Arkansas intelligencer., 1849-06-02
BERNER'S STREET HOAX.

g But the most inexcusabIe ard most rischiev-
ous-far more so. probably. IN the event than
lis conirvers nticlpatec-of all these Youthful
prankS was the gigantic 'Berner street hoax per-
Petraled IN lSO9 No, merely in this case were
The comforts of single family suspended or a
few moveabes demolished, but a quarter of the
town was dIsiurbed-a whole street was thrown
INTO stale OF uproar, which lasted from morning
till night-hundreds of individuals. servants. rrti
sans, trauesmen, great and small, from all parts
OF London, professional men of every class. not TO
speak OF princes. potentates and mobiles of high
degree. sweled The catalogue of victims. the police
were employed 10 trace out the delinouen;s: -e-
wards were offered for their apprehension. Nei-
ther the Geek Lane Ghost nor the Cato-street
conspiracy produced a greater amount of popular
excitement or furnished more abundant crop of
latest particulars" A previous trick of the
KIND had been played, on a smaller sea le upon an
unfortunate Quaker. by Hook alone. and the sue.
cess winch attended II probably led to more com
Plete development of the idea. On this occasion.
however. the confederatey, Mr.. n. and Mrs. "a ce,
ebrated actress still alive, were called into coun
ciI SIX weeks were spent in pre- pa ration during
which time about four thousand were dspatcbed
al. under various pretences, inviting the several
recipients 10 call certain dav at the house of
Mrs. Iottenhan, lady of property. residing a,
No. 54. Berners street, and who bad on some ac-
count, fallen under the dspeasure of this formda
Bile trio.
"scarce had the eventfuI morning began to
break. ere the neighborhood began to resound with
the cries of sweep uttered in every variety of
tone, and proceeding from crowds of sooty urcbns
and their masters, who had assembled bv five
O'Clock beneath the windows Of the devoted No.
o4. In the midst of the wrangIinc Of the rival
professors. and proteSlations OF the repudiatlno
housemaId heavy wagons laden with chaldrons Of
Goals from the different wharves, came rumblinu
up the street, bIockading the thoroughfare, i'm.
Pedng one another, crushing and struggling to
reach the same goal, amid hurricane of impre.
cations from the respective conducteurs Now
among the gathering crowd, ceanlv, cool. like
men were to be seen, cautiously making their
way. each with massive wedding.cake under
his arm; tallors. oot-makers, upholsters under
takers with coffins, draymen with beer barrels
&C, succeeded IN shoals, and long before the
cumorous coal-wagons were enabled 10 move off
about dozen travelling chariots and four all
ready for the reception of as many shappy pairs.
came dashng up to the spot. Medical men with
instruments for the amputaton Of limbs. attorneys
prepared to cut off entails, clergymen summoned
to minister 10 the mind, and artists engaged to
portray the features of the BODY, unable to draw
near in vehicles, plunged manfuy into the mob.
Noon came, and with it about forty fsh.mongers.
bearing forty cod and lobsers,' as MANY butch
ers, with an equal number of legs of mutton, and
as the confusion reached its height, aud the up-
roar became terrific, and the CONSERVATION of the
poor od lady grew TO be bordering on temporary
insanity, up drove the great Lord Mayor himself
taie-carrIage, cooked hat, silk stockings, bag WIG.
ana all, to the intense qualification of Hook and
ms TWO associates. who, snugfy ensconced in an
apartment opposite, were witnessing the triumph
of the scheme. !.r -'aE#.. M. ..I.Ii
+" All tins, perhaps, was comparatively common.
Pace' ana within the range of mediocre Joker r
OF Jokes' There were features, however. n the
berners-stFeet hoax, independently of its origi.'
nahty, winch distinguished it for wit and rnechan
ce'e, far above any of the namberIess limitations
to which 1t gave rise. Every family, tits said.
has Its secret, somo point tender to the touch.
some circumstance desirable to be suppressed
according to the proverb, sthere is skeleton in
every house, and. n matter of course, the more
eminent aud conspicuous the master of the house
lhe more busy are mems tongues with his private
affairs, and the more likely are they to get scent
of any concealed subject of ANNOYANCE. Com
pletely familiar VIVA London gossip and by no
means scrupu'oas ii the use of any information
he might possess, Hook addressed variety of per-
sons OF consideration, taking care to introduce al
luson 10 some ncctlar point sure s,f attra.fpa a.