Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1910-02-17
He FRIGHTENED HER
Man Plays Joke on His Wife Which
Works Too Well
PROVING TO Be A BOOMERANG
Interesting Episode OF Newly WedS Pulled Off
Tuesday Evening"

No doubt who ever invented the first
practical joke has long since gone to
man in Alma who wishes he could
meet the man who played the first one
alone in dark alley for about fifteen
minutes. There would be a fight and
original producer of the boomerang
species of practical near jokes would
have to go some to escape in as goJd
condition as when received except for
natural wear and tear
But experience is the school which
teaches man not 70 try too serious
jokes before thinking of their conse-
quences and experience mas taught
one man lesson he will not fogret
with incredible speed ut least. That
man lives in the down town section of
the city of Alma. is young man and
has been married but short time
Now it seems that short time ago
both he and his wife were invited TO
have supper with her mother. who
also lives in our fair and peaceful
burg. While the husband was off to
work in the aftt fnoon his wife got
herself ready and went to her
mothers, for the evening meal How.
ever, for some reason or other the
young E.an decided that he didn't
,ora to snand tho oyapipo auav from
home but would have some real good.
jolly fun at the expense of his wife.
So on coming home from work, in
sead of preparing to follow his better
two-thiIds to his mother-in-law s
and there partake of supper he
scraped up few of the scraps left over
from dinner. or hit the nearest
restaurant fer warm lunch
The cravings of the department of
the interior satisfied. he proceeded to
hold conference with himself as to
the ways and means of PLAYING the
best joke he could upon his poor,
unsuspecting wife. "A Sherwin
Williams, We Cover the Earth sign
or something similar TO that struck
his eye and instantly he had formulat-
ed scheme. He hurried to his home
before he should to get it Retiring to
his room he cut a deep cash In his
neck with paint brush dipped in
blood red paint Drops of the sticky
gore dripped down his neck forming
huge deathlv splotches. He besmeared
his face With the Indian dope He
scalped himself with brush soaked in
the red gore He sprinled liberal
supply in easily noticeable spots all
over the. bed and all was ready.
Returning the paint pail no doubt to
! its place in the wood shed or the
back balcony he retired to his room
aud Iay down on the bloody bed clothes
and waited 1t was somewhere be-
tween seven-thirty and eight o'cock
when people hurrying to an entertain
ment at the opera house heard some of
( the most wild. unearthly. terror
stricken cries and screams Imaginable
! Tearing and yelling and shrleking at
! the top of her voice a woman frantic
1 with fright and terror came rushing
out of one of the down town blocks
! into the street She was crazy with
| terror and fear. The practical joke
had worked to perfection and upstairs
/ in the block man was cursing
savagely for his fool trick
At the sound of her cies, the usual
number of prominent citizens and
others necessary TO a story of this kind
rushed to the woman's S aid. They
! found her at the foot of the stairs COM
pletelv beside herself Her mother
was there irving to sooth her but all
to no purpose. 1t is said that the
mother assured the daughter that they
would not let the husband hurt her.
but whether these statements were
made simply because the woman was
imagining that the man was trying to
kill her or because of domestic diff
culties Is not known
FINALLY. however. with the aid of
bystanders the woman was calmed and
the crowd dispersed. Naturally the a
affair was kent as quiet as possible.
hut it seems that the principal result
of the episode should be that at least
one man In Alma has discovered the
danger In playing with practical
jokes. whether he knows they are
loaded or not. And no doubt the
warning of this accident can be taken
to heart bv many another inclined in
that direction
! Pesons having any connection with