The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram., 1919-06-12
TOMORROW, 18TH,
AND FRIDAY, TOO,
FEARED BY FEW
Day Held to be Lucky by
Straw Vote Taken at Court
house Some Superstitious

Do you believe Friday, the Thir-
teenth is lucky or unlucky day?
Tomorrow is going to be Friday,
the thirteenth of June, and Richmond
people are going to act in one of three
ways on that day. They are going to
start plans, take long chances, and
in general show that they believe the
day to be lucky for them. Or they
are going to stop shudderingly when
they see ladder or black cat, and
refuse to do more than they have to
on any enterprise, because they be-
lieve the day is unlucky. People of
third class are going to go quietly
about their business and try to pre-
tend they take no stock in foolish su-
perstitions.
Majority Believe it's Lucky.
Which class is the largest? Well,
according to vote taken in the Off
ces of the courthouse Thursday, those
| who believe the day is lucky are vast
ly in the majority.
Sixteen voted that they believe in
its luck, only three believed 1t un-
lucky, and eight, tapping hard on
wood and looking uneasy as they did
SO, said they didn't take any stock in
such foolish old-fashioned supersti-
ton.
Sheriff Clement Carr and his dep
uty, Carl Wadman, said they'd take
one to 100 chance anytime on that
day, and would rather start to hunt
a criminal, put through business
deal, or anything else on that day than
any other of the year.
Baby Born on Thirteenth.
Another official said his first baby
was born on Friday, the Thirteenth,
/ 1913, and he regarded the day there
fore as one of glorious luck. He was
married on June 26. 1912. just thirteen
days short of year before the boy
was born. James Coe, according to
his father, Demas Coe, was born on
the thirteenth Of the month. His
father announced this afternoon that
Jimmie isn't going to take any chances
he has to stay in all day tomorrow.
4 A girl said she always had started
on long journeys, visits and vacations
on that day and they were always
happy and lucky. Another was born
on the 18th and has had many happy
birthdays on that day. A lawyer
showed the logical turn of his mind
when he said that be believed the day
to be lucky, because it was double
hoodoo and double hoodoo followed
the same rules that a double negative
does; it cancels itself and is no hoo
doc at all. Many other people said
they thought the day would be a happy
and successful one.
! Taxpayer Is UnIucky.
A taxpayer, however, who came tc
the board of tax review with a com
plant and was raised $3.50 on lot 13
of one of the additions on the West
side, did not think the ay would be
lucky. Neither did Elmore Sims, col
,, ored, who pleaded guilty to first de
gree murder Thursday, although his
lawyer had objected strenuously A
month ago, to having the trial placed
on Friday, June 13.
Linus Meredith said the day was
one of uniformly bad luck for him
and that he never started new pro
ject on that day. He once bid on a
contract on that day, he said, and lost
lot Of money. Nor, he said, did he
work on that day if he could help it
Alonzo Garner, however, spoiled this
remark by saying that Linus didn't
work on any other day if he could
l his docket for that day.
. A neutral said he didn't take any
stock in these old-fashioned. childish
: superstitions, but" he added, IF
saw a black cat or a funeral process
sion in front Of me tomorrow 1 would
not go on" Another quoted the ole
: proverb that Friday is the fairest ol
} the foulest day of the week, and sait
tomorrow would be one or the other
An unlucky day is predicted for those
: however, who come before the county
tax board and complain of theil
assessments without good reason 70.
the complaint.