The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1895-01-21
THIRTEEN IS A LUCKY NUMBER
The Ii Club Eats Its Thirteenth
Dinner,
And the Members Claim to Have Eli
joyed Themselves.
a Deliberate AttVmpt to Dsssrhy Tins
Honored superstit,ons, That
Succseded

Thirteen years ago the Thirteen club
gas organized at the Knicker booker cot
cage, No. 454 Sixth avenue, New York
and it's thirteenth annual BANQUET was
held there last evening, beginning at
S:l3 O'Clock. There are just IL letters
in the word Knickerbocker. and the num-
bers Asa, added together. make Is. The
host. upon the occasion when the club
was formed IL years ago, was William
Fowler, who was present last night, and
there are just IL letters in his name.
while the original dinner was held in
room Ii. on the 18th OF the month and
there were Is courses.
There is probably no social organza-
tion in existence, says the New York
World. which has 80 signally achieved
Its object and excited 30 much curiosity
% the Thirteen club. 1t was formed for
the purpose of combating the supersti-
tion that Is is an unlucky number and
that Friday is an unlucky day. great
many people believed, and some still
believe, that if IL people sit down at
table together one viii surely die within
year.
Thirteen people sat down at table at
the original dinner of the Thirteen club,
and not one of them died within year.
AS matter OF fact ii was ak years be-
fore one OF the participants in the din.
ner died, and it was neither the food
nor the wine that caused his death.
The club has, moreover, practically
succeeded in destroying the old supersti-
tion about Friday. Within year alter
its formation the archivist, who is one
of the officials OF the club, drew up 8
letter which he had prepared, showing
the absurdity Of the Friday supersti-
tions.
HANGMAN's DAY.
These tended to show that Friday was
a particularly unlucky day upon which
TO begin any enterprise that ship sail'
ing on Friday would surely be lost, and
especially that Friday was known as the
"Hangman's Day" and was the only day
of the week when criminals could appro-
priately be executed.
When this letter was read to the club
it was unanimously adopted, and funds
were raised for its dissemination. A copy
was mailed to the governor of every
every Judge in the country having power
to sentence to death. as we'll as many
district attorneys. 1t contained re-
quest that they would accept honorary
mbership in the Thirteen club and
join the battle against Friday supersti-
tions, and 1t asked that they vary the
day for hanging Grimm ais.
Decius s. Wade. chief justice of Mon
tana, was one the first to acknowledge
receipt of this letter, Ind he said he
delayed doing go until murderer who
was being tried before him was con-
vcted. He wrote that he had sentenced
the man TO be hanged on Thursday.
Judge Wade added that the criminal
did not lose anything by this, as he had
given him ak days longer to live by
choosing Thursday for his final taking
off. and IN conclusion he said: I'll this
is not sufficient to constitute me an hon
orary member OF the Thirteen club, l
will cheeIiuly hang the next murderer
on any day ;he Thirteen club may
name"
1t was not. however, until nearly ev-
cry state in the union had varied the
hanging day as result OF the work be-
gun by the Thirteen club that the first
case of execution upon any other day
than Friday was accompl ishsd in the
state OF New York. This was the case
Of Mrs. Druse, in Albany county, who
was sentenced by a me mber of the club
and hanged on q Monday.
Judge Van Hoesen, of the supreme
court of New York. was the frat to break
the iron rule in that city. He chose
Monday for the hanging of the first
murderer sentenced by him after the
formation of the Thirteen club. The
next hanging in New York took place
upon Thursday through the instru-
mentality of Governor Hill, who res
prieved murder for several weeks and
ordered that he be hanged upon a