I learned about this via a RadioLab podcast episode. interesting listen <a href="http://www.radiolab.org/story/312245-rodney-versus-death/" rel="nofollow">http://www.radiolab.org/story/312245-rodney-versus-death/</a>
If you're more interested in this, this book is great: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Rabid-Cultural-History-Worlds-Diabolical/dp/0143123572" rel="nofollow">http://www.amazon.com/Rabid-Cultural-History-Worlds-Diabolic...</a><p>There's a whole chapter about just this case.