The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-05-24
PRACTICAL JOKES ON
 BRIDAL COUPLES.


 Chicago Tribune.
 Why bridal couples should appeal % peculiarly to the practical joker's sense of humor Is one of the mysteroies which baffie explanation, but 1t is a fact, that weddings are becoming more and more the arena in which the practical hunorisr loves to exercise his arts and 1t is to he feared there is often more cruelty than humor In his joking.
 The son of Pittsburg millionaire had won a rather unenviabie notOrtety by tests of this kind. and when, a few months ago, his turn came to lead q bride to the altar his victims decided to pay of1 old scores with interest. And this is how they did it. When he and his bride were being driven to tho station af- ter the ceremony they were seized and placed fin a large wire cage. which was drawn on a wagon through the principal streets for the entertainment of thou sands of spectators, who had been att tracted by the announcement of circus procession with "a eaged mad bridal couple
 What the sensations of the bridegroom were is not reveaIed- but it is probable that his own days Of practical Joking came to an end in the cage.
 A small Hungarian village was last month the scene of romantic ~spisode which recalls the days of ofTGretna Green and runaway matches. It was the we'd ding day of the daughter of a we'll to do farmer, who had been compelled by her father to give her hand to rich suitor. and to discard her own handsome but penniless love, Petrovics.
 At the appointed hour a. carriage ar- rived at the brides house to take her to the church. She entered the carriage and the bridegroom was about to follow, when tho driver, who was masked, revealed himself, whipped up his horses, and drove off. He was Petrovics. the rejected lover. Not a trace of tho runaway couple has been found. although the carriage was returned and the wedding feast was con sumed by the guests of the disconsolate bridegroom.
 A practical joke, designed by his friends for the benefit of Carter Prenz, son of millionaire, came to an ignominious con- cIusion. The humorists had arranged that carriage should be filled with con- fetti, rice, old slippers and white rib' bons, and should follow the young couple to their hotel. where they were to be in- undated by these emblems of matrimonial bliss during their bridal feast.
 The bridegroom. however. who had been forewarned of this little conspiracy, took the precaution to hire half dozen sturdy men, who stopped the carriage, dragged out it's surprised occupants, and gave them a sound thrashing by way of illus trating one of the risks of practical jok- ing.
 A newly married couple. who recently started on their honeymoon from a north shore station. were the victims of an amusing, If annoying, joke. They had se- cured A Acompartnent which was guarded from the intrusion of the profane by a bold label marked Engaged" and, thus secure. settled down to enjoy their soli- tude in peace. Conceive their amazement and indignation. therefore. when, at the first station the train stopped at, their carriage was quickly surrounded by a gaping. laughing crowd, whose comments were distinctly embarrassing. and who sent them of on their journey with a ringing cheer.
 When the scene was repeated at the next stopping place the indignant bride groom put his head out of the window and asked the meaning of the demonstra- lion. "Meaning?' said one of the crowd. | why. look there"-pointing to the label on the carriage wind6w-and there. sure enough. was quite sufficient explanation, for the bridegroom read in glaring letters inc word Married" where the simple Announcement Engaged" should have l been. The later legend had no doubt been affixed by q practical joker just befort the bridal couple commenced their jour ney.
 There was little that was humorous ir the joke played on a bridegroom in vii lage near Lyons last year. The bride groom had been notoriously ineonsisten' in his affections. and on the eve of hi: wedding day he was waylaid on his way home from seeing his bride of the nor row by three of his jflted lady lovers armed with stout sticks. Before the in terview came to an end they had admin istefed such striking" proof of theil regard that an hour later their reereaYi
 lover was found still insensible and GOV cred with bruises by the roadside. Even more grim. if less painful was s 1 joke practiced on a bridal couple son' time ago in Southern Indiana. Just as the ceremony was on the point of begin ming in church a mourning coach drew uE at the door and procession of half
 dozen men. all in deep mourning. filed uI ! the aisle and took seats in pew imFne
 diately behind the wedding guests. Thel | followed the service with detected meiI
 and simulated tears. and at its eonclu
 sion as soIemnly filed out again and drov' off The mourners consisted of two rejected | lovers of the bride and four of thei