The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-01-27
WESTERN WRITER OF FAKES.
Joseph MuIhatton Now in an Insane
Asylum.
prom the Chicago Times-Herald.)


From the Chicago Times Herald.)
Phoenix, Ariz, Nov 25.-Joe Mulhat
ton, perhaps the most noted writer OF
newspaper fakes in America, is in tbs
| Territorial Insane Asylum, at this place,
hopeless maniac. He believes he has
killed man and that horde of avengers
are on his trail. Though at times help
less. he tears his clothing from him, and
| has to have constant attention.
T He was committed from Kelvin, Pinal
county, where he has lived the last three
| years. He was instrumental lately in
| selling valuable mine in Mineral Creek
| district. and received several thousand
| dollars as an advance payment on his
share of the proceeds. He spent several
| hundred dollars. but the rest of the coin
| cannot be found. His dementia is at
! tributed to the excitement of the fnan-
cial transaction, though alcohol may have
| had something to do with the case.
Mulhatton has been in Arizona about
| six years. and has been dabbling in mines
| all the time. He established mining
exchange at Florence, and has done a
little newspaper work.
During his Arizona residence his fertile
| imagination played its usual trick. and
the plots of some of his most notable in
ventions have been laid in the Southwest.
Joseph Mulhatton was born. In Alleghe-
ny, Pa. fifty-two years ago. At least.
that is what he says. but considering his
reputation as gorgeous and ornamental
prevaricator, even this statement must be
taken with caution. AS a unique, ornate,
bewildering liar he has a reputation ex-
tending from Maine to Texas. and even
extending across the Atlantic to England
and France. for the newspapers of those
countries have been sadly taken in by the
Mulhatton stories.
Even in his youth he displayed remark
able aptitude in the line of picturesque
prevarication. He evolved from his fer
tile Imagination a number of thrilling
stories that found their way into the
Pittsburg papers and were widely copied
AS ne grew older and gained a little ex-
perience he branched out along more
pretenti0us lines, and framed up an as
sortment of glittering newspaper fakes
that brought special writers and sedate
scientists scurrying across the ocean to
investigate alleged marvellous phenomena
which Mu1hatton claimed to have discov-
cred in remote parts of the country. but
which he really discovered during his idle
moments in some hotel corridor
Numinally, he was q travelling man, but
lying on tremendous scale was his spe-
cialty. Perhaps his most notable work
was .he story of the meteor supposed to
have fallen in Texas. Under his vivid
imagination and facile pen this meteor
landed in Brown county covered an acre
Of ground, destroyed all the ranches for
miles round by reason Of the sulphurous
fumes it gave off, and was still sizzling
its way into the earth when he gave the
story to the newspapers. That glittering
invention sent trainload of newspaper
and scientists into the mesquite
bushes of Texas. They never located the |
meteor, but the railroads and boarding |
houses and ranchers with horses and !
guides to let did a thriving business for |
several weeks.
His story of a wonderful cave in Pike
county, Kentucky, was also highly dec
Grated work of art. 1t appeared in |
Louisville paper, and set people on two |
talking of the rooms full of
magnificent jewels, of long halls lined with
great blocks of virgin gold, and of sub
terranean rivers ripping over beds of |
diamonds. People fiocked to Pikeville
by the hundred, and town lots sold for
800 as fast as the papers could be made
out Even p. t. Barnum, the willy old
Snowman, was caught in the trap. and
to Pike county to see if he
might be able to pick up a few rare skel
etons or strange cave dwellers that the
excited discoverer had overlooked In due
course of time the phlegmatic and pom
ferrous English tourists arrived in Pike
Vile. and helped to swell the receipts of
The hotels and bars.
In 1870. having q few moments to spare. !
hulhatton wrote a story TO the effect that
the tombs OF Washington and Lincoln I
would be taken to the Centennial Exp. 81
ion in Philadelphia, and put on exhibit
ion, the fund thus created to be devoted
o completing the Washington Monument
IN grand scale. Before the fake was
exploded number of sedate editors were
Having each other over the Improperly
If the scheme.
Mr.. Mulhatton considers that his early
Efforts in Pennsylvania were crude He
ays that it was not until he had entered
he State of Kentucky and imb.bed some
# its celebrated air and no less renowned
hief liquid product that he felt compe-
ent TO enter upon a career of ornamental
nd scientific prevarication
His story OF the discovery of detached
un spots brought orders from Paris and
london TO send crack reporters TO the
Gene at once ard spare no expense in Sc {
uring complete denials
His tale of the man who was able to !
enerate electricity in his body and make {
imself impervious TO the poison by Tho
eadliest snakes had quite vogue as the |
ian made sworn statement to the effect
nat in one season alone he had killed I
/, 900 snakes. I
ANIMATION. encouraged by his Ken u XIV
I'VE story. continued to discover other Ie y
caves He took iaunt into I
exco where the simple gullihIe natives q
ave him magnificent field for his pecu- .
ar talents. He also succeeded in filing q
lie negroes of the South with terror. ty =
me of his marvellous yarns -
In personal appearance Mulhatton is ;,
light, modestly dressed man. with a
zen eye and quick movement. He would :
,ver be selected as the man who has M II
t more newspaper Offices and sent more =,
porters on long and ruthless chases than ~
ly other in history. u
OF recent years he has been out Of The
lblic mind A fall from a street car in u
ew Orleans left a blood eliot on his brain u
Id untitled him for ANY great efforts in o.
S particular line. In 1891 he was picked s.
} in the street In Chicago. suffering fr IN +
e effects Of his injury in New Orleans 81
ter treatment in hospital, he resumed W
S work as a travelling mar. and finally al
lifted down to Arizona. In the height of II
S glory as a monumental liar, he was M
e candidate OF the National Drummers' &c