Louisiana capitolian. (Baton Rouge, La.) 1879-1881, 1881-08-02
A DOUBLE.BARRELED JOKE.
San Francisco Post.

San FRANCISCO fust.
The other evening, around at McG0v-
ern's saloon, the boys were putting up
an elaborate practical joke on some
body, and they asked old Capt. skiddy,
who had just happened in, to take a
hand.
''No, gentlemen" said that estimable
old citizen, decisively; "you don't catch
me taking part in any practical jokes.
/ went out of that business for good
over ten years ago"
Show was that ~ asked the group OF
beer exterminators.
"Well, it was in the winter OTTO,
maybe II. l was living in Davenport,
Iowa, and man came round there
giving balloon ascensions. One day it
was advertised that the mayor OF the
town was gong up with him. Now, the
mayor was big, fat man, who always
wore light suit of clothes and q white
hat This put me in the notion Of work
ing off q joke on the people. ] got ac-
guainted with the aronaut, and he
agreed to assist me in the scheme. We
then got an old suit of light clothes and
fixed up a dummy, which we filed with
sand, so that it weighed about 200, and
would, therefore, drop straight and
heavy like man. The day Of the as
cension there was over 80, 900 people on
the ground, and the excitement was
very great, as there was light wind
blowing at the time. After the balloon
got up about a mile, and maybe that
far south of the town, they dropped the
dummy over"
Big sensation then, oh !"
swell, / should say so. But that's
Just where lost my grip. While the
crowd was shouting and going wild will
horror, l just laid down on the ground
rolled over and laughed until / was''jus
sick"
"Should think the crowd would hav
taken tumble, too, suggested the an
dience.
"But lust wait. OF course the GROVE
made break out of town to scrape n
! the remains, and l rushed home to &c
my fishing tackle, for it struck me tina
the most healthy thing ! could d
would be to- 60 fishing for day or two
Before left the house, however, l wa
arrested for murder"
'sFor murders"
Exactly. A lot Of the boys, accom-
panied by the Sheriff, rushed in an
collared me. They claimed that tn
dummy had fallen on farmer an
driven his skull clear into the heels {
his boots. They said that the balloon
attic had turned States evidence, an
the chances were Id be hung by a mo
before night"
"That was rough"
'Well, so / thought, | was just scare
plum to death, and begged the boys
stand by and protect me. pended L
$50 for legal expenses, and they hid n
in garrett of a neighbours house. The
kept me there ten blessed days, az
there wasn't day but they struck II
3 for a twenty or two for contengencie
One night the whole gang came arour
full of beer-on my money, mind you
and said that they had concluded, asa
Q ditional precaution, to hide me in Il
hollow of an old oak tree about thr
: miles out in the woods. saw thrOu.
: the whole business then, and drove e
: out with club. 1t was q good squa
i case of tho bitter bit, l know, but tn
never let up calling me Dummy Skidd
:. after that, until they actually run
l. out of the town, and had to emigrf
to this jumping off place ofcreation." A
the captain shook his head with a d
gusted air as he paid for his hot Scot
), and walked out.