Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1885-01-04

SOME htteInpts 10 Ue luuus, some iSu' eA-
pressions OF impstience in the corridors, and
some heavier language, emphasizing the same
idea. elsewhere. the night wore away, the
train came aud the happy company ,de our
city q lieu.
Somebody said bridge had washed away,
which occssio led the delay of the tain.
Ano, her fellow said the train had heard of
EN-, aud had cut across lots to get away.
WELL" said one OF the party, 1--WE may say
that great many people did not secure en-
trance to the opera house tonight"
Tom Coffmsu, the lightning singer Of the
Heral 1, came over to manage the stage affects
and effects
There was some talk of a dance afcer the
opera, but the collection did not seem to tempt
the orchestra particularly.
The money received was not sufficient to
pay the Dayton Company's expenses, but it
was all handed over-$lls.
The same company was billed for Xenia for
New Years night, but the tenor man fell
sick, and the engagement was cancelled-the
Springfield audience is able to be on the street
again.
jesse and Frank James In Springfield.
One day lately q former newspaper man Of
this city, but now connected with one Of the
largest and most iourishing journals Of New
York, dropped into the GLOBE RsPusLIc Office
In the conversation, 10 which various SUBJ
jecs were discussed appertaining to newspa-
per business 10 general, he was Inclined to be
rather critical concerning the tameness OF
Springfield newspaper enterprise in local
matters, and remarked, with some pride, that
il did not use to be So
"Why," be says, sin the spring Of 80, l
remember it was rather dull in the local de-
partment, as it often is. you know, and some
thing had 10 be done to make the paper read
able. We were equal to the occasion, how
ever for some brilliant genius on the staff
brought forth out of his inner consciousness.
so to speak, q gigantic scheme we'll calculated
to break the monotony OF the times, and also
to bring the Times, that was the name OF the
paper, prominently before the public.
1t was nothing more or less than the per-
petration of an April-fool hoax Of such pro-
portions, however, that probably ought to
have appalled, an ordinary newspaper, but it
| was adopted.
1t was about the time, as you will remem-
Der, that Jesse and Frank James were attract
| ing so much public attention as western out
laws, and everything that appeared IN the
papers concerning the despe-a1oes was
eagerly de,oured. Well. our paper appeared
on the morning OF April LIST with the start
ling announcement that the James brothers
had been captured near this city on the night
before. and would be hung at the Jail ths,
morning. The details of the capture were
given with such application as a ready and
determined genius could fabrcate The
midnight march of the captors with their
noted prisoners through tho quie,
streets of the city, was wildly drawn
not forgetting to mention that the
cavalcsde stopped at the newspaper Office
and requested the able reporter to accompany
the party, and report the proceedings as ar
eyewitness.
Well, ejo'e succeeded, shonld say il
did! Fully thousand people collected about
the Jail. occupying all the available space
and soon the house tops. windows and tree:
in that quarter of the town began to grow
the country the roads were almost blackened
with country people in all kinds Of hastily
prepared vehicles, and the wsll-regula,ed
farm horse va, compelled. BY the influence Of
the hickory gad, to advance the speed record
beyond anything known even at the "eo1n-
try hoss trot."
You can better imagine than car de-
/, scribe the amMenent Of the Sheriff when he
beheld the crowd that morning. and he had .
hard time Of il to convince them that they
were the victims Of An April-'ool joke, and
to save the Jail from an attack BY ths mob.
By and BY il began to dawn upon them In
all its RIGHTEOUSNESS. and You should have
seen the crowd melt away. Many Of the
present business men, lawyerr doctors. etc.,
many Of them prominent 10 their pro fessious
now, were seen lodging home through back
alleys, snd would never acknowledge that
they were there ct all. But some got very
| mad about il, and then our time came at the
offce-oh but we cid catch it. One Of our
best patrons found Us, by some means, 10 our
retreat. and be was frothing mad: threatened
to stop the paper and cut us of forever. We
could not blame him much when We found
that he bad hastily left his breakfast that
morning to be present at the hanging. Hs
lives here yet but won't give his name.
won't give any Of their names, butI remem-
Der a great many Of them. and il the list
should be published you would be surprised
Many persons were very positive sbout the
matter in the morning; they thought the
highwaymen had heard Of the cliffs near the
city, and had come here to make their
headquarters. Many Of the women declared
that they heard the men riding through the
streets in the night, and knew there was
something wrong but forgot to say anything
at the tine-how positive people are? But
after all the fuss robody stopped the paper,
| and the thing was laughed at as . good joke
| by everybody. Some OF this kind OF spice
might do now to vary the monotopy, maybe
you had better not try it though"
The S7ORY OF A YEAR CALLED
BACK.