Staff writer
There was a time pranks were a beloved part of celebrating Halloween.
Marion resident Rex Wilson said the most memorable prank he recalls is when a group of high school students decided the equipment at a farm machinery dealership should be moved onto the street.
That street happened to be the highway that ran through town. Needless to say, the boys’ antics caught the attention of the local police.
Two of the boys jumped into a combine bin when the law showed up and laid there afraid to move or breathe, lest they be discovered.
They weren’t done after the cop left, though.
Their next stop was a tire dealership, where they once again blocked the street with the goods.
After that, they rolled culverts onto the streets, blocking the cop inside them.
“One of the most ingenious things we did was set off fireworks at four corners, then blink a light at the other group, who would set off fireworks,” Wilson said.
The police officer would hear the fireworks and drive toward the sound, then hear the next set of fireworks and drive that direction. That prank kept the officer busy for some time, Wilson said.
Alan Bentz said the only time he ever went to jail was when he and four friends drove into town on Halloween night and were met by a jailer serving prank patrol.
“Are you boys from town?” the jailer asked.
The boys admitted they weren’t.
“He said, ‘You turn around and get out of town right now,’” Bentz recalled.
The boys turned the car around and headed out of town, followed by the jailer who wanted to make sure they really left.
“We turned around and headed back into town, and the deputy did, too,” Bentz said.
The deputy told them they would go to jail if they didn’t leave, so the boys led the deputy on a long, meandering path down dirt roads before finally leading him back to the sheriff’s office.
The jailer had to admit he was glad they led him back because he’d been lost during the long drive in the country.