The times., 1898-08-10
THE DEED OF A JOKER.
Notices to Abate a Nuisance Arc Sent
to the President

The District health authorities are con-
siderably wrought up over the action of
some one in mailing one of its nuisance
notices to the President, apparently Tor
the purpose of playing huge joke.
Last week Sanitary Inspector T. H.
Crawford delivered a notice TO Mr.. VIII
liam o. Dennison, Unknown local real
estate dealer, notifying him of certain
nuisances which should be abated One
of these alleged nuisances was at No. IS
Cushing Street, and another at No. 81
NJ Street northwest, and the notices
served by Inspector Crawford called for
the removal or abatement of the things
complained of within six days time
Among the District mail on Sunday was
a letter bearing the White House frank.
Such a letter was a rarity and no time
was lost In opening it. The contents We're
a surprise. 1t contained nothing more
than a queer looking envelope of smaller
size in which were the notices which had
been served by the inspector upon Mr..
Dennison They had been changed by the
insertion of the Presidents name in place
of that of Mr.. Dennison, and II was i'm
mediately seen that some unknown person
had attempted to play a joke upon the
President.
The envelope which carried the papers
to the Executive mansion, and which was
inclosed, was apparently the property at
one time of some local business man. 1t
was n business envelope, and the upper
left-hand corner had been clipped out,
probably because it contained the address
of the person who formerly owned the en-
velope.
The superscription was as follows:
''Wm Mckinley, tenant of the White
House, d. c., which means the District
of Columbia" and in large script across
the upper right-hand corner of the en-
velope was the word, ''personel." The
two permits were changed TO read as fol-
lows: ITO Mr.. William Mckinley: Your
attention is called TO nuisance existing
on premises No. 81 Money Street. of which
you are the owner, consisting of Ghe nui-
sance is here named). You are hereby
notified to abate the same within six
days from date of service. If at the ex-
piration of the time the same shall re-
main unabated the case will be referred
TO the Police Court for settlement.
II. Fl. CRAWFORD,
Sanitary Inspector"
1t viii be noticed that where NJ Street
was inserted in the original notice. in
the altered copy Money Street was writ
ten, and in the second permit the word
Gushing" was changed to read Court -
The health officer has been very greatly
exercised over the matter ever since the
receipt of the letter, and ordered the in
spector to make a statement as 10 now
he delivered the notices. The special re-
port of Inspector Crawford, made yes
terday, stated that the notices We're de-
Hvered by him 20 Mr. Dennlson in person
after office hours" He identified the re-
turned notices as the ones ne had deliv-
cred.
Inquiry by a Times reporter elected
the statement from Mr.. Carteiyou, assist
ant secretary to the President, that the
notices had been received at the White
House, but that they had not reached the
! hands of the President. He thought
1 that the notices were some kind 0f a
fake" and placed them IN an envelope and
mailed them back to the health depart
ment thinking probably that some kind
| of investigation would be made.
Although the papers IN the matter are
public property. by act of Congress- the
| health officer refused TO give them to the
/ press NtSASIuety dIlSIHOOu. ne SdIu,
is only a trivial matter, and had ii noi
been for the fact that an investiga tior
had 10 be made l would have stuck the
whole business away in one of my desk
| drawers
The matter was brought to the notice OF
Commissioner Wight bJ members of the
press, Dr. Woodward was summoned and
the papers handed over TO the represent
atives OF the daily papers.
1t is understood that a special investiga
ton will be begun for the purpose OF
| learning who mailed the notices TO the
White House.