The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-05-09
BARON NATILI a GREAT JOKER.
Many Amusing situations Have Been
CUncocted in His Brain.


From the Philadelphia Press.
The prince of practical jokers Is Baron
Randolph Natin He is connoisseur of
things artistic, loves joke almost as well
as a dinner, has remarkable powers of
mimicry and memory for everything he
hears that Is a delight and an astonish-
ment 10 all who know him. He has on a
number Of occasions been the travelling
companion of c. p. Huntington, A. C.
Hutchinson of New Orleans and other we'll
known wealthy men.
Nauli is a Frenchman by birth. Before
moving 10 New York he lived for a num-
Der of years in New Orleans and Il is
still told in club circles of the latter city
how ne wagered that he would walk along
Canal street in broad daylight. attlred
simply in hs pajamas. And one after
noon he won his bet by walking half
mile through the crowd In his unconven-
tional custume and reaching his club with
a hooting and jeering mob at his heels
but without being molested by a police
man.
But another of his practical jokes In that
city is still more famous. A great operatic
performance was to be given at one Of the
principal theat ers and, almost at the last
minute, Nahli secured a box. The papers
made much of the announcement that ne
would be accompanied by diplomatic rep
resentative OF the Chinese emperor. who
was on his way to Havana to make
study OF and report upon the conditions of
Chlnese merchants and laborers in Cuba
All OF New Orleans upper tendon was
at the opera that night. NatIii and the
chinese dignitary. the latter attired In
the most gorgeous robes of state, were
gwen a small ovation between the acts
IN me Foyer and in the reception rooms.
Between the third and fourth acts there
was an unusually long wait and the man
ager of the company told Natili that the
singers would like to be introduced to his
eNceHency from China if he cared to visit
Pehlhd me scenes, and so back thew an
went with a procession of gilded vouths
trailing behind them.
t9nlte reception was held on the stage
Whle The curtain was down. One nv one
,he SINGERS were led to the chair occupled
py the distinguished celestial and were pre-
scented with fitting ceremony. and after a
few unintel,igible words each would ioin
me circle of swell young men lounging
near. nus
quick as a flash Natllu saw his opnor-
tunlty Without word to anyone he
pressed the button which sent the curtain
up and gave the audience an upexnected
tapleauX. Grouped about the STAGE were
chorus girls and society pels, the ceIes-
tial was calamity kissing the sonrano's
hand and Nati!li-was out of sight behind
The scenes.
For two or three years the identity of
me chinese diplomat remained a rnvsterv
put finally, at a banquet Natii confessed
that he was only the well-to-do cousin of
the proprietor of a number of wash houses
in New Orleans
couple of years ago he heard a Mexi-
can gentleman deliver a short address on
the growth and prosperity of Mexico. Tt
proved to be an eloquent speech bv a
prominent attorney of the City of Mexico
Natih kept repeating it over and over un-
I'll he fully mastered it in every respect
except to understand the meaning of the
words. He overcame that obstacle bv the
use of lexicon
Not long afterward he was present al a
banquet in Durango with Messrs Hunt
lngtou and Hutchison. 1t was a formal
celebration of the completion of the Next
can International Railroad to that CITY
Natili asked Huntington 10 see that he
was called upon for a speech. Hunting
ton did So Nauli made The hit of the even
ing with his memoriZed address. He was
cheered to the echo and was congratulated
by the personal representative whom Pres
ident Diaz had sent to the banquet.