The Portland daily press., 1878-09-11
Historic HOsxes.
Incredibili,ie. EayerI, Swallowed.


The fool-hunter has. from time immemorial,
been one of the most successful Of sportsmen.
No matter what game he flies at, be never fails
to bring it down. Here are specimens.
THE GREAT CAT HOAX.
Iu August, 1915. just before Napoleon L
started on his exile to ST, Helena, quantity of
handbills were distributed through the city Of
Chester, ENGLAND, at the direction of a very
respectable-looking, Quakerly looking sort of q
personage, Informing the public that great
number of genteel families had embarked at
Plymouth to proceed to st. Helena with the
troops appointed to guard the ex-emperor
Now, St. Helena, the bills stated, was cursed
with plague of rats, and the British ministry
had pledged itself to clear the island of those
noxious animals for the benefit of the resident
citizens Accordingly, all good Britons were
called upon to furnish their quantum OF grown
cats or thriving kittens for the carrying out Of
this purpose
The government was willing to pay the pi-
per, and in addition to free transportation in
vessel to be specially chartered for the purpose
offered for each ''athletic, full-grown tom-cat'
16 shillings; for each adult female puss'' 10
shillings; and half that sum for every vigorous
kitten that could "swill milk" The result can
be imagined. Within three days over 5000
cats were collected in Chester, the city was
psademonium and one street in which the
cat merchants had been directed by bill to as
semble was the scene of positive and bloody
riots. Meantime some mschievous boys had
let the cats out of their bags, and colossal
hunt had to be organized among the hoaxed
spectators. In one day 500 of the obnoxious
felnes had been thrown into the river Dee,
and Chester for months was afflicted with
swarms OF stray cats as result of the freaA.
RIVAL OF THE JUMPING FROG.
Eleven years later more than 10000 people
of all classes were drawn together at Norwich,
England, ,sby the following advertisement:
st. JdmeS's Hill, Back of the Horse Barracks,
The people are respectful ully informed that
Signor Carlo Gromi Villecrop, the celebrated
Swiss Mountain Flyer, from Geneva and Mont
Blanc, is just arrived in this city, and win ex-
hibit with Tyrolese pole, fifty feet long, his
most astonishing gymnastic flights, never be-
fore witnessed 10 this country. Signor Vile
crop begs to inform the ladies and gentlemen
of this city that he has selected St James
Hill and the adjoining hills for his perform
ances. and will first display his remarkable
strength in running up the hill with his Tyrol-
ese pole between his teeth. He will next lay
on his back and balance the same pole on his
nose, chin, and different parts of his body.
He wilt climb it with the aston ishiog swiftness
OF a cat, and stand Oh his head at the top; on
sudden he will leap three feet from the pole
without falling, snspendng himself by a She
nese cord only. He will also walk on bis head
up and down the hill, balancing the pole on
one foot, Many other feats will be exhibited
in which Siguor Villecrop will display to ths
audience the much admired art of topping,
peculiar only to the peasantry OF Switzerland:
He will conclude his performance by repeated
flights IN the air, up and down the hill, with
velocity almost imperceptible, assisted only by
bis pole, with which he will frequently jump
the astonishing distance OF forty aud fifty
yards at a time.
OF course Siguor Villsorop did not turn up,
and after furious row, which resulted in
many arrests, what were left of the p, 900 fools
went home to nurse their bruises aud get ready
to be hoaxed again.
THE GREAT BOTTLE TRICK swINDLE
The most glaring yet successful Of old-:ime
hoaxes was perpetrated in 1745 The Duke
of Montague wagered that let man adver-
tise the most impossible thing in the world he
would find fools enough in London to fill q
playhouse to see it aud pay handsomely for the
privilege. "Sarely," said Lord Chesterfield,
''if man should say he would jump
quart bottle, nobody would believe that" A
wager was made on this basis, and the follow
ing advertisement inserted in the papers:
At the New Theatre in the Haymarket, on
Monday next, the 18th inst, is to be seen
person who performs the several most surpris-
ing things following, viz: /. He takes q COM
mon walking-cane from any Of the spectators
and thereon plays the music of every instru-
ment now in use, and likewise sings to surptis-
ing perfection. 2. He presents you with a
common wine-bottle, which any Of the specta-
tors may first examine; this bottle is placed on
table in the middle Of the stage, and he with
out any equivocation) goes into IL, in the sight
of all the spectators, and sings in it; during his
stay in the bottle, any person may handle il,
and see plainly that it does no. exceed a COM
mon tavern-bottle. Those ON the stage, or in
the boxes, may come in masked habits (if agree
A.. H., IL
will tell them who they are. Stage, rs 81.
INTERESTING TO THE sPIRITUALIsTs.
Another section Of the advertisement can not
fail to interest the believer in spiritualism. 1t
says:
Note-If any gentlemen or ladies', (afser the
above performance) either single or In company
in or out of mask, are desirous Of seeing a rep
resentation of any deceased person, such as
husband or wife, sister or brother a, or any inti-
mate friend OF either sex, upon making q gra-
tuity to the performer, shall bs gratifed by
seeing and conveising with them for some
minutes, as If alive. For those gentlemen
and ladies who are desrous of seeing this last
part, there is private room provided.
AT the designated time the theatre was
crammed from pit to dome. When the ap-
pointed time passed and the coni1ror did not
appear, a horrible uproar arose one person
in the aud fence proposed, If the lookers-on
would pay double price, to crawl into pint
bottle. Finally some one threw lighted can
die on the stage. Within ten minutes more the
theate- was gutted the benches converted into
a large bonfire 10 front of the building, aud
the dfop-curtaiE hoisted on pole, presumably
as banner, to the triumph Of public gullbi-
ity. number of people were blamed for
thus hoax, notably Foote, the actor, who was
one of the lessees of the theatre, but the real
author was the Duke of Montagu.
MORE FOOLS YET.
Oae would think that this lesson had been
enough; nevertheless, idiots enough were
found to make the following prospectus profit
abe-at least to the proprietor of the ale house,
who caused its publication:
Lately drriUed from Italy
sIGNoR CAPITELLo JUKPEDo,
a surprising dwarf, no taller than common