ALL THOUGHT IT WAS LOADED

SOME THOUGHT ANARCHISTS HAD BEEN DISCOVERED—GIVE LOTS OF ROOM

Saturday afternoon J. P. Pippinger, one of Williams county's substantial farmers, was in town and thereby hangs a story.

He was walking along the street and in front of the Smith jewelry store he spied a little capsul-shaped piece of steel about the size of your finger lying on the walk. The piece of steel was rounded at both ends and in one of the ends there was a small opening, which was securely closed in some manner. He examined the find and the question arose, of course, in his mind, as to what it really was. He went into the postoffice and asked Postmaster Metzger if he thought it was a bomb, or an infernal machine. Instantly the postmaster had visions of anarchists, wrecked buildings, draped carriages, and the people walking slow. He advised "Pip" to get hence with his infernal machine. He went—went into one of the local banks. Same result. Hardware store the same. The thing looked innocent enough till it was suggested that it might be "loaded". He met the Graphic reported who stopped long enough to suggest that it might be the bottled campaign speech left over from last fall, and then moved forward—rapidly. J. B. not to be left in the dark as to what he really had in his possession, went into a drug store and asked what it might be. The clerk said it might be almost anything, but was nothing more than a "Carbonette," used in recharging seltzer bottles, and was not at all dangerous unless used too frequently in mixing high balls. Instantly there was a quietude in the erstwhile believed anarchist-infected district.

Williston Graphic, 2/6/1913