The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1890-06-29
-HERE has recently been a very in
. . teresting newspaper revival OF the


. . terestinp newspaper revival OF the
hoaxes OF hat prince of practical
lockers, Theodore Hook, and his modern
L Usuccessor, the late Edward A. Sothern,
he actor. The writer of the "reminiscences
records of Mr.. Southern that "he was
usually assisted by some choice spirits,
Uhe chief of whom was his brother COM
Xedian. William j. Florence, ever as ready
FOR the carrying out of a harmless bit OF
fun as he is TO put his hand in his pockets
Nor the relief of the distressed MIR.
Florence had read these revised tales OF
his friend, the most famous Lord Dun
Xlreary of his day, when i called upon
him yesterday i'm his rooms in the Fifth
enue hotel, writes Alexander Detaillc in
he New York Herald. He was packing
|for his usual fishing trip TO the salmon
Xprounds of the Restigouche river. in
Lana la, and when ] asked him to give me
Ian account of the hoaxes in which he and
4 kouthern had been engaged together, he
<stood aghast for a moment and then, with
that Iovable lisp of his, said: "Why, my
Hear fellow,i ii would take me from now un-
~EiLdoomsday 10 do that. "Tben l said, TEL
Inc the best story of the lot"
The eyes of Sir Lucius O'Triggcr twin
killed. and his face broadened into a smile
IS he said: "Oh, / only wish i had the
dime and | would tell you that tale about
he Lee dinner. To be sure it Is a news
sbpaper chestnut and has been referred to
inc and time again, but the true story
md the causes which led to the occasion
have never before been told"
II required some insistence to get this
tzaak Walton from his fishing traps, shut
finally succeeded, and from his own lips l
obtained the first narration for public use
of one of the cleverest of modern hoaxes.
THE LEE DISNER
.'Philip Lee" began Florence. was
The husband of the beautiful and gifted
Adelaide Neilson; since whose death
we have never seen a Juliet upon me
stage equal to her. Lee wa the
SON of an English clergyman, and in
[iemeanor and apparel was a gentleman.
He accompanied his wife to this coun-
try, not as her business manager, but
Simply as her husband. He was n harm
less, pleasant, gentlemanly fellow, with
hut little knowledge of American ways. II
Is not true, as has frequently been stated,
but le knew so little of this country hat
he expected TO see buifaloes plunging
blown Broadway and Indians tomahawk-
ing people in Central. park, nor was his
hstonishment at the absence OF such sur
prising adventures the inspiring cause of
n Joke of which he was made the victim.
ats inception was i'm this way: At the
kline Lee was i'm this city in the fall of 1877
he was the guest OF the Fifth avenue hotel,
b where | was also staying, AS ! have been
for years, and Mr.. Sothern was quartered
at the Gramercy Park hotel. One night
the three of us met at the LOTUS club,
which was then further down than II is
now, and as we were about leaving there
Sothern and myself, desiring to pay the
Englishman some attention, invited him
10 accompany us to he old chop house
kept by George Brown. and there have a
bite and sup before going to bed.
1--WE walked up Fifth avenue together,
and as we were opposite the Glenham
hotel our attention was attracted by a dis.
turbance across the way, evidently caused
by a brawl between a policeman and some
~jovial young blades. Lee, who was very
IcDrious about everything he saw, ex'
claimed, Bless me! what's thatY' Mr.
Sothern replied in the most nonchalant
manner, as he continued walking on,
'Oh, only another dead man.
"'Another dead man" gasped Lee.
Lord bless me, what do you meanY
ooh, that Is nothing exclaimed Sotherr
with a wave of his hand, Il stumble across
them every night on my way home. The,
Rare killing men around here all the time,
trip over them, but pay no attention te
them, but keep right on my way home. j
don't care to be summoned as a witness
tDDefore the coroner every day of my life.
"'Bless met exclaimed Lee, what q
remarkable %countryV
STARTS THE FUN.
1--WE finally reached Browns, and hav
ing secured a table, we ordered chops AM
ale. Sothern and myself had no prear
ranged any joke upon our guest, but h,
had given me a wink which ] knew meant
mischief and ! was ready To play second
TO any part he proposed performing
While we were eating Sotbern suddenl,
PREACHED over and placed his fork In on,
Iof my chops, attempting TO emove IL Il
his plate. i prevented this by the inser
tion Of my own fork and then said, ia
Ecalm but determined tones. Ned, / dom
like that TO which Lord Dundrcary re-
~rBsponded, but not in the feeble tones oi
IHthat suffering stage nobleman. MIR
vFloreuce, / dom care whether you like 4
10 not. | want that chop
with that i sprang upon him with up
lifted knife and grabbed my dearly be
loved friend by the throat and he seized
m ? in a similar way, while he apparent,
made desperate efforts TO Gu
my iugular vein. In the mele,
(which ensued the table was upset ant
chops. ale, dishes, knives. forks and al
the other appurtenances descended upot
poor Lee in a shower. Brown, the pro
prietor of the establishment, who knev
Us both. Immediately rushed forward an6
separated us and al his solicitation, III
thinking we were entirely in earnest, w