The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-03-15
SOME JOKES OF ROYALTY.
Stories of Playful Capers by Mon
archs and Princes
From the New York Journal.

archs and Princes.
From the New York Journal.
Royalty dearly loves a joke. and no
where are practical jokes so much in
vogue as in the palaces of old world mon
archs. Curiously enough, their idea of
joking, like their conception of wit. is
inclined to roughness, and even to down.
right coarseness, as well as vulgarity,
rather than to delicacy, and many prac-
teal joke has been perpetrated in a pal
ace that would never have been tolera-
ted in a private house.
One of the most peculiar practical jokes
was that organized in the council cham
Der of the late King Alphonso of Spain,
by his intimate friend and favorite COM
panton, the Duke of Tamanes, who ac-
companied the Infanta Eulalia to this
country in 1893.
1t was during carnival time. and the
king had complained TO the duke that It
was very dreary affair, and entreated
the nobleman to do something to liven
things up a bit. The following morning,
when the king entered his council cham
Der, he was almost pitched over by
most extraordinary apparition. 1t APP
peared to be bag such as millers use
for flour, and it was terminated by pair
of bow legs that were prancing about
in every direction. The architecture of
these legs at once revealed to the king
the identity of the human -four bag. 1t
was no other than the little minister
of agriculture, who, with the assistance
of the Duke of Tamanes and the appar-
emily grave and austere minister OF for
eign affairs, had dressed himself in this
odd rig. The king joined so heartily IN
the laughter provoked by the eXtraXa-
CANT antics of his cabinet officer that
the tears streamed down his face, nor was
his rnirth diminished when the minister,
after having finally extr i hlms Si
hair, his beard and his uniform literally
covered with flour.
Another monarch who is very fond of
practical joking is Emperor William of
Germany. On one occasion about a year
after he assembled the throne his right
hand was seriously injured during the
rough horse play that takes place every
st. Sylvester or New Years eve in the
streets of Berlin. On that night no citizen
ventures to appear upon any pubic thor
oughfare wearing a tall hat or even
derby" The students have from time
immemorial had a sort of unwritten right
to bonnet any civilian thus arrayed by
smashing his hat with a sharp blow of the
fist upon its crown.
The. kaiser, who had always Joined in
this form of sport before his succession
to the crown, on the first New Years eve
that followed the death of his lamented
father walked out with the collar of his
coat well turned up and fur cap drawn
down over his eyes so as to conceal his
identity. He soon had several badly
wrecked hat to his credit. He then en-
countered an elderly citizen of portly fig
ure and benevolent demeanor, whose looks,
however, belied his character. He had
been bonneted in previous year, and was
resolved to teach his tormemtors a lesson.
So he made a sort of leather skull cap.
thick in texture and studded with long,
sharp nails.
So when the. emperor brought down his
fist with all his might on the inoffensiVe-
looking tall hat his hand was pierced in
many places by the nails, and covered
with blood the injuries at one time treat
ening lockjaw. The citizen was arrested
and imprisoned pending decision as to
whether he should be prosecuted on a
charge of 'Iese majestic" He was. how
ever. released, as his offense was entire
ly an innocent one.
No one is more fond of practical Jokes
that the Prince of Wales. In times gone
by his favorite butt used to be his pri-
the number of apple-pie beds, BOBBY trans
and hoaxes which he has been called upon
to endure with good humor and equanini-
ty would fill volume to describe
One day Sir Francis got the laugh on
the prince, and that, too, in an exceed
ingly clever manner. Among the princes
friends was a famous sportsman, Cant
used to be to approach from behind some
unsuspecting man and seize his coat-tails,
which he would wrench apart in such a
manner as to split the garment lp the
back. At Sandringham Sir Francis took
pains to offer himself as the victim and
butt for tbs, gallant Bay. When the men
retired to the smoking-room after the
princess and ladies were gone he took
up his place in front of the fire bent his
head toward the mantlepiece, and appear
ed entirely lost in thought. His attitude
was too inviting not to appeal to the jocu-
lar instincts of Capt. Middleton. who. af
ter asking the princes permission to leave
the card table for moment crept up
softly to Sir Francis, suddenly seized hold
of the tails of his dress coat, and with
sudden jerk, tore it apart from waist to
collar
Unlike most of Bey's victims, Sir Fran
els took the matter in exceeding good spir
it's Indeed, he laughed, and appeared
greatly to enjoy the fun. Somewhat as
tonished and disappointed by the result
of the little trick, the prince and the men
present inquired how ii was that Sir Fran
els had treated the matter with such In
difference.
THAT is very easy to explain, sir" was
the reply. The coat is not mine I had
heard of Middleton's fondness for this mar
ticular form OF amusement, and, accord
to the smoking room, took the precaution
of going into his room and putting on
one of his dress coats, which happened to
There was a perfect hurricane of irre-
pressible laughter as he uttered these
words in the most dry and serious manner
possible, and the meTiment was intensi-
fed by the entirely Disconnected appear
ance of Capt. Middleton, who was hifteriv
annoyed to have thus himself destrovad
one of his best an favcrite evening dress
coats
1t was practical joke perpetuated unon
the Empress Eugene with the cognizance
of the emperor. that cost the Marquis de
Galiffett (the now famous cavalry genersn
the favor that he had until then enjoyed in
the eyes of her majesty. A BURMESE EN-
baSsy had arrived in Paris and the en-
morning the emperor informed his consort
that the Burmese embassy would be re-
celYed that afternoon. After the deieuner
the imperial couple and the chief dignita-
rles OF the household took their places in
the throne room. Suddenly the doors IF
the lower end of the huge throne TooT1
were thrown open and members of the
crawling on their StOmachS with, v,,rs-t -