The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1889-02-06
HOLY INNOCENT H0AXERS.
PRACTICAL JOKES PLAYED ON MEX!
CAN ALL FOOLS DAY.

Their Hearts Content-ooSus Banuits
and Make Believe Highwaymen-Pranis
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
acteristica!!v intlitive qualities of tie
Mexican Don, owing to the latter's reaai-
ness with the revolver and. .dexterity with
the stiletto.
Yet on occasion the MeNcans, from the
little toddling boy to the white haired
Don and the dark eyed Senorita TO the
old wrinkied Sonora, are the greatest Of
all practical jokers. 1t becomes sort
of mania with them, as it did with their
ancestors hundreds of years ago.
Dec. 2S, 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
to some ingenious Spaniard some time IL
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 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 50 as to create immense excite
,nent, vet the circumStantial facts are so
related that suspicion is seldom aroused.
High government officials are generally
assassinated (ip print and robberies COM
mitted Of great magnitude.
On one occasion d 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 foIsaken their
homes to hunt for the mythical bonanza.
Another favorite mode,of na!ing court
TO tne-Hoiy InHoeents is 70 frighten- ILL.,
population of small village some miles
o.s from the ca pital by publishing alarm
ing stories Of threatened raid by bands
C h!oodthirsty Indians and bandits.
Mounted couriers in the employ Of the
.,aws,,aoers leave the larger city with
abundant supplies of the newspapers,
ard, dashing at full speed into the
doomed town, throw the residents into
panic by reading from the public
SQUARES the horrible fate that awaits
them. In few minutes the whole
place l., in terrible state of commotion,
and in another hour the town is com
pletely deserted Every one takes to
the high road and makes the best time
possible to the larger city and safety.
W?:ic.l the hoax is discovered, 10 mat
ter what the cost to the victims, no
trouble ever ensues. They pack up their
goods, collect their families and return
il hi g!i good humor to their homes,
thankful that they have them to go to,
anl promising one another that they
will no: 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
raging in the vicinity, threatening to
depopulate the whole town by its raw
ages, tic people forget the resolutions
formulated the previous year. Provi-
sions are hastily packed and safety IS
sought il 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 incii-
/ viduals are the commpnest mode CT cc!e-
bra:ing the day. 1t is no uncommon
thing fer wealthy old Don walking IN
a secluded portion Of the town to lind
himself suddenly confronted by two
masked n1arauders, 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 lie receives
his valuables, accompanied By cask OF
wine and neat littlo note, stating that
he was merely made temporary sacrl-
fee to King Herod.
On one occasion notices in all the
daily papers in the City Of Mexico an
nounced that grand bull fight would
occur on the afternoon of Dec. %, ana
that, as the admittance to the ampll-
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
hordes. Although the first encounter
was not to take place Until O'CLOCK, the
building was jammed to its utmost ~
o'clock. The great assemb!aSe waited
patiently for almost two hours, and then
anxious queries about the nat&aors anc
their victims wero made.
After another two hours wait it began?
to dawn on part Ct tho audience that
thew had been made victims to the Dopu-
Ia: Gay. In small parcels they lett tn:
Guiding, but it YVES long alter r!gAttaii
before the place was empty 1cfh
Jcuraai
a Cofes Growers Ad:ice.
Tbo u.i:a: las spent 1T ie:::s:. ito better
part Of lis life growing and curing tea
ana coffee, and however wanting lie ma!
ba in rivinr expression to his ideas, he