The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1885-03-26
4 Double. Barreled Joke.

The other evening, round at McGov.
ern's, the boys were putting up 40 elabo:
rate practical joke on somebody, and
they asked ole Captain Skiddy, who had
Just happened in,, to take hand.
"No, gentlemen" said that estimable
old gentleman, derisively, "you don't
catch me taking part in any practical
jokes. l went out of that business for
good, over ten years ago."
"How was that3" asked the group of
beer exterminat0rs.
"Well, it Was in the Winter of 10;
maybe7i. / was living in Davenport,
Iowa, and man came around there Civ
ing balloon asconsions. One day it was
advertised that the mayor Of the town
WAS going up with him. Now, the mayor
of the town was big, fat man, who
always wore white suit of clothes and
white hat. This put me in the notion
of working off joke on the people: l
got atquainted with the aeronaut, and be
offered to assist me in the scheme. We
then got an old suit of light clothes and
fixed up dummy, which We filled with
sand, 80 that it weighed about two hun.
dred pounds, and would, therefore, drop
straight and heavy like man. The day
of the ascention there were over three
thousand people on the ground, and the
excitement was very great. as there was
a light wind blowing at the time. After
the balloon got up shout a mile, and
maybe that far south of the town, they
tha duronov nyorU
"Big sensation then. eh7"
"Wtu, 1 should say so. But that's
Just where l lust my grip. While the
crowd was shouting aud going wild with
horror, l just laid down on the ground
and laughed till / was just sick"
"Should think the crnwd would have
taken a tumble, too," suggested the
audience. e
"But just wait. Of course the crowd
-2aade break out of town to gather up
the remains, and I rushed home to get
my fishing tackle, for it struck me that
the mont healthy thing could do would
be to go fishing for day or two. Be.
fore left the house, however, / was ar
rested for murder"
Exactly. A lot of the boys, accom-.
panied by the sheriff, rushed in and COL
Jared me. They claimed that the DUN.
my had fallen on farmer aud driven
his skull cleal into the Leel of his boots.
They said that the balleonatic had
turned States evidence, and the chances
were that I'd be hung by mob before
night"
"That was rough"
"Well, so Thought. Twas just scared
plum to death, and / begged the boys
to stand by and protect me. / poined up
fifty dollars Tor legal expenses, and they
hid me in the garret of q neighbours
house. They kept me there ten blessed
days and there was not day but they
struck me for twenty or two for contin.
gencies. One night the whole gang came
around full of beer-on my money mind
you-and said that they had concluded,
IS additional precaution, to hide me in
the hollow cf an old oak tree about three
miles out in the woods. saw through
the whole business then, and drove 'em
out with club. 1t was good square
case of the bitter bit, ! know, but they
never let up calling me Dummy Skiddy,'
after that, until they actustly drove me
out of town, aud | had to emigrate to
this Jumping off place Of creation" and
the captain shook his head with dis
gusted air as he walked out.-San Fran.
cisco Post,