FATAL RESULT OF PRACTICAL JOKING.

Evening Star, Issue 4085, 30 March 1876, Page 3

FATAL RESULT OF PRACTICAL JOKING.

A New South Wales paper, the ‘M'oruya Examiner/ states that “on Saturday night, the 19th ult., a number of young fellows were having a ‘ lark ’ with a drunken man at the Adelaide Hotel. The joking was commenced by touching the hand and other parts of the person of the inebriate with a lighted cigar, it being rare sport for the company to witness the start of pain which the drowsy toper evinced on each application of the firebrand. At length Mr Joker went too far. He placed the burning end of the cigar behind the ear of Mr Drowsy, who, suddenly awakened by the stinging pain, sprung up and struck hia tormentor on the head with the glass he had in his hand. Mr John Evans, a respectable young man, residing at Newstead, witnessed this part of the transaction, and seeing the blood flow from the wound on Mr Tormentor’s head, he ran out of the house at his utmost speed with the intention of fetching Dr Dansey to inspect the wound. Leaving the light, suddenly, however, and the night being dark, he ran against one of the short posts opposite the house, fitted with hooks and rings used to tie up horses. It is believed that he ran with bis stomach against one of thehooks. At all events lie was only able to proceed a little further, and neither Dr Dansey appearing nor Mr Evans returning, another messenger was sent in quest. Mr Evans was found on the way holding on by some fencing. He had to be assisted back, and he lay down on a sofa at once when he reached the Inside of the house, but no one suspected the injuiy the sufferer had received. Dr Dansey, however, on hia arrival had two patients instead of one, and Mr Evans was so seriously injured that Dr Boot was sent for, but his services were of no avail. The sufferer expired on Saturday last. The young man who so thoughtlessly began the lark has also suffered severely from the cut with the glass, but is, under Dr Dansey, in a fair way of recovery.”