The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1906-01-04
THE PRACTICAL JOKER

1t was nothing remarkable that was
te1egraphed day or two ago from
South Bend, Ind. Some young men
planned practical joke. They were
going to way1ay a companion in
lonely spot in the night time and pre-
tend to hold him up and take his over
coat. BY mistake they attacked a
stranger, who promptly drew pistol
and shot one of them dead on the spot.
Similar results from practical jokes
have been chronicled times without
number, though the incident is sub
ject to slight variations. Sometimes
the practical joker dresses up as a
ghost and succeeds in terrifying his
friend to such an extent that his
friend shoots him dead or splits his
head with an ak. Sometimes he
points his pistol at friend and when
it goes off and kills his friend protests
that he did not know it was loaded.
One form of the practical joke is the
hazing practice. In this the victim is
always terrified if possible, even if it
should be necessary to endanger his
life. 1t is reckoned to be fine sport to
blind fellow student and tie him on
a railroad track so that he will think
he is going to be run over by train
and killed. Of course, mistakes will
happen, and he may be, in fact, run
over and killed, but that only makes
the sport finer.
The essence of every practical joke
is trick by which friend is made a
laughing stock, and in it's most ag-
gravated form this is done by taking
liberties with his person. He is gagged
bound or whipped or disfgured or
his clothing torn or soiled or stripped
from his body. When no personal
violence is done him there is generally
an effort to make him exhibit great
fright or anger at things which he
will learn afterward were fictitious.
Anything will answer which will
make man absolutely ridiculous.
There is nothing that gives self
respecting person such offense as to.
be treated with disrespect and made
ridiculous. There are people without
number who can forgive being swim
died, being lied about and being as
sau1ted and beaten, but who can not
forgive indignity, disrespect and ridi-
Guile. If anybody wishes to earn the
everlasting i'll will of another let him
treat him with discourtesy or get up a
laugh on him.
OF course, friendship is never sub.
1ected to such strain as it is by a
pra ctical joke. Friendship may live
through it and may pretend to be the
same, but it is mere pretense. The
man who has played successful
practical joke on a friend has lost
him. The falling out may be delayed
and when it comes it may be attributed
to wholly different cause, but it is
doubtful if the warmest friends ever
forgive practical joke.
The most innocent practical joke
that can be played is to come up be-
hind an old friend on the street and
jostle him just enough to make him
him look around and then laugh at
him. If the face of the jostled man is
scrutinized it will be seen that it has
slightly Inundated and offended ex-
preston, as if he would prefer that no
such liberty we're taken with him. He
forgives it, but does not like it.
Practical joking is apt to become a
habit with some people. They are
exactly the people who will not to1er-
crate practical jokes at their own ex-
pense, and it is only question of
time about their losing every friend
they have in the world and getting
their skulls cracked or bullet in the
heart.
If they know what is good for them
they will make a resolution today
that they will never again play a
practical joke. Chicago Chronicle.