Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1876-03-09
INCIDENTS AND ACCIDENTS.

"A little girl, the daughter of Mr.
Wise, living at Utica, Miss, was acct
dcntally shot and killed few days ago,
by her sister. An old pistol had been
lying ABOUT the house, with which the
children were in the habit If playing; an
Older brother loaded the pistol and left u
on the mantel-piece; the little girls got
hold OF this loaded pistol and were play
ing with it, as usual, unconscious of dan
ger; the cap exploded, and the contents OF
the pistG, were lodged in the younger
child's head, killing it instantly.
The following is specimen-lie from
Kentucky: "A couple during their en-
gagement exchanged rings. The BRIDE
elect took off her ring at one time, and
was never able TO find it aftcrward. As
its disappearance was very mysterious,
she came to the conclusion that it must
have been carried away by the rats, as the
latter were very numerous on the premi.
ses. After the lady and gentleman had
been married about two years they decided
to clear the place of the pests, hence a
thorough search was instituted, when,
" 10 and behold" rat was found with
the identical gold ring around its neck.
Its head was as large as a full grown rats,
hut its body was very small. 1t is sup
posed that an old rat had taken the ring
and carried it to her nest to adorn the
neck of her little darling, the latter's head
growing too rapidly to ever lose it off. y
Here is a blood -curdling story of a
maniac and his adventures. Mr.. John
Atwater, of Westfeld, Mass, became
suddenly crazed from financial troubles,
few nights ago, and, leaping from his
bed in semi-nude condition, ran mile
To the house of Mr.. Charles Lord, where
he encountered huge and savage watch
dog. Maniac and beast entered into a
fierce combat, which lasted until Mr.. Lord
came to the door, when the crazy man
rushed into the house. The owner, sup
posing the intruder to be robber, was
about TO strike him down with al AK, but
the pleading of the demented human, who
was then bleeding from many wounds,
stayed the stroke. Springing away from
Mr. Lord, the lunatic rushed into the
chamber, and, diving into a bed occupied
by little child, covered down beneath
the coverings. Friends soon came for
the poor man, and he was taken away
only to be conveyed to the nearest asylum
for the insane, where he is at present-a
raving mailman.
Sam Ryan, an itinerant and intempcr-
ate banjo picker, says the Denver Nens,
who used TO gain precarious living by
titilating catgut for drinks and sand
witches in this and neighboring towns,
persisted in a singular manner, the other
day, near Fort Union, New Mexico. He
undertook TO cross an aroya, and, being
too drunk to walk, fell and was soon
buried under the white sand, which was
drifting badly before strong wind. Thus
he was literally buried alive, and smoth-
cred to death. When found only one foot
was projecting from under the sand.
Ryan was recently following his occupa-
ton Of banjo playing in Las Animas, and,
going on drunken spree, and making
himself disagreeable and obnoxious, he
was held up on an auction block and sold
to the highest bidder. The bid was ten
cents, which was increased to fifty, when
a kind hearted ranchman, seeing a specu-
lation in Ryan if he could only be got
sober, offered seventy five cents, and the
poor inebriate was knocked down" 10
him. He soon after sobered up and took
passage on bull-uain for New Mexico.