The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1889-01-23
HOLY INNOCENT H0AXERS.
PRACTICAL JOKES PLAYED ON Mex
CAN ALL FOOLS DAY.

Their Hearts Content-Dosss Bandits
aud Make Believe Highwaynien-Prank'
Costly and Troublesome.
From his appearance the average
Mexican would never be charged with
the crime OF practical joking. In fact M
American would think more than twice
before lac tampercd. jOkingly, with tho
ouiet dignity and sOlemnity, two char
acierislically intuitive qualities of the
Mexican Don, owing to the latters rcadl
ness with the revolver and dexterity win
the stilottQ.
Yet on occasion the Mexicans, from the
little toddling boy to the white haired
/ Don and the dark eyed Senorlta to inc
/ old wrinklod Sonora. are the greatest ol
all practical jokers. II becomes SORT
Of mania with them. as il did with theif
ancestors hundreds Of years ago.
Dec. %. the anniversary OF the slaugh-
o.. OF the Holy lnnocents, as the banea
who we're killed by King HerOd on ths
birth of Christ are known, Is the day o.
au others in Mexico. The arrival OF
Fiesta de los Santos lnocentes IS
anxiOusly looked for every year, ana
when it comes 1t Is observed Witnoul
stint. The exact origin of shi5 peculiar
/ day as one devoted 10 practical joking
has been lost. so ancient IS the custom IN
spain.
/ The fact that it is spoken of as the day
Of HOLY Innoconts seems TO have inspired
the Spaniards with the idea Of making
iuuocents or fools Of one anOtherand any
one else that can possibly be victimized.
Ever since this happy thought occurred
To some ingenious Spaniard some time In
the Fourteenth century the day has been
duly recognized.
BOGUS NEWSPAPER sCAREs.
The wavs OF celebrating it are, Of
course. many and varied. Mexico offers
a PARTICULARLY fertile field in this peculiar
r9etime. owing 10 the cruptlve tendency
of the government and people. 4
country In which citizen inquiries OF
his neighbor the first thing each day,
"Who Is president this morning. natur-
allv affords an ingenious practical joker
abundant material for unlimited FRANKS
The newspapers are the leaders IN re-
cognizng the day after the popular form.
+ hll sorts at bogus stories are arttully
written SD as tO create immense excite.
ment. vet the circumstantlal facts are SO
related that suspicion is seldom aroused.
High government officials are generally
assassinated tin print and robbcries COM
miitcd of great magnitude.
On one occasion a gold mine Of fab
ulou5 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 10 hunt for the mythical bonanza.
Another lavorite mOdeo Of paying court
To the Holy lnnocents is 10 irighten the
population Of q small village some miles
out from theCapital 10y publishing alarm
ing stories of a threatened raid by bands
of blo0ithiIsty Indians and bandits.
Mounted c0uriers in the employ Of the
newspapers leave the larger city with
abundant supplies of the newspapers,
and. dashing &C full speed into the
doomed town. throw the residents into
panic by reading from the public
squares the horrible fate that awaits
them. In "a few minutes the whole
place is In terrible state OF cOmmOti0n,
and in another hour the town is com
uctely deserted. Every one takes to
the high road and makes the best time
possible % the larger city and safety.
When the hoax is discovered, no mat
ter what the cost TO the victims, no
trouble ever cnsues. They pack up their
goods. collect their families and return
In high good humOr to their homes,
thankful that they have them to 60 20,
and promising one another that they
will not allow themselves 10 DO fooled
next year.
Yet when next year does come and
with it the terrible news that yellow
fever or some other deadly scourge is
raging in the vicinity. threatening TO
depODulate the whole town by It's raw
aces, the people forget the resolutions
formulated the previous year PrOyi-
sions are hastily packed and safety is
sought in tho 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 40 the expense Of private indi-
viduals are the cOmmOnest mode of ceie-
brating tho day. IL IS no uncommon
thing Tor a wealthy old Don walking in
a secluded portion OF tho town 20 find
himself suddenly confronted by two
masked marauder5, with revolvers in
their hands and knives in their belts,
who command him 10 give up his valu-
ablcs quietly or they viii take his life
and valuablcs both. The next day ho IS
not greatly surprised when he receives
his valuables, accompanied by a cask Of
wine and q neat little note, stating that
he was merely made temporary sacri-
flee 10 King Herod.
On one occasion notices in all the
daily papers in the City Of Mexico an
nounced that a grand bull fight would
occur on tho afternoon Of Dec. %. and
that, as the admittance 10 the 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 ia
hordes. Although the first encounter
was not TO take place until ? O'Clock, tho
building was damned TO It's utmost by |
o'clock. The great assemblage waited
patiently for almost two hours and then
anxious queries about the matadors and
their victims were made.
After another two hours wait il began
10 dawn on part Of the audience that
they had been made victims 10 the pOpu-
lar day. In small parcels they lett the
building, but IL was long after nightiall
before the place was empty Now York
Journal.
4 Coffee Growers Advice.
The writer has spent at least the better
part Of his life growing and curing tea
and coffee, and however wanting he may
be in giving expression TO his ideas, he