Mexico weekly ledger., 1884-01-17
PONY CLUB RACKET,
Resulting D%isastrously to Practical
Joker.

= ~
DUoUoIS, ILL.,, Jan. l1.-News
reached here to-day of a sad affair
that occurred at the little town of
Frankfort, in Franklin county, We'd
nesday night, in which the efforts of
a party of practical jokers resulted
d~isastrously to one of them. 1t ap-
pears that some of ''the boys" ar
ranged to have a little fun at the ex-
pense of r. +. Carter. Having per-
fected their plans. Sam Wayne in
vited Carter to go out and ''have a
time They visited the house of
Thomas Hammill. Here is where the
joke vas to be played that was ex-
pected to brighten Carter out of a
years growth. They knocked at
Hammili's door, and a voice inside
inquired, "Who's there?' The on
ly reply vas more loud knocking on
the outside. Again Hammill called
out, "Who is it and what do you
want?" Receiving no answer, Ham
mill suddenly threw open the door
and began to shoot blank cartridges
at Wayne and Carter. Wayne, pre-
tending to be badly scared, ran as if
for life. Carter took a different view
of the situation. He didn't stop to
reason with the man who was shoot
ing at him, or to give Or ask an ex-
plantation. He simply saw that, as
he believed, his life was in jeopardy,
and acted on the first impulse. As
the second report of Hammill's pis-
tol rang out, it was replied to by q
well-directed shot from a 3S-calibre
revolver which Carter brought into
reQuisition. The bullet struck Ham.
mill in the jaw. and was immediate.
ly followed by a second shot from
Carter's pistol that lodged a bullet Ii
Hammill's neck. Seeing Hammil
fall, Carter stopped shooting an6
commenced shouting, soon drawing
a crowd to the scene. Latest news
from Frankfort was that Hammill
was still alive, but his wounds wer,
considered mortal.
,, We thought the above referred tt
Robert E. Carter, of this city, bu
in answer to a telegram to TIN
Sheriff the reply was received tina
there was no shooting done as allow
stated.
Twenty years ago last Tuesday
January LIST, 1864, the heaviest snow
that ever visited Missouri, at leas
within the memory of its inhabitants
began. The average depth woult
have been several feet, hut the wint
that prevailed at the time blew tn
snow into immense drifts, so tina
weeks afterwards sleighs, wagons ant
! horsemen passed yer the tops of tn
, tallesu fences on the surface. A yer
similar, but not quite so extensive
, storm began on the 7th Of January
o 1855, and prevailed for several days
= the wind blowing a gale all the tim
and tossing the snow into drifts tbs
: INSTRUCTED the wagon reads, in som
o cases covering houses, barns an
other outbuildings. On the LIST @
January, 1884 another storm set i
that has visited a very large porto
of the country, and, though not S
destructive "a either of the others,
worthy of record. The seasons TO
lowing the other two storms, lS5
and 1864, we're remarkable for the;
) productiveness, as the springs AM
N summers proceeding had been fl
+ their scanty vegetable yield. If til
" above suggests q rule, we shout
II have a fruitful harvest in the comm
e summer and autumn.-Moberl
Monitor.
Important Measure.
a To the Editor of the Ledger:
=, MEXICO, Mo-, January lei hay
prepared the following bill for th