Miscellany, Apr. 25, 1949

No Score. In La Fayette, Ga., Donald Williams Crider, arrested on a charge of bigamy, told the sheriff he had no idea how many wives he had, because “I don’t know how many times I got drunk.”

It Never Rains … In Bogotá, Colombia, after holding special services to pray for rain, citizens had to call on the army and Red Cross to rescue 50 families made homeless by flood waters.

Rites of Spring. In Lodi, N.J., the Borough Council thought it over, voted to remove the “Merry Christmas” sign hanging in front of Borough Hall.

By the Numbers. In Barnet, England, a judge fined Mrs. Julian Hewett £2 for her noisy dog after Complainant Albert Fitzherbert testified that he had clocked the animal at 65 barks per minute.

Plug. In Guatemala City, enthusiastic over the Health Ministry’s four new hearses, one daily newspaper gushed: “So elegant, so stylish, so luxurious, like an invitation to die.”

Un-American Activity. In Los Angeles, Municipal Judge Byron J. Walters, sentencing John Amodeo to a year in jail for mixing horsemeat into ground beef, declared: “Hamburgers are an American institution . . .”

Hard Solution. In Clay Center, Kans., citizens voted (1,026 to 677) for the sale of hard liquor, voted (1,468 to 254) against building a water-softener plant.

In the Saddle. In Amherst, Mass., 94 year-old Mrs. Lois Mitchell, horseback riding for the first time in 70 years, had a complaint: “I had to whip him to make him trot . . . Bicycling is more fun because I can put more vim into it.”

Trade News. In São Paulo, Brazil, the Paulista Pugilistic Federation, meeting in conference, was forced to halt proceedings temporarily when the session turned into a free-for-all fist fight.

Well Enough Alone. In Derby, England, Judge R. A. Willes turned down the divorce requested by Edgar Carrington, whose wife left him 38 years ago, on the ground that Carrington did not try hard enough to get her back.

Ends & Means. In Los Angeles, a motorist offered a logical explanation for giving police an 87-m.p.h. chase: “I just couldn’t afford another speeding ticket.”

Quality of Mercy. In Zanesville, Ohio, Juror Kathleen Nethers admitted she was not convinced that the defendant had murdered his mother, but had voted him guilty because another woman on the jury wanted to go home.