Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-01-05
P RINCE n'F LIARS
A "Tall Story" Man Who Will Soon
Be Heard From.
FAMOUS As A NEWSPAPER FAKIR
Heir to the Accomplishments Of
Ananias and Munchausen.
SOME TALES HE HAS TOLD

Copyright. 1901. by A. T. vance,
Written for The Evening Star by Arthur T. Vance.
News comes from a remote corner of
Texas that Joseph Mulhattan the most
stupendous and ingenious liar of his time,
has recently turned up in that part OF the
country. 1t is now in order for the news
papers to be on their guard, for in his
prime Mulhattan perpetrated and got into
circulation through various important news
papers hoaxes that would have made Baron
Munchausen feel like an amateur; and
there is no guarantee that he won't go
into the business again. The last previous
definite news of Joe was some five years
ago, when it was announced that he hao
retired to the wilds of California to recu-
perate from his arduous mental labors.
Soon after it was rumored that he was
dead, and his years of persistent silence
gave credence to the rumor.
Mulhattan had been truthful CONNER
cial traveller for years before the passion
for big story telling took possession OF hlin'
One day it occurred to him that the news
papers of his locality weren't interesting
enough so he proceeded to llVen them up
with the products of his own Imagination.
The Pttsburg Leader was the medium Sc
lected, and he kept the editors busy pup
fishing denias of the little hoaxes ne s0t
these personalities palled upon him and he
sought to exercise his genius IN a larger
field. About this time the first crematoIs
in the United States was erected at Liltle
Washington Pa Mulhattan Wrote t,o,, an ',ou aid
ticle announcing that a cremation woulu
take place at date two weeks aneaa Vi
the completion of the furnace. ana L,.tie
Washington soon had an army OF repot .elo
to entertain besides special ar.is.s fn ,u
the Illustrated papers. When they founa
the crematory unfinished and dlscoVeIeu
that there was no corpse they sousn. iut
Mr. Mulhattan to supply that important
omission but he was far away.
One on George.
1t was in 1873 that Mulhattan got up MS
first really imposing fake lie dlscoNeleo
that the remains of George washington
were petrified, and that some weil-knowh
citizens who were very deslrous Oh seeing
the Washington monument completed were
about to remove the petrtied body to the
exposition at Philadelphia to place II on
exhibition during the centennial year An
admission fee of 30 cents would pe charseo
the money to be used in finishing the monu-
ment. This was printed and reprinted ene
wide country over, and the newspapers
teemed with letters, favorable ana dehun-
ciatory. Alexander X. Mcclure, edltor OF
the Philadelphia Times. was particularly
vigorous in the denunciation or Muihattah
idea. while the Pittsburg Gazette supported
it warmly.
For a time thereafter Mr.. Mulhattan's
stories according to his own account, were
what might be called plain lies. But ne
went to kentucky. and after he had breath
ed the inspiring air of that locality Tor a
while he began to take pride in his wofA'
and produced some sparkling gems OF or
namental prevartcation. In leli ne .LIlle9
the Mammoth cave, and promptly eVoifeo
out Of his inner consciousness another great
cavern fourteen miles long, containing
large navigable river, to ply upon .the
waters of which steamboat was penn! ~
built. Leslies wrote for sketch of the
town near which the cave was located, anu
for pictures Of the cave. With an artist
friend Mulhattan filed this order, and the
articles and pictures were printed IN FRANK
Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper. The cave
was so brilliant a success that he followed
1t up with other caves, until he had nearly
the whole state of Kentucky ringing hollow
to the footstep.
A Flock of Trained Geese.
Animal stories were very popular then.
Mulhattan concentrated his powerful In
tellect upon the domestic goose, and the re-
suit was a highly detailed and interesting
| account Of a Texas cotton plantation kept
in order by a flock of trained geese. The
geese carried under their necks gourds
filled with water, so that each goose could
| drink out of its neighbours gourd. Each
| goose did the work Of two men in wedding.
The story concluded with the prediction
| that 'If the farmers experiment Is as sue
cessful as he thinks 1t will be. 1t Is only
| question of few years until the whole
| cotton crop of Texas will be weeded out by
the ordinary goose" This was regarded by
many newspapers particularly in the south,
as an important agricultural departure.
| Mulhattan's Texas meteor story attained
the proportion of an international event.
This was published in 1888 In the Fort
| Worth Gazette and was the making OF that
paper. An Associated Press agent sWal-
| lowed the story whole and telegraphed 1t
! all over the country. On the day after the
story was published the Gazette received
| ia kilograms in regard to the matter.
Three of them came from Europe-one from
| the London Times, one from the Edinburgh
! Scotsman and one from the Paris Gaulois.
| The editors of these enterprisng papers
| telegraphed for correspondents to get full
particulars, and to draw on them for the
. necessary funds. The meteor was said to
have fallen at Williams ranch. 1T cover
ed an acre of ground; it plunged 200 feet in
| the ground and stood eighty feet above it
it came down red hot and steaming, filling
| the air with sulphurous smoke and noXious
gases and killing all the cattle. a family
, of MeXicans were Struck ana buried w
| feet in the earth" The newspapers of the
country contained columns of interviews
! with distinguished scientists regarding the
meteor, and thousands of letters were sent
to the postmaster at Fort Worth asking
for further particulars He was so ndig-
nant that he gave out word that If Null.
haitian ever came to Fort Worth he would
| shoot him on the spot. Afterward how
ever he relented and invited the famous
prevaricator to dine with him. The Gazette
had to employ a special corps of writer's to
reply to the letters received, besides get.
ting out thousands of explanatory cir
culars.
Mulhattan next wrote an extended &C
count of the discovery of the lost art OF
making malleable glass. The story was
told with such sweet simplicity and care
full and minute detail that the average
reader felt that he could go right out ant
manufacture malleable glass himself with
few simple implements. Next at the sug
gestion of a newspaper man at Lexington
KY, Mulhattan located the star of Bethle
hem. Among Mulhattans friends at the
time was John NJ. Klein, hardware deal
er Of Richfeld, KY
Astronomical achievements.
MuIhattan dubbed him professor" ant
described him as q successful observer O
sun spots and anIastronomer of remark
able attachments and high scientific repu
tation. Accordingsto Mulhattan's story, 1
was professor" Klein who had discovered
the star. The late Richard A. Proctor. thu
eminent English astronomer, was in TIN
, United States at this time. Unfortunatel.
. for him, he didn't know about Mulhattan
and he burned with zeal to save the Ameri
| he of ri pti 40