News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1889-04-18
SOMEWHAT STRANGE,
ACCIDENTS AND INCIDENTS OF
EVERYDAY LIFE.
Funny Episodes and Thrilling Ad-
ventures Which Show That Truth
is Stranger Than Fiction.

JOHN LEWIS, one of the pioneers O
Calaveras county, California, tells of ,
remarkable shot that he once made
It's true story, too For many months
fox had been playing havoc with Mr.
Lewis hens, and do what he would, Ii,
could not catch or shoot the fellow
There was big tree, about 800 fee
long, that had fallen just above his cabin
and when he tried to shoot the fox the
sly beast would dodge around the up
turned roots, sneak along the further
side of the tree until it reached the tOI
and then make a bolt and escape. One
moonlight night Lewis heard commo
ton among the hens, and running on
with his gun, saw the fox as usual, slir
around the root end of the tree. HI
raised his gun, and with the muzzle
followed along the tree at about the
rate he thought the fox would travel
and when the muzzle cleared the upper
end of the tree he fired into the shadow
Then he went back to bed. The next
morning he went out to the tree top
and there lay the fox, dead, riddled
with buckshot.
In BUILDING the branch of the railroad
from Willows to Hcppner, Ore, the
Oregon Railway and Navigation Com
pany We're unable TO agree with settler
named Larsen fortnight of way and he has
been hostile to the company ever since.
Some time ago he took to greasing the
track, causing great annoyance to the
train hands, who had to shovel sand on
the rails in order to pass his place. Al
last Larsen laid in II big supply of fat
and creased the track for about mile.
When the train hands were trying to get
by, Larsen came out and laughed at
them, and the boys made dire threats of
vengeance, some saying they would hang
Larsen. Next day when the train came
along one OF the gang of italian labore.s
threw giant powder cartridge with a
lighted fuse attached, which exploded
near Larsen. frightening him so that he
ran off and did not show up for two
weeks, when he caused the arrest of the
whole train crew, but failing 10 fasten
the charge of attempted murder Oh any
OF them, they were discharged.
A VERY curious custom of the Vienna
HotburS was brought before the pubic
| by the death of the Grown Prince
Rudolph. On the day after his death Il
large undertaken ut Vienna received the
on the same day. The man asked for q
little more time, but the order was that
the coffin must lie delivered the same
day, otherwise it would be of no use.
What was the reason for this haste (?
The Crown Prince lay already in his
coffin, and no one else had died at the
Hofburg. Presently, however, the
reason was given that it is the custom to
have II
perial palace. When the terrible news
from Meyerling came to Vienna, the
oak coffin which had been in readiness
ever since the death of Archduke Franz
Karl, the father of the present emperor,
was sent to Meyerling to receive the
remains of the dead man; and accord
ing to tradition the imperial house
must not be without its empty coffin for
twenty-four hours.
A CURIOUS case of mental alteration
has come to light at Minneapolis. About
month ago James Viccars, book
keeper in local commission house dis
appeared utterly and inexplicably on the
day when he was to we'd Hattie Ray
There were no circumstances surround
ing the disappearance to give any clue
to its motive. He was a steady, indus
triOus, temperate young man. A few days
ago, however, the mystery was explained
when his employer received letter from
him written at the home of his parents
in Grass Lake, Mich. In this he state
that he had only a confused memory of
the past month; that in state of men
tai ALTERATION, or perhaps in hypnotic
STATE, nc had numbered knew not
where. When he came to himself, he at
10 liz. 10, h., oil
weary and worn out. He seems unwill-
ing to return to his old post, for fear of
ridicille, and it is supposed the wedding
so strangely interrupted will never come
off
THE other afternoon q funny bear
fight occurred in Atlanta. A big black
bear was being led to an improvised
dime show. A man held the chain that
was attached to the bears collar, and
the man was a little man at that. The
bear trudge1 along very nicely until he
came to where big stuffed bear stands
on his hind legs in front of a store,
Bruin cast his eye on that big brother
III black, who has such menacing eX-
preston about him, and as quick as
flash the circus bear was on his hind
feet, and had his paws doubled up for
smuggling match. With fierce growl he
sid ed mp toward the stuffed bear, and
the little man tugged at the chain to no
avail. Suddenly the circus bear seemed
to realize that he was picking row
with no mortal bear, and with n snort of
fear he tucked his tail between his legs
and ambled off, dragging the little man
after him.
AT the village of Rcinberg in Austria
recently very religious family became
D -ssesse ed with the idea that they hal
been bewitched by IN old crone in the
village, and the man, with his three
daughters and son, and a young girl
who was in their house Mt the time
locked themselves in, and began to pray
and sing. They remained without food
or drink for several days, and fired at
neighbors who attempted to come near
the house. They threatened to kill the
girl when she wanted t. go away. Their
cattle were let to starve in the barn. At
last the neighbors secured warrants
against them as insane, and a force of
asylum officers, assisted by the peasants,
stOrmed the place, captured it, and took
the family prisoners after Il hard fight.
One doctors neck was graZed by bull
let, but there were no other casualties.
The girl was released, and the others in
carcerated in an asylum.
DURING revival at Methodist
Church i'll Orlando, Florida, the other
night quite Il solcmnly comic incident
occurred. There is certain dog in
town who has been taught by his owner
to kneel III the attitude of prayer when
commanded by snap of the owners
fingers The dog followed lady and
gentleman into the church. and insisted
upon making himself at home around
the altar, to the annoyance of those con-
gregat;on. motto ng the unwelcome pre-
sencc of tie canine, rose from his seat
and proc 'cdcd 30 conduct his dogship
to tho rect lie was making slow pro-
gresS i'll his efforts, and when about mid
way down the center aisle, chirPed and
snapped his fingers at the animal, who
deliberately turrel round, placed his
paws upon the end of pew, and bowed
his head as it in earnest prayer.
A TRAVELLER who recently returned
from Pckin asserts that there is plenty
to smell in that city, but very little to
see. Most of the show places, such us
the Temple If Heaven and the Marble
Bridge have one by one been closed to
outside Barlui.nS, who cannot even
bride their way. The houses are all
very low and Incau, the streets are wholly
unpaved, and mc always very muddy
and very dus'y, and as there are no
Al ~ E 4,