The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1874-08-14
Haps and Mishaps.

Mrs. Shanks. living near Columbia
City. Ind. while al work In gaIuen, was
bitten by a rattlesnake. and died i'm a few
hours.
Miss Ella Johnston accidentally shot
Miss Bella White at Wellsville. Allegheny
county. y. \. Some weeks since Miss
Johnston showed courage and bravery by
driving away from her house some burg
lars, who were attempting to make an en-
trance. She was presented by her admir-
ing friends with fine revolver. Ii was
while practicing with this that il was acct
9entally discharged and Miss White NOR
tally wounded.
AT WOodside. near Springfield, H.. re-
Gently. some young people were frolicking
together. among them a sixteen-year-old
boy. named Seaman. and girl named An
derson. twelve years old. the latter Of
whom had a pistol. I'm playful mood.
the girl. not suspecting Of cour.e that the
pistol was loaded. pointed it at young Sea-
man and pulled the trigger. The pistol
went of. the bullet striking him I'm the
neck. lie died in few minutes after the
shooting.
One of the most daring acts on record
was performed one night recently by
James Bassford. a fireman on the West
Wisconsin Railroad. While running at
high rate OF speed. little three-year-old
child was seen standing on the track about
three rods ahead of the engine. The en-
gineer whistled down brakes. but the train
was too near the child 10 be stopped. AT
this critical moment Bassford ran hastily
forward 10 the pilot. and when the engine
was within three feet of the child gave a
jump. endeavoring to catch the child in
his arms and clear the track. He succeed
ed. but missed his hold. and the child fell
between the ties. and Bassford was knock
ed into the gutter. When the train finally
stopped. the child was picked up under
the tender all safe. 4 worthy testimonial
will be presented Bassford by the railroad
company and friends OF the child.
Recently. terrible affair occurred in
Lower Wakefield township. Bucks coun-
". Pa. by which two children of Mr..
John Bennett were burned To death in a
barn. Ii appears that a certain hen had
made it, nest ON the threshing-floor of the
barn. and that several attempts had been
made To force the hen 10 leave the nest.
but without avail. In discussing the mat
ter az dinner. one Of the members Of the
family je~tingly remarked that the only
way To cure the hen would be- to burn il
out. Two of Mr.. Benefits children. one
and the other ; years old. were at the
dinner-table when this remark was made.
II is supposed they took the suggestion
for truth. and acted upon L. for as soon as
they had finished their dinner. unknown
TO the family they procured matches, went
10 the barn, and sci fire to the nest upon
which the hen was sitting. The fire
spread so rapidly that the children became
frightened. and began to scream. The
mother 81 the children. hearing their cries,
fastened to ascertain the cause. When
she reached n, she found the children
standing IN the middle of the threshing-
floor. with sheet of fire separating them
from her. Rushing TO another part of the
building. in the hope Of gaining access to
them. the agonized mother found them
completely surrounded with raging flames,