Folklore, Fables, and Things that Go Bump in the Night

James Otis (b. 1725, d. 1783) is probably best known for coining the phrase “taxation without representation is tyranny.” … His sister came to visit often, and whenever she did Otis told her that he wished God would take him from this world with a lightning bolt. I guess he wanted death his to be fast, painless, and just a little dramatic. … He got his wish on May 23, 1783. While standing outside the Andover house with some family members, Otis was struck by a bolt of lightning. He died instantly. No one else was injured, and Otis’s body was not burned or damaged in any visible way.