Darwin Awards: 2002 February Slush Pile

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2002 February Slush
Man's Return to Trees Fails
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Wounded Wire Kills Gunman
Mixing bread by hand...and arm
Justice at it's Best
Self Inflicted Bomb Damage
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Shoot me (with a billiard cue)
copper idiot
Sailing Into Peril
Gas-soaked clothes in dryer
Turkey Shoot
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Recycled Wartime Bomb
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A little too hot phone sex
An Expensive Cup of Coffee
Driving w/o License
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sitting on a gun
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Old Hockey Game
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Unknown (heard on television)
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Man Picks Up Live Wire
don't pet the python
Man, 25, killed while working
Cure that Itching
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Makes you wish they WERE drunk
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Gone in a Flash
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Homemade boat
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Darwin Awards
2002 Slush Pile

This item was recently submitted by a reader.
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Another William Tell Story

2003 Reader Submission
Pending Acceptance

I wish to nominate for a Darwin Award (Historical) Mrs. Joan Adams Burroughs, the late wife of beat novelist and poet William S. Burroughs.

This, according to "Naked Angels: The Lives and Literature of the Beat Generation", by John Tytell, Grove Press Inc, New York, 1976:

On the night of September 7th, 1951, in a friend's apartment in Mexico City, Joan Adams Burroughs dared her husband, beat novelist and poet William S. Burroughs (well known for his drug and alcohol problems, and nearsightedness to boot) to shoot a champagne glass from on top of her head, with his revolver.

Burroughs missed the champagne glass and shot her in the head. She died almost instantly.

Tytell does not record here if Joan was intoxicated at the time of the incident. William S. Burroughs was charged by the Mexico City police in the incident, but skipped bail and never stood trial in his wife's death.

Submitted on 02/24/02

Submitted by: Michael Charles Cole
Reference: "Naked Angels", J. Tytell

Copyright © 2002 DarwinAwards.com

Great? 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 Awful?
Love it! Hate it!
>> Moderator Scores <<

Silverhill said:
Definitely Keep: Darwin Award
Sufficiently excellent? Seems that way -- encouraging a multiply impaired and substandard marksman to shoot anywhere near you is, literally, asking for it.


Pilchard said:
Definitely Keep: Darwin Award
a good descision on the wife's part, i think


R&B said:
Neutral: Darwin Award
Reliable source? Who were the witness(es) besides Burroughs?


Gregory said:
Maybe Toss: Repeat
I think I've seen this posted somewhere here before. After 50 yrs, should be a statute of limitations on DA's


Teela said:
Neutral: Darwin Award


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