Balladeer’s Blog continues its examination of the many facets of Fool Killer lore. FOR PART ONE, INCLUDING THE HISTORICAL CONTEXT, CLICK HERE
Previously I examined Joel Chandler Harris’ 1902 story Flingin’ Jim And His Fool-Killer, set in Georgia in October of 1872, plus Ridgway Hill’s Facts for the Fool-Killer, set in and around Buffalo, NY in 1909.
Now we back up a year for the great O. Henry’s story The Fool-Killer, published as part of The Voice of the City in 1908. In his younger years O. Henry (William Sidney Porter) had personally known Charles Napoleon Bonaparte Evans, the editor of the Milton Chronicle.
Evans was the man behind the earliest written examples of Fool Killer stories and published them as if they were letters from the “real” Fool Killer himself, who claimed Jesse Holmes was his actual name. O. Henry started his short story The Fool-Killer by recapping the fame of the folk-figure, claiming he was known “from Roanoke to the Rio Grande.”
In apparent deference to his old friend Charles Evans, Porter kept Jesse Holmes as the Fool Killer’s “real” name but introduced some of his own innovations to Fool Killer lore. Continue reading
(Oh, and never forget that anti-Trump fascists acted like forcing Trump to release years of his tax returns was so important, yet the returns revealed he had done nothing wrong. Our corrupt elected officials then declined to have any other politicians reveal several years of their tax returns. It has only – and ever – been about “getting” the outsider Trump.) 
Here is my usual post-completion collection of chapter links, in this case for The Villon Legend. 
INSTANT CLASSIC – The INDIANA FEVER (2-8) welcomed the CHICAGO SKY (3-4) yesterday for what turned out to be a terrific game. 
DEADLY HANDS OF KUNG FU Vol 1 #22 (March 1976) 
While fleeing those villains, Jonathan was accidentally exposed to the Zero Fluid, transforming him into a super-powered being able to shoot Zero Energy from his hands in the form of rays of concussive force. That concussive force from his hands could allow him to fly, as well, the same way the Fantastic Four villain Blastarr does. 
Okay, for overseas readers, let me mention once again that EVEN IF TRUMP IS SENT TO PRISON, HE CAN STILL RUN FOR PRESIDENT JUST LIKE EUGENE DEBS DID. Hell, such a provision was made possible by recognition of the fact that any incumbent administration could well turn out to be as criminal and authoritarian as the Biden Regime has proven to be and would jail political opponents. I never thought the hopelessly corrupt Democrat and Republican political establishment would allow Trump to win, anyway, and have said so in countless previous blog posts. I will still vote for him, though. It looks like my comparison of these situations 
And remember: 
PART THREE – Trader Horn’s skills at bartering and deal-making with the indigenous people grew as he acquired more and more experience. His account always expressed his awe at the high populations of animal life throughout the region in the 1870s-1880s. 
CODENAME: FOXFIRE (1985) – The often star-crossed career of Joanna Cassidy hit another bump with this short-lived imitation of Charlie’s Angels. Joanna’s attractiveness and wild laugh had been paying decreasing dividends ever since the demise of her 1970s cult series 240 Robert. 
MELUNGEON VARIATIONS PART ONE
If he had, one possible source would be the Fool Killer figure from Melungeon folklore in East Tennessee and other Appalachian areas. Or, since we have no way of checking exact dates, Evans’ darkly satirical tales may have influenced the existing Melungeon lore since Melungeons at the time were scattered from Tennessee to North Carolina, Kentucky and Virginia. 
