Balladeer’s Blog continues its examination of the many facets of Fool Killer lore. FOR PART ONE, INCLUDING THE HISTORICAL CONTEXT, CLICK HERE
PART FIVE: The fifth surviving Fool Killer Letter. (See Part One for an explanation.)
February 16th, 1876 – From “Pace’s Rock, NC”
The Fool Killer began this letter to Milton Chronicle Editor Charles Napoleon Bonaparte Evans by saying he had been hibernating in his hidden cave again and had just woken up and emerged in December of 1875. The references made by Jesse Holmes (the name the Fool Killer claimed was his real identity even though the letters were written by Charles Evans himself) confuse the previous timeline.
Either Evans was doing what fiction writers now call ret-conning (imposing retroactive changes to continuity, if you’re new to the term) or he may have just felt “who cares” if the Fool Killer was contradicting previous letters. Evans may have reasonably felt nobody would ever bother paying such strict attention to fictional letters from a nonexistent vigilante.
This letter has Jesse Holmes claim he is waking up from a nap begun AFTER the Civil War ended. Previous letters had the Fool Killer begin his hibernation in 1861 or 1862, motivated by disgust at the fools who brought on the Civil War. Under that initial timeline Holmes emerged from his hibernation around 1870, dressed in up to date men’s fashion, to resume his killing spree by preying on Ku Klux Klansmen and northern Carpetbaggers alike.
(A May, 1870 letter – the fourth Fool Killer Letter, previously reviewed – has the homicidal vigilante striking at a nominating convention during the imposition of martial law in Alamance County over excessive Klan violence. )
So did Jesse Holmes begin a second period of hibernation after his anti-Klan and anti-Carpetbagger activities in 1870? His reference to returning to his hidden cave AFTER the Civil War is vague. It doesn’t have to mean 1865 (during which period he was supposedly in his 1861/2-1870 sleep already).
We’ll probably never know and may be giving it more thought than Charles Evans himself did. So, on to the murders that the Fool Killer confesses to in this letter.
Holmes stated he emerged from his cave on December 22nd, 1875, and, in disgust at all the foolishness he sensed running rampant in the nation, smote the ground with his club. In fact he struck the ground SO hard with his primary fool-killing weapon – his skull-topped walking stick – that it was recorded in newspapers of the time as an earthquake. (This is a joking reference to a real-life earthquake of that date which was felt as far north as Baltimore, MD and as far south as Greensboro, NC.)
Deciding to get busy, the Fool Killer set forth with his club/ walking stick/ cudgel and his set of Bowie knives to seek fresh victims. Continue reading
NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics) DIVISION ONE
NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics) DIVISION TWO
NCCAA (National Christian College Athletic Association) DIVISION ONE 
Balladeer’s Blog’s examination of another old, old, OLD Marvel Comics hit continues. 
PART FOUR 
Synopsis: Adam Warlock has come to after his lapse into unconsciousness caused by the trauma of his Soul Gem’s theft of Kray-Tor’s soul at the end of last issue. He has awakened into a bizarre alternate reality with walkways and small islands of matter floating in an endless sky. Bizarre symbols and designs ornament the skyscape like imagery from an acid trip. 
CHAMPIONSHIP GAME – In just their very first year of play in the ACHA (American Collegiate Hockey Association) Canada’s SAULT COLLEGE COUGARS made it to the title game. Their opponents were the GRAND VALLEY STATE LAKERS. 
FIRST SEMIFINAL – The GRAND VALLEY STATE LAKERS squared off against the UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN WOLVERINES. The Wolverines got off to a 2-0 advantage in the 1st Period before the Lakers got on the scoreboard to make it a 2-1 game by Period’s end. In the 2nd Period Grand Valley State knotted things up at 2 Goals apiece, then polished off Michigan 4-2 in the 3rd. Lakers Goalie Andrew Rozenbaum stopped 47 of 49 Shots on Goal. 
Balladeer’s Blog continues its examination of the many facets of Fool Killer lore. FOR PART ONE, INCLUDING THE HISTORICAL CONTEXT, CLICK 
PART FOUR: The fourth surviving Fool Killer Letter. (See Part One for an explanation.) 
This Fool Killer Letter saw its first revived publication in November of 1978, making it the last of the surviving letters to come to light but the fourth chronologically. 
DAY THREE, GAME ONE – The OAKLAND (MI) UNIVERSITY GOLDEN GRIZZLIES skated against the UNIVERSITY OF TAMPA SPARTANS. In the 1st Period the Spartans got off to a 1-0 lead only to see the Golden Grizzlies go on top 3-1. The 2nd Period brought 2 University of Tampa Goals interrupted by another Goal for Oakland U. New score: 4-3, Golden Grizzlies. In the 3rd Period Oakland University dominated for a 7-4 victory. Austin McArdle was the winning Goalie with 36 stops on 40 Shots on Goal. 
DAY THREE, GAME TWO – In this game the FAIRFIELD UNIVERSITY STAGS clashed with the KANSAS UNIVERSITY JAYHAWKS. Neither team scored in the opening Period, and the 2nd Period ended with the Jayhawks up on Fairfield 2-0. Three Goals from the Stags in the 3rd Period gave them a 3-2 comeback win. Fairfield University Goalie Nick Lanni stopped 42 of 44 Shots on Goal. 
DAY THREE, GAME THREE – Up next the FARMINGDALE STATE RAMS took on the AIR FORCE ACADEMY FALCONS. The Rams held a 1-0 lead to end the 1st Period but the Falcons tied things up at 1-1 in the 2nd. The Air Force Academy went on top 2-1 in the 3rd Period before Farmingdale State whacked in 3 Goals for a 4-2 triumph. The winning Goalie was Stephen Montgomery of the Rams with 35 stops on 37 Shots on Goal. 
DAY TWO, GAME TWO – The UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA BULLS clashed with the UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN AT MILWAUKEE PANTHERS. The Bulls were chasing the Panthers 3-0 at the end of the 1st Period. In the 2nd Period the University of South Florida pulled to within 3-2 before going on to win the game 6-3 in the 3rd. The winning Goalie was Samuel Coleman of the Bulls with 30 stops on 33 Shots on Goal. 
SLAUGHTER HIGH/ APRIL FOOL’S DAY (1986) – This is the low-budget horror film made in England and set on April Fool’s Day. There are still VHS tapes and YouTube videos that show the original title, but the title was changed to Slaughter High because of the year’s OTHER April Fool’s Day slasher film with a gimmick ending.
After an April Fool’s Day “prank” involving nudity, electric shocks and near drowning, Marty is still alive through no fault of his classmates. The supposed popular kids get punished for their criminal assault on Marty, and perversely blame him for it! It’s that kind of movie. Hell, Marty’s tormentors were caught in the act, it’s not even like he peached on them (since this was made in England I couldn’t resist writing “peached on them”). 
DAY ONE, GAME TWO – Canada’s SAULT COLLEGE COUGARS, making the Tournament in their very first year of ACHA play, clashed with the UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN AT MILWAUKEE PANTHERS. In this catfight-that- wasn’t the Cougars made the Panthers their prison brides, leading them 2-1 in the 1st Period and 7-1 in the 2nd Period before putting them away in the 3rd by a blowout score of 10-1. Sault College Goalie Drew Gregory got the win, stopping 17 of 18 Shots on Goal. 
