Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1900-11-01
The Deadly Pistol Pocket.

A jddge in Texas 4ound u neces-
sary to warn iuries to be careful GQi
the claim Of ..self-defense" So often
made in murder cases, the7clalm that
the deceased put his hand behind hiih'
and of course was shot. on the theory
that he was going to draw a pistoi.
There we're So many claims Of self-de-
tense that the Judge feared the hapit
was growing on people, that OF shoos,
ing at man because he reached
around behind him. The Judge IS
right in calling attention to this thing
because many people put their hahos
behind them who never carried
weapon and never thought OF having
a quarrel with any body. This IS par
ticularly the case with Northern Peo-
pie, who often carry handkerchief
in the pocket known as pistol pocA-
ct. and it is small consolation to
man. after he has been killed ana
buried, and the man who shot MIN
has been acquitted, to be told that ne
never ought to have reached arouhu
beh him, though he could rove
by thousand people, at home, that
he always carried his handkerchief IN
his pistol pocket, and always drew II
in an alteration, in order to weep
properly. Some men in the East, IN
The temperance districts OF Maine,
carry small TASKS in their pistol pocK-
cts properly covered with an orthodox
coat-tali, and these men are lar from
being fighters. Suppose such M N
should visit locality, on business
where the citizens shoot too reckless
IL, and on too slight proyocatlon'
should get into a political argument
or any sort of argument OF heated
nature, and should notice his oppo-
nent was becoming excited, ana
should suddenly remember his Has h
and think he could bring the argu-
ment to a better understanding by
Offering the gentleman he was talking
with drink of old New England rum,
and should reach for it he would be
taking his lie in his hands. Before
he had rot the orthodox coat-talI
raised up sulliciently'to get his hand
hold Of the flask, the sott-nosei bull
let's of the gentleman he had iluid de-
signs upon might begin to enter his
bosom. aGd when he fell, and was
breathing his last, the hand might
produce the flask. The shooter, when
he saw the flask, would realize that
he had made the mistake Of his life,
and that the dead man was only try
to produce an argument that all could
agree was sound, but i would be
everlastingly to late, and he would
have to 90 into court and make the
claim of self-defense, while the re-
mains would be shipped home G. Cd.
The pockets in the basement OF trous-
ers have caused trouble enough.
Those pockets were never needed and
were originally put in during tenn
perance revival, and fostered by the
workings Of the Maine liquor law, as
being sort of cold storage for illegal
beverages, far away from the madden
inc throng, where no one would think
Of looking for the Illicit stuff. For
many years only few hip pockets
were made, ana those who had them
IN their trousers were exempt from
the suspicion that they were walking
bars, however much their breath
might give them away. The first dis
coyery of the new hip pockets by
others than the wearers, was by st.
Adams woman who was searching her
husbands trousers for money, while
he slept, and when she found flask
full OF bulge. She screamed and faint
cd away. and the husband was caught
and puni~hed. The hip pocket must
70. ii we are to mingle much i'll the
east and west. Out on III, frontier
the prejudice against men who reach