Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1914-01-22
SOME CRUEL JOKES
PLAYED AT WEDDINGS
From Peaeson's Weekly

II il an old Welsh custom to stretch
rope across the path Of newly
weddedcouple as they leave the church.
The idea is, of course, to blackmail the
unfortunate bridegroom out of luck
money"
This silly custom caused a nasty ac-
cldent near Bristol last winter. The
couple left the church not in car
riase. but car. The car ran into the
rope and snapped it. and one end flew
back and caught woman who was
passing by. throwing her down heavily.
and damaging her SO badly thGr she
had to be taken to a hospital
One might imagine that an accident
of this sort would have been encugh
to put an end to such stupidity, yet
only the other day three Welsh coll
liers were run in Tor playing similar
trick. They We're had up at Barsos
police court. and constable, giving
wire one. and WAS tightly stretched at
just the height TO catch = horses
throat
The men themselves were hidden be-
hind the hedge They had to pay y
fine of five shillings apiece
Still another case of the game sort
occurred in November. 1910, at Dews-
bury, when four men actually put a
chain across the road TO stop ~ car
In which Il freshly married pair were
driving back after the ceremony.
The driver ran right into the chain,
with the result that the radiator OF
the car was smashed. and the car bad
joke for the perpetrators thereof had
to pay damages to the extent of I21
lus.
Practical iokers always seem TO
think that q wedding is a heaven-sent
Opportunity to break loose. An elab-
o-ately organiZed hoax actually caused
the postpone1nent OF wedding in Ser
mondsey a little while ago
Owing to a family bereavement. the
couple had made mp their minds to be
married very quietly. Imagine the as
constituent of the brides family al re-
ceiving on the ve.y morning OF the
wedding number OF letters, the
writers ~ which accepted their
pleasure ut being able to accept the
young couples invitation TO be present
at the ceremony! No invitations had
been issued at all.
Next camo an undertakers man to
the bridegruou's house to measure his
deceased mother In Law for a coffin.
A local lo.stor, district nurye, a fish
porter from Hillingsgate three pianos
IN a, van brewers dray with nine
barrels oil beer. arrived in quick sue
cesslon. All had been summoned by
letters apparently e1nanatiny from the
bridessoon.
A number OF wedding carriages
lowed. Crowds gathered until .ne
street became inpaasable.
~ ali Il hoax. no go AWAY begged
the Frantic bridegroom
1T ain't oats I've come TO deliver
It's winales," retorted the man from
BillingsgAte
The climax came when Blue Hun
garian band turned UP. also inGr from
yg.if - "a
Then the unluchy bridegroom gave it
all up as bad job. and the wedding
YVES postponed till the following Mon
day.
II is another unkind hut favorite joke
TO tie a white slipper ON to the we'd
ding carriage, or otherwise make 1T
c!eAs to All specta tors that u bride and
groom! are the occupants. Not long ago
carriage drove right through Clap
ham. bearing at the back plncard
on which was inscribed in huge let
tiers:
lis marriage /. failure? Look inside =
he unfortunate occupants could not
make out why everyone stared at them.
In midland town some practical
5okers filed carriage with confetti.
f:@s SIS. siases aaa tied white r!ptona
u. SVaa H. Tbei isieans to foiiow the
RilIsi s#i'F:atsa. is9;t ti5A gf,eass1 got
@;Sd s. lie kaRv, and tiifsd q BOD
-s''"f F.oo Mo i"t'a-r tfisa Ia sol
aaE; lbs guards seiaaa tiseiF t.atsss and
refused 10 let them nasve. This time
inc Joke vas on the josiers.
The limit in this delicate kind of
humor was reached last August in
PittsblWs, the birmingham of Ameri-
ca. Some friends OF the bride and
groom tied them hand foot. placed
them ia a wild animal cage on wheels
and paraded them through the streets,
escorted by band.