The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1872-01-07

ercised by the apparition Of some two or
three hundred hearses, with mutes and
mourners, an equal number Of wedding
equipages, and countless array of coster-
nongers, carta, grocers' vans, brewery
all loaded With every commodity ana comes.
tible in daily use, blocked the Ghoroughfare
from end to end, while their drivers crowded
round one house in the street and insisted
upon delivering their goods thereat. To
add to tho general confusion and bewilder-
ment, small army Of doctors, lawyers aud
clergymen OF all persuasions, supported by
mixed crowd of the laiety, converged upon
the scene, and besieged the same address.
1t turned out that all these people were the
victims of hoax by Theodore Hook, who
had taken the trouble Of sending orders, in
vttations and summonses, as from the tenant
throughout the day the centres Of q rather
exciting scene. On Saturday this famous
"sell" was initiated in Dublin, and with
success, though the scale on which it was
acted was vastly smaller. In that mornings
freeman an advertisement notified that a
noon dancing academy at an address in
Kingsland Park, Portobello. and would in,
augurate the season by performing in full
Highland costume the Sword Dance, the
Gillie Callum, the Strathspey, and other
pedal intricacies of the Land o. Cakes. Du.
ttuS tuo 0by 10 Dc from
the same address were left at numerous es-
Establishments in the city, and at most of the
shops in the vicinity. At about o'clock
the first results were manifest on the arrival
at Kingsland Park of dray laden with por
ter. The astonishment of the inmates Mt
be imagined. While the buriy drayman
was scratching the poll of perplexity, an
other cart ratified up, stocked with barrels
OF oysters, followed by several coster-
mongers' carts, laden with vegetables.
After these came some tons of coal, and
then an immense van filled with articles of
household furniture. Matters thickened
apace. Some butchers's carts were the next
TO arrive, and then an expensive wedding
frouSSea1, which was succeeded by a LARGE
proportion OF the contents of q hardware
shop, and some cases Of champagne. The
miscellaneous character of the orders will
be understood from the fact that among the
last items to arrive were half dozen cans
of oil, coffin and a boat. It is unneces-
sary to dwell on the amazement, disgust,
and anger produced among the inmates Of
the house, the messengers, and the general
neighborhood, by course of circumstances
so unexpected and inexplicable. Nor was
the state of affairs rendered less bewiider-
ing by the appearance of the guests and in
tending pupils, who had been invited for
the Seance of the evening, and who "a ust have
looked singularly foolish as they saw the
sort of hoax which they had been made To
act in. 1t was not until late in the after
noon that the owner of the house ceased to
suffer from the visits of people who had
been like himself the victims of @ spirit of
waggery or malice which cannot be too
strongly condemned. 1t is suspected that
there was more of ill-feeling than idle lest
in the matter, as not long since the same
gentleman was announced as dead, and
several friends in consequence called to at
tend the funeral. The fellow by whom this
course of annoyance has been practiced is
suspected, If not positively known. It is
to be hoped the perpetrator of this heart |
less hoax will be publicly identified with |
it, and that he may receive in some shape |
full punishment for his repeated annoyance
Of respectable and inoffensive Citizen
freeman.