Copyright 1996(c)

                        THE TIME CAPSULE
                         By B. J. Higgs

     Barry Franklin's story of the death of a young woman on
Christmas Eve was chosen yesterday for inclusion in the year's top
ten news stories by the Association of Professional Jouranlists.
The concise, five-paragraph story was judged most representative of
society, and typical of the mood of America in modern times. It
will be included in a time capsule to be buried in the cornerstone
of the paper's new offices being erectd in downtown San Diego.
It is reproduced below for any who missed it.

                       TICKLE ME TO DEATH
                 By Barry Franklin, Staff Writer
 
     You don't expect anyone to die from lack of a Tickle Me Elmo
doll, but Christmas Eve 1996 that was the case in a California Wal-
Mart.
     The competitive mood and momentum of a crowd of 350 people in
line to purchase one of 48 available Tickle Me Elmo dolls sent the
majority in a rush at the entrance when the store opened. 
     The ancient music of Christmas mellowly played Silver Bells
as Matilda Lewis Sankton, 28, died while trying to monitor crowd
access to a first-come, first-served maximum of 48 shoppers. The
hysterical crowd surged the entry gate, knocking Ms. Sankton to the
floor, rushing over her body. She died of internal injuries at
Grammercy General Hospital in San Diego.
     In 1980, the rush to buy Cabbage Patch dolls caused riots
across America in toy and department stores, and a similar
situation resulted over Power Rangers sets a decade later. Many
shoppers were unable to buy either. Mrs. Sankton, however, is the
first casualty of the Christmas toy quest.
     She is survived by her husband, parents and three children,
who have filed a 5.3 million dollar lawsuit against Wal-Mart, and
have threatend to enjoin the San Diego police force for its failure
to police a riot scene.

                               END