Balladeer’s Blog continues its examination of the many facets of Fool Killer lore. FOR PART ONE, INCLUDING THE HISTORICAL CONTEXT, CLICK HERE
PART FOURTEEN: FACTS FOR THE FOOL-KILLER (1909) by Ridgway Hill.
This rendition of the Fool Killer (I prefer no hyphen) is virtually a reinvention. It not only revises his garb and approach to his mission but it marks the first time the figure is depicted in action outside of the South.
Before I address Facts For The Fool-Killer I want to clarify something. I know that the Joel Chandler Harris tale Flingin’ Jim and His Fool-Killer was published in 1902 as part of The Making of a Statesman and Other Stories. However, that story – set in 1872 Georgia – does not feature the folk figure called the Fool Killer. The title refers to a piece of old grapeshot that Flingin’ Jim throws at people to kill them.
The victims of that “Fool-Killer” are a) William Dukes, an evil former plantation owner spitefully keeping a pair of young lovers separated and b) An unnamed black man who was trying to criminally assault Ann Briscoe, the heroine of the story. William Dukes’ brother receives a non-fatal beating from a hickory walking stick.
Facts For The Fool-Killer finds the fictional character operating from Buffalo, NY and vicinity. The Fool Killer now wears the blue uniform and tall helmet of a turn-of-the-century policeman and wields a police officer’s billy-club in lieu of his usual club/ walking stick/ cudgel. Continue reading
DAY ONE, GAME ONE – The 5 seeds – the POINT UNIVERSITY SKYHAWKS – took the diamond against the 4th seeded REINHARDT UNIVERSITY EAGLES (Should be the Rottweilers). After a scoreless 1st Inning the Skyhawks went on top 4-0 in the 2nd. 
Voodoo mythology is a fascinating hybrid of Yoruban, Dahomey, Fon and Christian mythology intermixed with touches from Caribbean belief systems. 
DAY ONE, GAME ONE: The 3 seeds – the HOPE INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY ROYALS – started things off against the 2nd seeded ARIZONA CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY FIRESTORM. The Firestorm seized a quick 4-0 lead in the 1st Inning but the Royals made it a 4-2 game in the 2nd. 
PART THIRTEEN: FABLES IN SLANG (1899) 
“The written word equivalent of political cartoons” might be another way of describing the fables. In any event Ade did accompany the fables with assorted illustrations. 
CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH: PILOT VS LAS MONJITAS. Pilot – Official Balladeer’s Blog Nickname: The Troubleshooters – had already won the first two titles in the 2019 Gauntlet of Polo and were going for history against Las Monjitas – Official Balladeer’s Blog Nickname: The Black Habits. 
In the First Chukker the Troubleshooters put the Black Habits on notice regarding what they were up against. Pilot seized a 4 Goals to 1 lead. The teams exchanged a Goal apiece in Chukker Number Two for a new tally of 5-2. 
NJCAA Division One 
6. WALLACE COLLEGE AT DOTHAN GOVERNORS ### 7. ARIZONA WESTERN COLLEGE MATADORS ### 8. CROWDER COLLEGE RIDERS ### 9. ANGELINA COLLEGE ROADRUNNERS ### 10. STATE COLLEGE OF FLORIDA MANATEES ### 
CHINATOWN CONNECTION (1990) – Forget it, Jake, it’s NOT Chinatown. Nor is it The French Connection. Nor The Chinese Connection. Hell, it’s not even Love Connection. What it IS is a late 80s buddy cop film released in 1990, complete with the “one white guy and one non-white guy” aspect. (48 Hours, Running Scared, Lethal Weapon, etc) 
