Prickly Ex-Postal Worker Pelts Partners With Porcupine Poop

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night … but a bucket of porcupine feces and worms?

Postal workers in a Grand Rapids post office faced far more than the usual mail carrier's obstacles when a disgruntled former co-worker burst into their office and poured two 5-gallon buckets of the foul concoction on them.

The man, 62-year-old James Beal, pleaded guilty last Tuesday to four counts of assaulting, resisting or impeding a federal officer or employee in the October incident.

"He came in with buckets of stuff he got in the woods," said Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Courtade. "It was full of worms and amoebas and eggs and stuff."

Beal's targets were drenched from head to toe, Courtade said. Worries about possible infection led officials to call in a hazardous materials team and to destroy the four victims' clothing.

"They were pretty upset," Courtade said.

Beal had apparently gone into the woods to get the slurry, which was mostly porcupine feces.

"I let my anger with this, sort of, overrule my judgments," Beal told U.S. District Judge Gordon J. Quist.

He could face up to 12 years in prison and a large fine when he is sentenced in March.

Beal had been fired from his job with the Postal Service. He returned the next day with his buckets and splattered four workers with the disgusting liquid.

"I don't know what went through his mind," Courtade said.

-- Anonymous, December 20, 2001

Answers

I want this guy on my team on the next scavenger hunt. Anybody that knows where to find 10 gallons of porcupine poop...

-- Anonymous, December 20, 2001

We all had a great laugh about this at work.

then we started thinking about various persons and whether they had the gumption to pull such a stunt. Couldn't think of one that would.

LOL

-- Anonymous, December 21, 2001

At least he didn't open fire with an assult rifle.

-- Anonymous, December 21, 2001

Imagine the reaction when the other inmates ask him what he did to get thrown in jail and he explains...

-- Anonymous, December 21, 2001

I imagine the reaction would be two respectful steps backwards...

-- Anonymous, December 21, 2001