The sun., 1890-05-11
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This discovery was tho cause OF innumerabl
learned disguisitiQns, but Mr. Blatton. a mem
out of it by showing that the letters mean
nothing more or loss than " Bill Stumps. hi
mark" and that Mr. stumps, being little in tn
habit OF original composition, and more ac
customed to DO guided by the sound of words
than by the, stilct rules Of photography. hac
omitted the last l. OF his Christian name"
The prince of hoaxers was, perhaps. the tai
ented and versatile Theodore Hook: one Of the
brightest an! most aceomRlisned, men whe h
was in tho flesh as laie as lS4l. He was poet
a novelist. u Journals lst,r a wit ,punster, ex
unrivalled rs an improylsatore and a practica
Joker. Indeed. II might almost be said that
{ me Pnftcni u IOEhG wS ae eIt on wniTn o 6 6f
delight In any one of his accomplishments. II
the habit can Ge dgpited as an accomplish;
ment, as this. 1t would take several pages OF
the Herd,a to enumerate all his hoaNes tho
most OF which were OF a humorouSly harmful
out in Dol relief, known as the Berners street
hoax" which has never been paralleled. and
which lor its audaclty threw the whole OF
London into ferment ut the time.
In 1910. Berners street. Inhabited by well-to-
do families who lived in Renteel style. was on 9
world" Hook was walking down, the street
one morning. in company with friend, when
the latter, noticing house OF peculiarly quiet
talked Of house in London. Hook at once laid
a wager that in less than n week he would
make that particular house the talk Of, the
whole city. The wager WAS accepted, and Hook
at once entered upon his scheme. Three or
four days he devoted TO writing etters-about
men OF, all Kinds. professional men, distin-
GHished perS0nnGIIs' ana servants out 9i en-, en-
PS a 'IS
to come, to Eerners street at the time
appointed. Tor reasons which were especially
stated. The appointed time came. and soon
aiter breakfast wagon load OF Goals drew up
before the door OF the house. and this was i'm
ih iheniatey ioioWGd 9y van i9ad d oi inrntHre
mourning coaches. Two fashionable physi-
cians, an accouchcur and dentist drove up as
80 many numbering vehicles were so near at
hand; And now SIX men are seen approach-
lag lag bearing great chamber organ; and
turer. and wine merchant send >pecimens OF
their goods: several barrels OF ale are brought
by brewer. while curiosity dealers bring an
intnity OF knick-knacks. A cart load OF pota-
toes. piano, wigs and head dresses, lewelry,
linen. conluring tricks. books. prints, ices. Jel
sengers TO the house: and mantna makers.
with baskets OF millinery and fancy articles.
door. Then appear troops OF grocers. coach
msn; footman. cooks housemaids and nursery
maids. and servants Of all kinds innumerabe.
In quest OF situations.
Nor were persons OF distinction forgotten. for
IN their carriages came the Duke OF York. the
terbury. the Lord Chief Justice member OF
the Cabinet. Governor Of tho Bank OF Eng
land the Chairman and directors OF the last
The Lord Mayor quickly discovered that no
had been tho victim OF II hoax. and driving, TO
sitting magistrate that no had received letter
from lady in Berners street. TO the effect that
she & had been summoned sum- 10 attend at tho
she wished 10 mako n deposition upon oath.
and that She would regard it as great favor
II his lordshlp. should call upon her. All tho
other distinguished personages had had their
commlseration appeRled to in way somewhat
similar. SO large did the crowd become that
street which was nearly choked with vehicles,
lar damned and lnterlocked one with another.
were irritated. the disappointed tradesmen eX-
while large crowd Of onIoOkers en-
IIoy@ed @ TO the fullest what was the acme OF fun
tents, were overturned and few casks OF the
ale became q prey to the uopulaco who drank
= the nappy' TO their hearts content
This extraordinary sta:e OF affairs continued
lll through tho day and lute into the night,
me Of the hoTse on were dEUin
determined to be witness OF the pandemo-
lipm he had created. ~ the mean time had
'pposite. from which he enjoyed the scene.
Tith several companions. The attention OF
he newspapers WAS drawn TO the occurrence.
md they were most severe upon tho perpetra-
or OF the hoax. W hose name was not known
Until long afterward Hook found 1t expedlent
or time no lived in obscurlty. for had he been
ublicly known as the perpetrator OF the ont
age It would have gone hard with him. He
Two years later. In 1912. there was another
oaX perpetrqIed on the Londoners, which was
irectiy home to his door. 4 report was ex-
ensively circulated that a grand military re-
Jew would be held on Wimbledon, Common.
reparations at that time for 1t was In the days |
I the Pentnsular war, and patriotism and the |
oye OF glory were at their highest. 70 see
- n a n
embed. who poured IN from all quarters. on
oot, on horseback, and in carriages. The local
ersons. and knowing at once that 1t denoted
hoax, caused persons to be placed on, the
SSdI oS 81 approach TO disabuse tho minds of
tpmor was most implicitly believed in and not
ne e. deoptradictt1p which was regarded as in
Without the slightest semblance OF any milf
5 rom paSSep aGse tba lhs P9Pqiace grew angry and
Iishaps occurred, and among oiher thin~s
ne common was set on fire and tho gra,s,
H1Ss wSa Was quite dry, burned luriousy. Finally
,ad detachment OF the guard was marched
ioWn. where they remained until the deiuded
81 f H6Sf SfyS kuyes a9 bss8
he bottom Of the AFFAIR. 'e0n ~
nesh9Rs the best Of his hoaxo because it
'etatod in connection With the elder r5aPrIes PeIs
" hatthews. actor, who had almost as much Wit
he pair took row M the Thames to Rim.
nond Passing by Barnes they were attracted
~ vel; trimmed lawn which came down To-
he very brink Of the river. and on it was an
inscription board which steruly forbade the
andlng Of tresnaSscrs. This was quite suf-
lcient E for Hook. who determined TO Irespass.
Lylhg thelr boat % tree; he and Matthews
made landing. taking with them the fishing
3ds S and lines which they had brought along,
tooR at once commenced the duties OF a land
urveyor, while Matthews acted as his clerk,
they paced slowly 10 and fro along tke lawn,
'retending to measure, with the fishing rods
S measuring and layeling statls and The Ash
ng lines as yard and rood measures. Anon
arlor window In villa AZ the back OF the
AVN 10 thrown open and out walks the oocu-
ant, who was one OF the London Aldermen in
somewhat irascibe state. Boiling over with
age he desires 70 know what the two inter-
'ners are doing there Hook. in his blandest
onod by the metropolitan Board Of Water
forks, was to be cut directly across the lawn,
nd that accurate measurements were neces-
lry In or Ter 70 determine the exact direction
hlch IL should take Tho Alderman invited
10 surveyor ana his celk ino the villa in
yder . talk the matter over, aud bottle OF old
Iadoira was ordered upiorthe purpose oflubTl-
ltinG the hinges oil conversation. They talk-