The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1884-08-01

vent to 1t and tried to pull il open.
Failing in this be fired through the door
and hit Mr.. Gould in the head, killing
him instantly-a fate that many will
say he none too richly deserved.
Another equally foolish case comes
from Fort Lawrence, Nova Scotia. A
young man named Chapman was pass
ing a graveyard during the month of
December, 1880. when suddenly two
ghost-like figures rushed out upon him.
Without being any more suspicious than
other people he mistook them for gen.
uine ghosts, and proceeded at once to
go crazy, and is now in q lunatic
asylum.
BILL TAYLOR's FooLIsHNEss.
William Taylor. a railroad engineer
on the Allegheny Valley Railroad. was
standing beside the railroad track one
afternoon in June, 1881, in Lawrence
vile, Pa. His wife stood beside him,
and when her back was turned the low
ing husband fastened railroad torpedo
on the track, and, jumping on his en-
CINE, started off, The wheels passed
over the torpedo and exploded it, but
portion of the metal entered his wife's
leg, causing a severe wound from which
her death resulted. Thus he paid for
his fun.
FRIGHTENED TO DEATH.
In January, 1882, an able negro
shipped from Mozambique, in the bark
Felix, bound for Marseilles. The sailors
found that the negro had never been to
sea before, and they thought to have
little fun by telling him that French
men relished eating negroes. Snow"
said they, "when we reach Marseilles
you will be roasted and eaten" The
negro implicitly believed it. and the
story so preyed upon his mind that just
before the bark sighted Marseilles the
colored sailor rushed to the bulwarks,
and before help could reach him, jumped
overheard and was drowned. Another
case was that of young Italian, Pietro
Francis, who having Only been in the
country week. procured employment
as laborer in New York City at the
foot of Sixty-fourth street. He was
quiet and inoflensive. and so his fellow
workmen thought to tease him. Hav-
ing worked hard all one morning, he
fell asleep at the noon hour, after hav-
ing eaten his noon meal. This was just
the opportunity his devilish companions
wanted, and they began pelting him
with pieces of earth. Not being able
to wake the sleeping Italian one of his
companions wheeled hand-truck along
side of him for the purpose of dumping
one of his companions upon him. The
barrow was rolled up toward the labor
er and the wheel struck his temple, in
fiicting a severe wound. from which,
being removed to the hospital, he died
at nine that night.
CONCLUSION.
There is no end to the practical Jokes
that have been played and resulted I'M
fortunately. from the man who put his
friends eye out with loaded cigar to
the thousand and one confidence men
AMI women with balderdash advertise
ments for clap-trap humbugs, although
they sink beneath the dignity of prac-
teal jokers, and deserve rather to be
classed as swindlerS.
Theodore Hook once suggested as an
excellent practical joke the tying of a
piece of fresh raw meat on every door
knob in street, so that when the
hungry dog came along and grabbed
for it he would pull the bell, which
would of course arouse the master, iu-
dignaut at being called at SO early an
hour. This Incompatible practical
joker and wag once set an entire street
in an uproar, had the police called out
and riot alarm rung in by writing
several thousand letters to as many
tradesmen in London to call at a GER
tain hour in the morning at very quiet
house in one of the most respectable
streets in London. They all came with
their wares at the appointed time, and
before seen. One brewer, who went
with several casks of ale, had them
broken open and the contents drank by
the mob, which only made a scene of in
confusion. until Bond street !
officers and special policemen were
called to quell the disturbance.-Cin-
cinnah Enquirer.