, an automobile with a large cargo area?
Is the fact that the corporal was a servicemember relevant to why he was celebrated and remembered?
I think I might know the answer to this so I will blur it in case I spoil people’s fun…
Was it Queen Elizabeth II?
Edit: upon a bit of Googling, I don’t think I am right, but I’ll leave it blurred as I may still be along the right lines!