The Bossier banner., 1892-01-28
A SERIOUS JOKE.
The Peculiar Terminal Ion of q Mock Duel
in Lawrence, Kansas.


in Lawrence, Kansas.
"Speaking of duels,' said the big man
Of the crowd, "reca1ls to my mind a
mock duel that had hand in some
| eight or nine years ago. There was d
serious ending to this one that has never
| allowed the affair to escape my memory.
| 1T was in Lawrence, Kan. One day
new man came to town. He put ON
more airs than the fellows considered
the proper thing, and as consequence
a job was put up on him. He was to be
| initiated into the old time worn game
called snipe-hunting, and from the
earnestness with which the victim en-
tered into the spirit of the proposition
many of the conspirators believed that
he was up to the trick, and that it would
be a failure.
However, as the sequel proved the
poor fellow had never been on snipe
hunt, and the result was that at 3
o'clock in the morning he was left at
fence corner about ten miles from town,
calmly holding sack and a candle and
waiting for the snipe to come up and be
lighted into the bag.
The conspirators rushed back to
town, and when the morning newspaper
came out it contained an account of the
whole affair, dished up in true western
style.
The victim held his bag and candle
until the latter had burned up and then
he began to wonder if job had not
been put up on him. He called to his
companions but there was no answer
Finally he wandered about the prairie
until he found farm house. After
some trouble in convincing the honest
occupants that he was not horse thief
he was taken inside and cared for until
daylight, when, for consideration, the
farmer drove him into Lawrence.
''Of course he got quite reception.
The conspirators had arranged that
part of it, which made the victim very
angry. He thought the matter over
and concluded that the proper thing to
do would be for him to challenge the
chief conspirator to duel. This was
just what was wanted. The challenge
was carefully accepted and double-bar-
relied shotguns selected as weapons
The affair was to culminate at a grove
. near the town the same afternoon and
when the time came there was crowd
, there that would have done credit to
any event.
! "Of course the seconds were careful
I about their preparations. They put
only small charges of powder into the
, gun barrels, and, after being searched
, for breast plates or knives or revolvers,
T the combatants took their positions.
: Meantime, the victim was in the
dark. He meant business There was
no joke about it to him. He meant to
! kill his antagonist and when he looked
at the doctors with their instruments
and lint and handages, it only served to
y screw his courage still higher.
:. The signal was finally given. Two
v loud reports rang out, and both men
K stood still Then they raised their guns
p again, took careful aim and blazed
v away once more
= Then came an unlooked-for occur
e renee. The young conspirator staggered
o back, dropped his weapon, threw one
!. hand to his forehead, and as he fell the
a horror stricken spectators saw thir
!. stream of blood pour over his face anc
s down on his white shirt-front
4 Men looked at each other ant
II gasped. They were completely para
r lyzed, Unknown to the seconds, some
is body had slipped in a charge OF sho
70 into the gun of the snipe-hunter, ant
+ what had been planned as farce wa
7 turned into horrible tragedy
a FINALLY some of the crowd sum
20 moned up courage enough to go t.
a where the body lay. As they bent owe
s the PROSTATE form they were shocked
re once more, for very distinctly it coul'
,r be seen that the supposed corpse wa
At really convulsed with laughter
,e IAN explanation followed. Th
ID Young man had planned and executes
neat little surprise of his own. H
as had secreted in the palm of his hand
a, small rubber sack, filed with anilin
at dye, and when the second shot wa
70 fred, he had done the rest.
y when the truth dawned upon tn
crowd that the whole matter was
well-planned joke, there was a goo
laugh, and someone looked for the snip
70 hunter, to whom it was considered a fu
n. explanation was due,
ir HE had disappeared. AS completed
lis and effectively as if wiped off the cart
to he had gone. And to the best of IN
ne knowledge he never was seen or hear
lis of in Lawrence again. He was sougl
Mt for years but no trace OF him was eve
lie | found.
he "He firmly believed that he had kille
Sc the man, and in the confusion that e.
nd sued made good his escape.
m II have often wondered if he ev'
tn learned the truth, or is still an exil
no laboring under an impression that
- killed a man in a duel Chicago Int
~ Ocean.
ph A Boys Essay on Trees.
nd The following essay on trees was r
,e GENTLY written by scholar in Standa