Smyrna times., 1889-02-13
HOLY INNOCENT .HOAXERS.
PRACTICAL JOKES PLAYED ON MExI-
CAN ALL FOOLS GAY.

Very Funny Editors, Who CaIa 'sFalze' to
Their Hearts COntent-Bogus Bandits
and Make Believe Highwaymen-Pranlss
Costly and Troublesome.
From his appearance the average
Mexican would never be charged with
the crime of practical joking. In fact an
American would think more than twice
before he tampered, jokingly, with the
quiet dignity and sOlemnity, two char
acteristically intuitive qualities of the
Mexican Don, owing to the latters readi-
ness with the revolver and dexterity with
the stiletto.
Yet on occasion the Mexicans, from the
little toddling boy to the white haired
Don and the dark eyed Senorita to the
old wrinkled Sonora, are the greatest of
all practical jokers. It becomes a sort
OF mania with them, as it did with their
ancestors hundreds of years ago.
Dec. 70, the anniversary of the slaugh-
ter OF the Holy Innocents, as the babes
who were killed by King Herod on the
birth OF Christ are known, is the dav of
all others in Mexico. The arrival of
Fiesta de los Santos Inocentes is
anUously looked for every year. and
when 1T comes it is observed without
stint. The exact origin of this peculiar
day as one devoted to practical ioking
has been lost, so ancient is the custom in
Spain.
The fact that it is spoken of as the dav
OF Holy lnnOcents seems to have inspired
the Spaniards with the idea of making
mnocents or fools of one another and anY
one else that can possibly be victimized.
Ever since this happy thought occurred
TO some ingenious Spaniard some time in
fOITTfnnT1fh 1,r,r IL 1,
duly recognized.
BOGUS NEWSPAPER sCAREs.
The ways of celebrating it are. of
course, many and varied. Mexico offers
particularly fertile field in this peculiar
pastime, owing to the eruptive tendency
OF the government and people. 4
country in which q citizen inquiries Of
his neighbor the first thing each day,
who Is president this morning?' nat1ir-
ally affords an ingenious practical Joker
abundant material for unlimited pranks.
The newspapers are the leaders in re-
cognizing the day after the popular form.
All sorts of bogus stories are artfullv |
written so as to create immense excite |
ment, yet the circumstantial facts are SO |
related that suspicion is seldom aroused. |
High government officials are generally |
assassinated Gin print and robberies com
mltted OF great magnitude.
On one occasion a gold mine of fab
ulous wealth and extent was discovered
four miles out of the City of Mexico. and
the same day two-thirds of the popula-
ton of the town had forsaken their
homes to hunt for the mythical bonanza.
Another favOrite mode of paving court
to the Holy lnnOcents is to -frighten the
population OF small village some miles
put from the capital by publishing alarm
ing stories OF threatened raid bv bands
d hloodth1rsty Indians and bandits.
couriers in the employ Of the
newspapers leave the larger CITY with
abundant supplies of the newspapers.
and, dashing at full speed into the
doomed town, throw the residents into
panic by reading from the public
squares the horrible fate that awaits
hem. In a few minutes the whole
place IS In a terrible state of commotion.
ind In another hour the town is COM
1letely deserted. Every one takes to
he high road and makes the best time
possible to the larger city and safety.
When the hoax is discovered, no mat
er what the cost to the victims, no
rouble ever ensues. They pack up their
,oo9s' collect their families and return
n high good humor to their homes
thankful that they have them to 90 to'
md promising one another that thew
Will not allow themselves to be fooled
lext year.
Yet when next year does come and
With it the terrible news that yellow
ever or some other deadly scoIrge is
aging in the vicinity, threatening to
epopulate the whole town by its raw
ges, the people forget the resolutions
the previous year. Provi-
ions are hastily packed and safety is
ought In the nearby hills and noun
ans. In one instance, six families
we'd IN the open air for ten days before
le Joke perpetrated upon them was dis
overed.