Balladeer’s Blog continues its examination of the many facets of Fool Killer lore. FOR PART ONE, INCLUDING THE HISTORICAL CONTEXT, CLICK HERE
PART THREE: The third surviving Fool Killer Letter. (See Part One for an explanation)
As with ancient Greek comedies and so many old movies from the Silent Era, it is terrible that so few of the original Fool Killer Letters have survived. The author of those mock letters from the homicidal vigilante called the Fool Killer was Charles Napoleon Bonaparte Evans, editor of The Milton Chronicle.
In the two previous surviving letters, one from 1857 and one from 1859, we saw that the Fool Killer – like his creator Evans a member of the dying Whig Party – bitterly opposed secession. And like his fellow Southerner Sam Houston condemned the fools bringing on a destructive Civil War.
After this 1861 letter Evans retired the Fool Killer for a time by having the darkly satirical figure stating that he was washing his hands of this nation of fools who had unleashed such a catastrophe. By 1870 Evans brought back the vaguely supernatural figure, who claimed he had been hibernating in a cave since 1861 and had emerged to resume killing corrupt politicians and societal nuisances.
JUNE 28th, 1861 – From “Down about Norfolk, VA.” (The Fool Killer wandered North Carolina and Virginia – which back then still included what is now West Virginia – and the dark-humored Fool Killer Letters were syndicated in several newspapers in addition to his North Carolina “birth place” the Milton Chronicle.)
This letter started out with Jesse Holmes – the name the fictional murderer claimed was his real identity – railing to Editor Evans:
“When the historian comes to record the cause of the downfall of this once proud and mighty Republic, tell him, for me, to put in these words, to wit: It fell by the hands of Fools!
“I tried my best to avert the dire calamity – I wielded my club (* With which he slew his victims) by day and by night – I bathed it in the blood of demagogues, designing politicians, fanatics, rapscallions and scoundrels” … “I called loudly for help to demolish the fools that seemed to be everywhere springing up like the green grass of this Mother Earth on which you and I tread but alas! alas! too few heard my warning and came to the rescue.”
In this letter the Fool Killer adds a collection of Bowie knives to his arsenal alongside his ever-present club/ walking stick/ cudgel. Future incarnations of the Fool Killer in folk tales, short stories, novels and plays will assign him various axes, guns and even a scythe. Comic book depictions will add weapons like a sword and a high-tech “Purification Gun” which shoots white energy blasts of undetermined nature.
(Steve Ditko’s short-lived superhero Killjoy might have been able to capture the Fool Killer spirit if the character had been handled correctly.)
We rejoin the homicidal vigilante’s account of his recent activities and the victims who fell to his club and his knives, each blade inscribed with the words “Fool Killer.” Continue reading
CHAMPIONSHIP GAME – The top seeded NORTHWEST MISSOURI STATE BEARCATS were trying to win the title AND remain undefeated for the entire Season as they clashed with the 6 seeds – the POINT LOMA NAZARENE UNIVERSITY SEA LIONS. 
And the hits! Keep! Coming! President Donald Trump, the new FDR, JFK, Harry Truman and Theodore Roosevelt, continues his destruction of the Democrats’ delicate “narratives.” Despite the way privileged white Democrats try to paint him as anti-Hispanic, the polls that Democrats live by now show at least 50% of Hispanic voters have a favorable impression of him. He continues to make similar inroads into the black vote AND he has more female senior advisors than Obama, Bush and Clinton did! 
CHAMPIONSHIP GAME – The 6th seeded MINOT STATE BEAVERS were looking for their second National Championship as they took the ice against the 5 seeds – the IOWA STATE CYCLONES – in the title game of the ACHA (American Collegiate Hockey Association). 
CHAMPIONSHIP GAME – The top seeds – the FLORIDA GULF COAST UNIVERSITY EAGLES – furthered their case for being called a Dynasty as they battled the 3rd seeded NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY HUSKIES for the D2 crown. The Eagles were the Defending Champions and were going for their 4th title in the past 8 years. 
# FIRST EVER APPEARANCE OF GAMORA. Balladeer’s Blog’s examination of another old, old, OLD Marvel Comics hit continues. 
PART THREE 
FIRST SEMIFINAL – The 6 seeds – the POINT LOMA NAZARENE UNIVERSITY SEA LIONS – took the court against the 7th seeded UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN INDIANA SCREAMING EAGLES. This battle royal had a Halftime score of 31-30 with the Sea Lions on top. From there Point Loma Nazarene University outscored their opponents 50-41 for an 81-71 victory. Twenty points from Daulton Hommes led the Sea Lions. 
PART TWO: The second surviving Fool Killer Letter. (See Part One for an explanation) 
(My fellow geeks for 19th Century American history will recall that these routes – sometimes referred to as Star Routes because they were indicated by three stars on the route indexes – were often at the center of bidding scandals.) 
In this case the distraction came in the form of “a venerable and mighty clever man” who asked Holmes to find out who had stolen his prize turkey. Armed as always with his club/ walking stick/ cudgel the Fool Killer began his investigation. 
FINAL FOUR: SECOND BERTH – In this game the 7th seeded UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN INDIANA SCREAMING EAGLES did battle with the 2 seeds – the WEST TEXAS A&M BUFFALOES. Another Upset was in the offing here as a 46-34 Halftime lead for the Screaming Eagles ultimately became a 94-84 victory. Alex Stein tossed in THIRTY-ONE points to lead the University of Southern Indiana. 
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