# Three Minute Mysteries, or How Come? Chapter III **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 30, 2000, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-minute-mysteries-or-how-come-chapter-iii/15322 "2000-03-30T19:00:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![aschrott](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/aca169/32.png) [@aschrott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aschrott)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2000, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-minute-mysteries-or-how-come-chapter-iii/15322/101 "2000-03-30T19:52:00Z")
was the paper a “wanted” poster with his face on it? (yeah, you know…he shot himself for the reward 😃😃 :D) ---
**Author:** ![Flypsyde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f0a364/32.png) [@Flypsyde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flypsyde)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2000, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-minute-mysteries-or-how-come-chapter-iii/15322/102 "2000-03-30T19:52:00Z")
Not an article-obituary page? ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2000, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-minute-mysteries-or-how-come-chapter-iii/15322/103 "2000-03-30T19:52:00Z")
Flypsyde asks: Is the paper a page from a newspaper? NO Falcon asks: Then I’ll reask my question…is knowing what’s on the paper important? NO Trout Mask Replica asks: Argh. Is the writing on the paper related to the reason the man shot himself? NO aschrott asks: is the piece of paper money? YES I.M.Kierkegaard asks: He committed suicide. YES Did he write his name on the piece of paper? NO Was it as a makeshift tombstone? NO JimB asks: Is the piece of paper a warning sign of some sort? YES ---
**Author:** ![Flypsyde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f0a364/32.png) [@Flypsyde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flypsyde)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2000, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-minute-mysteries-or-how-come-chapter-iii/15322/104 "2000-03-30T19:53:00Z")
Was he on a nuclear testing site? ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2000, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-minute-mysteries-or-how-come-chapter-iii/15322/105 "2000-03-30T19:56:00Z")
Falcon asks: Okay, I have an idea, so I’ll post it just to be ahead of Flyp. The paper is an newspaper clipping article about someone the man knew/loved. So he killed himself? NO aschrott asks: was the paper a “wanted” poster with his face on it? NO Flypsyde asks: Not an article-obituary page? NO Was he on a nuclear testing site? NO ---
**Author:** ![Falcon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/49beb7/32.png) [@Falcon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Falcon)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2000, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-minute-mysteries-or-how-come-chapter-iii/15322/106 "2000-03-30T19:56:00Z")
Was there a bounty on the man’s head? ---
**Author:** ![Finagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@Finagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Finagle)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2000, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-minute-mysteries-or-how-come-chapter-iii/15322/107 "2000-03-30T19:56:00Z")
> [@](#): > > Originally posted by Flypsyde: > **Was he on a nuclear testing site?** And was the piece of paper to test the wind direction? ---
**Author:** ![Flypsyde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f0a364/32.png) [@Flypsyde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flypsyde)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2000, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-minute-mysteries-or-how-come-chapter-iii/15322/108 "2000-03-30T19:57:00Z")
Was the paper a No Trespassing sign? ---
**Author:** ![Falcon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/49beb7/32.png) [@Falcon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Falcon)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2000, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-minute-mysteries-or-how-come-chapter-iii/15322/109 "2000-03-30T19:57:00Z")
Wait…idea. The man was lost in the desert, ran out of water and shot himself. Before he did, he stuck the money on the catcus to pay for his funeral? ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2000, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-minute-mysteries-or-how-come-chapter-iii/15322/110 "2000-03-30T19:58:00Z")
Falcon asks: Was there a bounty on the man’s head? NO Finagle asks: And was the piece of paper to test the wind direction? NO ---
**Author:** ![aschrott](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/aca169/32.png) [@aschrott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aschrott)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2000, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-minute-mysteries-or-how-come-chapter-iii/15322/111 "2000-03-30T19:59:00Z")
to sum up the pertinent facts, Brick: \*\*the paper was money… it was a warning…\*\* was it a warning expressly for him? was it placed by someone else? ---
**Author:** ![Trout\_Mask\_Replica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a88e57/32.png) [@Trout\_Mask\_Replica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trout_Mask_Replica)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2000, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-minute-mysteries-or-how-come-chapter-iii/15322/112 "2000-03-30T19:59:00Z")
Was the paper cash money or some other form (like a check)? ---
**Author:** ![Flypsyde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f0a364/32.png) [@Flypsyde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flypsyde)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2000, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-minute-mysteries-or-how-come-chapter-iii/15322/113 "2000-03-30T20:00:00Z")
Gotta read these responses more closely-Bricker, you said the paper was _money_ and a _warning_? ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ecccb3/32.png) [@Lord\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Jim)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2000, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-minute-mysteries-or-how-come-chapter-iii/15322/114 "2000-03-30T20:03:00Z")
Did the man put the money on the cactus as a warning of some sort to others? ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2000, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-minute-mysteries-or-how-come-chapter-iii/15322/115 "2000-03-30T20:04:00Z")
Falcon asks: Was there a bounty on the man’s head? NO Finagle asks: And was the piece of paper to test the wind direction? NO Flypsyde asks: Was the paper a No Trespassing sign? NO Falcon asks: Wait…idea. The man was lost in the desert, ran out of water and shot himself. YES Before he did, he stuck the money on the catcus to pay for his funeral? NO aschrott asks: to sum up the pertinent facts, Brick: the paper was money… YES it was a warning… YES was it a warning expressly for him? YES was it placed by someone else? NO Trout Mask Replica asks: Was the paper cash money or some other form (like a check)? YES Flypsyde asks: Gotta read these responses more closely YES 🙂 Bricker, you said the paper was money and a warning? YES ---
**Author:** ![Finagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@Finagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Finagle)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2000, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-minute-mysteries-or-how-come-chapter-iii/15322/116 "2000-03-30T20:05:00Z")
The guy was lost in the desert. He marked his path with dollar bills. Having come across one of the previous dollar bills, he realized he was going in circles and shot himself in dispair. ---
**Author:** ![aschrott](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/aca169/32.png) [@aschrott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aschrott)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2000, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-minute-mysteries-or-how-come-chapter-iii/15322/117 "2000-03-30T20:06:00Z")
oooh, Finagle, I _like_ that…(waiting to see) ---
**Author:** ![billehunt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c37758/32.png) [@billehunt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billehunt)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2000, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-minute-mysteries-or-how-come-chapter-iii/15322/118 "2000-03-30T20:08:00Z")
Is there markings on the money beyond it’s original printing? Is it US money? Is the denomination important? What is it? ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2000, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-minute-mysteries-or-how-come-chapter-iii/15322/119 "2000-03-30T20:09:00Z")
Finagle suggests: The guy was lost in the desert. He marked his path with dollar bills. Having come across one of the previous dollar bills, he realized he was going in circles and shot himself in dispair. DING DING DING DING!!! That’s it. Well done indeed! Well, I’d say that’s a wrap for today, folks. I’m beat… 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![aschrott](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/aca169/32.png) [@aschrott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aschrott)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2000, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-minute-mysteries-or-how-come-chapter-iii/15322/120 "2000-03-30T20:11:00Z")
Great job, Finagle! I think that’s my favorite puzzle yet, all around. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-minute-mysteries-or-how-come-chapter-iii/15322.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-minute-mysteries-or-how-come-chapter-iii/15322.md?page=7)