Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1889-01-31
HOLY INNOCENT HOAXERS.
PRACTICAL JOKES PLAYED ON Mexl-
CAN ALL FOOLS DAY.


Their Hearts Content-Bogus Bandits
and Make Believe HIghwsymen-Pranks
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, iokingly, with the
quiet dignity and solemnity, two char
acteristically intuitive qualities of the
Mexican Don, owing to the latter's 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. 1t becomes a sort
of mania with them, as it did with their
ancestors hundreds of years ago.
Dec. 90, 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 day of
all others in Mexico The arrival of
Fiesta de los Santos Inocentes is
anxiously looked for every year, and
when it comes it is observed without
stint. The exact origin of this peculiar
day as one devoted to practical Joking
has been lost, so ancient is the custom in
Spain.
The fact that it is spoken of as the day
of Holy Innocents seems to have inspired
the Spaniards with the idea of making
innocents or fools of one another and any
one else that can possibly be victimized.
Ever since this happy thought occurred
IN soma iponpipIIS Sno i ri Soma tip,a ~,
| the Fourteenth century the day has been
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 A
country in which a citizen inquiries of
his neighbor the first thing each day,
"Who is president this morning." natur-
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 artfully
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 lin print and robberies COM
mitted 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 populf-
ton of the town had forsaken their
homes to hunt for the mythical bonanza.
Another favorite mode of paying court
| fn thn Hnlv InnnooTtc 10 10 friu tho
population of small village some miles
out from the capital by publishing g7alarm-
ing stories of threatened raid by bands
of bloodthirsty Indians and bandits.
Mounted couriers in the employ Of the
newspapers leave the larger city with
abundant supplies of the newspapers,
doomed town, throw the residents into
squares the horrible fate that awaits
place is in terrible state of commotion,
pletely deserted. Every one takes to
the high road and makes the best time
possible to the larger city and safety.
When the hoax is discovered, no mat
ter what the cost to the victims, no
tIodbLC CNCl LltCN DSICA UP GllCiI
goods, collect their families and return
thankful that they have them to go to,
and promising one another that they
will not allow themselves to be fooled
next year.
Yet when next year does come and
with it the terrible news that yellow
fever or some other deadly scourge is
| ~, tln %o
depopulate the whole town by it's raw
ages, the people forget the resolutions
formulated the previous year. Provi-
sions are hastily packed and safety is
sought in the nearby hills and noun
tains. In one instance, six families
lived in the open air for ten days before
the joke perpetrated upon them was dis
covered.
THE BULL FIGHT SELL.
Franks at the expense of private indi-
viduals are the commonest mode of cele-
brating the day. 1t is no uncommon
thing for wealthy old Don walking in
q secluded portion of the town to find
himself suddenly confronted by two
masked marauders, with revolvers in
their hands and knives in their belts,
who command him to give up his valu-
ables quietly or they will take his life
and valuables both. The next day he is
not greatly surprised when he receives
his valuables, accompanied by cask of
wine and neat little note, stating that
he was merely madc~l temporary sacri-
flee to King Herod.
On one occasion notices in all the
daily papers in the City of Mexico an
j nouncel that grand bull fight would
occur on tho afternoon of Dec. 90, and
that, rs the admittance to tho amphi-
theatre on this occasion would cost moth
ing, every one was cautioned to be on
hand early.
Long before midday the people were
pouring into the immense building in
hor'les. Although the first encounter
was not to take place until 2 o'clock, the
building was jammed to its utmost by
O'clock. Tho great assemblage waited
patiently for almost two hours, and then
anxious queries about the matadors and
their victims were made.
A ffar o,otl,nI. txr-/> bo,1rc' ~ ;f horo,,